Thermal Reservoir
A thermal reservoir is a large system (very high mass x
specific heat value) from which a quantity of energy can be absorbed or added
as heat without changing its temperature. The atmosphere and sea are examples
of thermal reservoirs.
Any physical body whose thermal energy capacity is large
relative to the amount of energy it supplies or absorbs can be modeled as a
thermal reservoir.
A reservoir that supplies energy in the form of heat is
called a source and one that absorbs energy in the form of heat is called a
sink.
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