Which process limits overall efficiency when heat engine’s hot reservoir approaches absolute zero in a Carnot cycle?

💡 Explanation

When the hot reservoir’s temperature, TH, approaches absolute zero, quantum degeneracy rises because indistinguishable particle behavior becomes dominant at extremely low energy levels, limiting utilization of the 2nd law of thermodynamics. Quantum effects limit entropy removal reducing efficiency. These effects are greater than thermal limitations, frictions and leakage, which dominate at classical scales.

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