Can Heat Pumps Operate Without a Work Input?
Just because a cycle obeys the 1st Law does not guarantee that the cycle will occur.
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- Heat flow from a hot reservoir to a cold reservoir requires only a medium for the heat to flow through.
- This process obeys the 1st Law and occurs spontaneously.
A heat pump or refrigeration cycle transfers heat from a cold reservoir to a hot reservoir.
Is it possible for a heat pump or refrigerator to operate without any work input?
NO!
Although such a process obeys the 1st Law, heat does not spontaneously flow from a cold reservoir to a hot reservoir.
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