Sadi Carnot 1824
The Warm Breeders 2
With the triumphant success of the steam engine theoretical considerations about how to improve their efficiency became necessary. Carnot was the son of a hero of the French revolution and the brother of a later head of state. He wanted to bring France back to glory by increasing the force of the steam engine. Based on the water turbine where water is falling from a higher to a lower level and where the potential energy is transformed into power, he was looking for similarities in the transmission of heat. Eventhough he still believed in the doctrine of heat as a material, he was able to prove that the maximum efficiency any heat engine can obtain, solely depends on the difference between the hot and cold temperature reservoirs. He was only appreciated for this finding after his early death.