Efficiency

How it is used

Used for motors, pumps, fans, boilers, gearboxes and whole plants. Engineers calculate, improve and compare efficiency, often on an efficiency curve. Energy efficiency describes buildings and equipment that use less energy for the same job.

Example sentences

1. The new motor has an efficiency of 95%, compared with 89% for the old one.

2. We improved the efficiency of the pump system by replacing the throttling valve with speed control.

Common collocations

• energy efficiency
• thermal efficiency
• improve efficiency
• efficiency curve
• high-efficiency motor

Related terms

• thermodynamicsThe branch of physics and engineering that studies heat, work and energy and how they change from one form to another, for example in engines, turbines and refrigerators.
• pumpA machine that moves liquid through pipes by adding energy to it, raising its pressure or lifting it to a higher level.
• boilerA closed vessel in which water is heated by burning fuel or by electricity, to produce hot water or steam for heating buildings or for industrial processes.
• heat pumpA device that uses a refrigeration cycle to move heat from a cooler place, such as outdoor air or the ground, to a warmer place for heating, or the other way round for cooling.
• compressorA machine that increases the pressure of a gas, such as air or a refrigerant, by reducing its volume. It is driven by an electric motor or an engine.

This word in other fields

The same English word can have a different meaning in another field:

• efficiency · Physics

More terms: Thermodynamics and Heat Transfer

• heat transfer
• heat exchanger
• thermal expansion
• convection
• thermal conductivity
• specific heat