Cyclic processes in thermodynamics can be plotted as a closed loop in a p-V diagram. The area enclosed by the curve corresponds to the mechanical work taken from the system. Alternatively, the mechanical power associated with a complete cycle can be determined and then the mechanical work can be calculated from that by means of an integration over time. This will be investigated in the course of an experiment using a Stirling engine.
![Experiment: Stirling Engine G (115 V, 50/60 Hz), 8000596 [UE2060250-115], Thermodynamic cycles](/imagelibrary/UE2060250-115/UE2060250-115_01_Experiment-Stirling-Engine-G-115-V-5060-Hz.jpg)
![Experiment: Stirling Engine G (115 V, 50/60 Hz), 8000596 [UE2060250-115], Thermodynamic cycles](/thumblibrary/UE2060250-115/UE2060250-115_01_1200_1200_Experiment-Stirling-Engine-G-115-V-5060-Hz.jpg)
