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A thermodynamic cycle transforms heat to electrical energy using ferroelectric materials. An expression for the electrocaloric effect may be derived from the laws of thermodynamics and electricity. From this, another derivation shows that a capacitor filled with a ferroelectric medium can be nonlinear with dC/dV > 0; i.e., the capacitance rises with an increase in voltage. This nonlinearity is essential for the thermodynamic cycle.