2 research outputs found
Modeling an efficient Brownian heat engine
We discuss the effect of subdividing the ratchet potential on the performance
of a tiny Brownian heat engine that is modeled as a Brownian particle hopping
in a viscous medium in a sawtooth potential (with or without load) assisted by
alternately placed hot and cold heat baths along its path. We show that the
velocity, the efficiency and the coefficient of performance of the refrigerator
maximize when the sawtooth potential is subdivided into series of smaller
connected barrier series. When the engine operates quasistatically, we
analytically show that the efficiency of the engine can not approach the Carnot
efficiency and, the coefficient of performance of the refrigerator is always
less than the Carnot refrigerator due to the irreversible heat flow via the
kinetic energy.Comment: 8 pages and 14 figure