Efficiency of inefficient endoreversible thermal machines

Abstract

We present a study of the performance of endoreversible thermal machines optimized with respect to the thermodynamic force associated with the cold bath in the regime of small thermodynamic forces. These thermal machines can work either as an engine or as a refrigerator. We analyze how the optimal performances are determined by the dependence of the thermodynamic flux on the forces. The results are motivated and illustrated with a quantum model, the three level maser, and explicit analytical expressions of the engine efficiency as a function of the system parameters are given.

7 pages, 9 figures

References in corpus (6)

• Single ion heat engine with maximum efficiency at maximum power
• Performance bound for quantum absorption refrigerators
• Minimal universal quantum heat machine
• Coefficient of performance at maximum figure of merit and its bounds for low-dissipation Carnot-like refrigerators
• Optimal performance of endoreversible quantum refrigerators
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Cited by in corpus (6)

• Experimental characterization of a spin quantum heat engine
• Slow dynamics and thermodynamics of open quantum systems
• Optimal operation of a three-level quantum heat engine and universal nature of efficiency
• Unified trade-off optimization of a three-level quantum refrigerator
• Classical emulation of quantum-coherent thermal machines
• Heat engine model exhibit super-universal feature and capture the efficiencies of different power plants