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US engineer George Brayton patents an internal combustion engine (Brayton Cycle)

The Brayton cycle, also known as the Joule cycle, is a thermodynamic cycle that describes the operation of certain heat engines that have air or some other gas as their working fluid. It is...

The Brayton cycle, also known as the Joule cycle, is a thermodynamic cycle that describes the operation of certain heat engines that have air or some other gas as their working fluid.

It is characterized by isentropic compression and expansion, and isobaric heat addition and rejection, though practical engines have adiabatic rather than isentropic steps.

The most common current application is in airbreathing jet engines and gas turbine engines.

The engine cycle is named after George Brayton (1830–1892), the American engineer, who developed the Brayton Ready Motor in 1872, using a piston compressor and piston expander.

An engine using the cycle was originally proposed and patented by Englishman John Barber in 1791, using a reciprocating compressor and a turbine expander.

There are two main...

Historical Significance

The Brayton cycle, also known as the Joule cycle, is a thermodynamic cycle that describes the operation of certain heat engines that have air or some other gas as their working fluid.

Events Before

  1. Belgium disbands its salt tax

    Belgium disbands its salt tax

  2. Second German Empire is proclaimed by Kaiser Wilhelm I and Otto von Bismarck

    Otto Eduard Leopold, Prince of Bismarck, Count of Bismarck-Schönhausen, Duke of Lauenburg (born Otto Eduard Leopold von Bismarck-Schönhausen; 1 April 1815 – 30 July 1898) was a German statesman and…

  3. US President William McKinley (27) weds Ida Saxton (23) at the First Presbyterian Church in Canton

    US President William McKinley (27) weds Ida Saxton (23) at the First Presbyterian Church in Canton

  4. The Rugby Football Union is formed at a meeting of 21 clubs at the Pall Mall Restaurant, London, England

    The Rugby Football Union (RFU) is the national governing body for rugby union in England.

  5. Journalist Henry Morton Stanley begins his famous expedition to Africa

    Journalist Henry Morton Stanley begins his famous expedition to Africa

Events After

  1. Japan adopts the Gregorian calendar

    Japanese calendar types have included a range of official and unofficial systems. At present, Japan uses the Gregorian calendar together with year designations stating the year of the reign of the…

  2. Modoc warriors defeat the United States Army in the First Battle of the Stronghold, part of the Modoc War

    The Modoc War, or the Modoc Campaign (also known as the Lava Beds War), was an armed conflict between the Native American Modoc people and the United States Army in northeastern California and…

  3. British Naval Officer John Moresby is the first European to discover Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea, claims it for the U

    British Naval Officer John Moresby is the first European to discover Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea, claims it for the United Kingdom

  4. 1st Preakness Stakes: G. Barbee aboard Survivor wins in 2:43 at Pimlico Race Course, Baltimore, Maryland

    1st Preakness Stakes: G. Barbee aboard Survivor wins in 2:43 at Pimlico Race Course, Baltimore, Maryland

  5. Heinrich Schliemann discovers "Priam's Treasure" a cache of gold and other objects in Hisarlik (Troy) in Anatolia

    Priam's Treasure is a cache of gold and other artifacts discovered by classical archaeologists Frank Calvert and Heinrich Schliemann at Hisarlık on the northwestern coast of modern Turkey.

More from the 1870s

Belgium disbands its salt tax

Belgium disbands its salt tax

The Moerdijk railway bridge over Hollands Diep in South Holland opens, becoming the longest bridge in Europe at that tim

The Moerdijk railway bridge over Hollands Diep in South Holland opens, becoming the longest bridge in Europe at that time

Japan adopts the Gregorian calendar

Japanese calendar types have included a range of official and unofficial systems. At present, Japan uses the Gregorian calendar together with year designations stating the year of the reign of the…

New York City annexes the West Bronx

The boroughs of New York City are the five major governmental districts that compose New York City. They are the Bronx, Brooklyn, Manhattan, Queens, and Staten Island.

Frequently Asked Questions

What happened on April 2, 1872?
The Brayton cycle, also known as the Joule cycle, is a thermodynamic cycle that describes the operation of certain heat engines that have air or some other gas as their working fluid. It is characterized by isentropic compression and expansion, and isobaric heat addition and rejection, though practical engines have adiabatic rather than isentropic steps. The most common current application is in airbreathing jet engines and gas turbine engines.
Why is US engineer George Brayton patents an internal combustion engine (Brayton Cycle) significant?
The Brayton cycle, also known as the Joule cycle, is a thermodynamic cycle that describes the operation of certain heat engines that have air or some other gas as their working fluid.

Explore More

April 2 in HistoryYear 1872