Nanocoolers

Abstract

We present a simple kinematic model of a non-equilibrium steady state device, which can operate either as a heat engine or as a refrigerator. The model is composed of two or more scattering channels where the motion is fully described by deterministic classical dynamics, which connect a pair of stochastic (infinite) heat and particle baths at unequal temperatures. We discuss precise kinematic conditions under which our model may approach Carnot's optimal efficiency in different situations.

21 pages, 9 figures

References in corpus (7)

• Reversible thermoelectric nanomaterials
• Magnetically Induced Thermal Rectification
• Increasing thermoelectric efficiency towards the Carnot limit
• Quantum, cyclic and particle-exchange heat engines
• A microscopic mechanism for increasing thermoelectric efficiency
• A one dimensional hard-point gas as a thermoelectric engine
• Dynamical approach to chains of scatterers