Question

Can improved engineering and materials be employed in heat engines to reduce heat transfer into the environment? Can they eliminate heat transfer into the environment entirely?

Short answer

Improved engineering and materials can reduce the heat transfer to the environment, but they can’t eliminate this heat transfer completely.

Step-by-step solution

Explain whether improved technologies in heat reduce heat transfer to the environment. 

It is not possible to have a 100% efficient heat engine. Some kind of energy loss will take place. New technologies can increase the efficiency of heat engines through the use of improved materials that are capable of good insulation. So, the heat transfer to the environment can be reduced.

Describe whether improved engineering and materials could fully eliminate the entire heat transfer to the environment.

Complete heat transfer to the environment is not possible. Because a heat engine cannot convert all of its heat into work, according to the second law of thermodynamics. If it is insulated with improved materials, some heat transfer may occur due to dissipative mechanisms.

So, the heat transfer to the environment can be reduced by using improved materials, but it can’t eliminate 100% heat transfer.