Engineers are crucial to the understanding and integration of natural and industrial cycles.

To most engineers, the concept of “industrial cycles” is almost intuitive. Industrial systems and the power cycles with which they operate are fundamental to engineering design and system operation. The engines that create and utilize power for the world’s industrial enterprises are all based on thermodynamic cycles that form the basis of engineering education and practice. Indeed, the names of these cycles, like the Diesel cycle (diesel engines), the Otto cycle (most gasoline automobile engines), and the Rankine cycle (solar thermal heat pumps), have become almost commonplace. The oldest of these, the Carnot cycle, is the basis for every measure of thermal engine efficiency. These concepts have been extended to the design of manufacturing equipment and even supply and disposal cycles for industries both large and...