Well, actually you are incorrect. It really is that simple. Engineers do it all the time. We take a system and break it into a few subsystems. Then you calculate the ins and outs of each major subsystem. Lifting something is not rocket science. Cooling is not rocket science. Falling air in a cylinder is not rocket science. And all you need to know really is simple physics of energy conservation.
Anyone claiming that this is too complex is trying to deflect criticism.