![Print Print](https://www.e-education.psu.edu/egee102/sites/all/modules/print/icons/print_icon.png)
Energy conversions occurring in an automobile are illustrated below:
![Line drawing showing chemical energy flowing to thermal energy flowing to mechanical energy](/egee102/sites/www.e-education.psu.edu.egee102/files/images/Lesson_03/heat_engines.jpg)
Energy Conversions in an Automobile
Any device that converts thermal energy into mechanical energy—such as an automobile or a power plant—is called a heat engine. In these devices, high temperature heat (thermal energy) produced by burning a fuel is partly converted to mechanical energy to do work and the rest is rejected into the atmosphere, typically as a low temperature exhaust.
![Heat Engine diagram showing that high temperature heat produced by burning fuel is converted into mechanical work and low temperature exhaust.](/egee102/sites/www.e-education.psu.edu.egee102/files/images/Lesson_03/heatengine.png)
Heat Engine