Universal Trade-Off between Power, Efficiency, and Constancy in Steady-State Heat Engines

作者:Pietzonka, Patrick*; Seifert, Udo
来源:Physical Review Letters, 2018, 120(19): 190602.
DOI:10.1103/PhysRevLett.120.190602

摘要

Heat engines should ideally have large power output, operate close to Carnot efficiency and show constancy, i.e., exhibit only small fluctuations in this output. For steady-state heat engines, driven by a constant temperature difference between the two heat baths, we prove that out of these three requirements only two are compatible. Constancy enters quantitatively the conventional trade-off between power and efficiency. Thus, we rationalize and unify recent suggestions for overcoming this simple trade-off. Our universal bound is illustrated for a paradigmatic model of a quantum dot solar cell and for a Brownian gyrator delivering mechanical work against an external force.

  • 出版日期2018-5-11