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Performance characteristics of an irreversible thermally driven Brownian microscopic heat engine

Author

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  • Y. Zhang
  • B. H. Lin
  • J. C. Chen

Abstract

Brownian particles moving in a spatially asymmetric but periodic potential (ratchet), with an external load force and connected to an alternating hot and cold reservoir, are modeled as a microscopic heat engine, referred to as the Brownian heat engine. The heat flow via both the potential energy and the kinetic energy of the particles are considered simultaneously. The forward and backward particle currents are determined using an Arrhenius' factor. Expressions for the power output and efficiency are derived analytically. The maximum power output and efficiency are calculated. It is expounded that the Brownian heat engine is always irreversible and its efficiency cannot approach the efficiency η C of the Carnot heat engine even in quasistatic limit. The influence of the main parameters such as the load, the barrier height of the potential, the asymmetry of the potential and the temperature ratio of the heat reservoirs on the performance of the Brownian heat engine is discussed in detail. It is found that the Brownian heat engines may be controlled to operate in different regions through variation of some parameters. Copyright EDP Sciences/Società Italiana di Fisica/Springer-Verlag 2006

Suggested Citation

  • Y. Zhang & B. H. Lin & J. C. Chen, 2006. "Performance characteristics of an irreversible thermally driven Brownian microscopic heat engine," The European Physical Journal B: Condensed Matter and Complex Systems, Springer;EDP Sciences, vol. 53(4), pages 481-485, October.
    • Handle: RePEc:spr:eurphb:v:53:y:2006:i:4:p:481-485
    DOI: 10.1140/epjb/e2006-00399-x
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    Cited by:

    1. Chen, Lingen & Ding, Zemin & Sun, Fengrui, 2011. "Model of a total momentum filtered energy selective electron heat pump affected by heat leakage and its performance characteristics," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 36(7), pages 4011-4018.
    2. Chen, Lingen & Qi, Congzheng & Ge, Yanlin & Feng, Huijun, 2022. "Thermal Brownian heat engine with external and internal irreversibilities," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 255(C).
    3. Zemin Ding & Lingen Chen & Fengrui Sun, 2016. "Heating load and COP optimization of a double resonance energy selective electron (ESE) heat pump," International Journal of Low-Carbon Technologies, Oxford University Press, vol. 11(3), pages 383-392.
    4. Qi, Congzheng & Chen, Lingen & Ge, Yanlin & Feng, Huijun, 2023. "Three-heat-reservoir thermal Brownian heat transformer and its performance limits," Physica A: Statistical Mechanics and its Applications, Elsevier, vol. 622(C).

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