Definition
The term "hot air engine" specifically excludes any engine performing a thermodynamic cycle such as the Rankine cycle, in which the working fluid undergoes a phase transition. Also excluded are conventional internal combustion engines in which heat is added to the working fluid by combustion of fuel within the working cylinder. Continuous combustion types such as George Brayton's Ready Motor and the related gas turbine could be seen as borderline cases.
Read more about this topic: Hot Air Engine
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