eli5: why are ICE engines only able to achieve 20-30% thermal efficiency?

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I read that a massive portion of usable energy is wasted and turned to heat instead of being used to turn the crankshaft — would there be like any way of reducing the heat/cooling the engine so you could get 50-70% thermal efficiency?

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Anonymous 0 Comments

https://www.motortrend.com/how-to/hrdp-1009-what-ever-happened-to-smokeys-hot-vapor-engine/

There has been better but prevailing ideas about engine design and cost kept it the way it is.

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