Efficiency statistics at all times: Carnot limit at finite power

We derive the statistics of the efficiency under the assumption that thermodynamic fluxes fluctuate with normal law, parametrizing it in terms of time, macroscopic efficiency, and a coupling parameter $\zeta$. It has a peculiar behavior: No moments, one sub- and one super-Carnot maxima corresponding to reverse operating regimes (engine/pump), the most probable efficiency decreasing in time. The limit $\zeta\to 0$ where the Carnot bound can be saturated gives rise to two extreme situations, one where the machine works at its macroscopic efficiency, with Carnot limit corresponding to no entropy production, and one where for a transient time scaling like $1/\zeta$ microscopic fluctuations are enhanced in such a way that the most probable efficiency approaches Carnot at finite entropy production.Comment: 5+4 pages, 4 figures. Title modifie

Degree of coupling and efficiency of energy converters far-from-equilibrium

In this paper, we introduce a real symmetric and positive semi-definite matrix, which we call the non-equilibrium conductance matrix, and which generalizes the Onsager response matrix for a system in a non-equilibrium stationary state. We then express the thermodynamic efficiency in terms of the coefficients of this matrix using a parametrization similar to the one used near equilibrium. This framework, then valid arbitrarily far from equilibrium allows to set bounds on the thermodynamic efficiency by a universal function depending only on the degree of coupling between input and output currents. It also leads to new general power-efficiency trade-offs valid for macroscopic machines that are compared to trade-offs previously obtained from uncertainty relations. We illustrate our results on an unicycle heat to heat converter and on a discrete model of molecular motor.Comment: 24 pages, 5 figure

Collective effects enhancing power and efficiency

Energy conversion is most efficient for micro or nano machines with tight coupling between input and output power. To reach meaningful amounts of power, ensembles of $N$ such machines must be considered. We use a model system to demonstrate that interactions between $N$ tightly coupled nanomachines can enhance the power output per machine. Furthermore, while interactions break tight coupling and thus lower efficiency in finite ensembles, the macroscopic limit ($N \rightarrow \infty$) restores it and enhances both the efficiency and the output power per nanomachine.Comment: 5 pages, 3 figure

Inequalities generalizing the second law of thermodynamics for transitions between non-stationary states

We discuss the consequences of a variant of the Hatano-Sasa relation in which a non-stationary distribution is used in place of the usual stationary one. We first show that this non-stationary distribution is related to a difference of traffic between the direct and dual dynamics. With this formalism, we extend the definition of the adiabatic and non-adiabatic entropies introduced by M. Esposito and C. Van den Broeck in Phys. Rev. Lett. 104, 090601 (2010) for the stationary case. We also obtain interesting second-law like inequalities for transitions between non-stationary states.Comment: 4 pages, 2 figure

Work statistics in stochastically driven systems

We identify the conditions under which a stochastic driving inducing energy changes on a system coupled to a thermal bath can be treated as a work source. When these conditions are met, the work statistics satisfies the Crooks fluctuation theorem traditionally derived for deterministic drivings. We illustrate this fact by calculating and comparing the work statistics for a two-level system driven respectively by a stochastic and a deterministic piecewise constant protocol.Comment: 19 pages, 7 figures, 2 table