Atkinson efficiency advantage from extended expansion

ID: atkinson-efficiency-advantage-from-extended-expansion

For the same initial state, compression ratio and constant-volume heat input, the ideal Atkinson cycle adds net work during the extended expansion and subsequent constant-pressure return. The extra work is the integral of over the added volume, which is positive. Equivalently, concavity of gives when and , so its efficiency exceeds the corresponding Otto cycle efficiency. The comparison fixes these shared conditions rather than asserting universal superiority under arbitrary engine constraints.

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