Carnot, Stirling, and Ericsson stochastic heat engines: Efficiency at maximum power.

This work uses the low-dissipation strategy to obtain efficiency at maximum power from a stochastic heat engine performing Carnot-, Stirling- and Ericsson-like cycles at finite time. The heat engine consists of a colloidal particle trapped by optical tweezers, in contact with two thermal baths at different temperatures, namely hot (T_{h}) and cold (T_{c}). The particle dynamics is characterized by a Langevin equation with time-dependent control parameters bounded to a harmonic potential trap. In a low-dissipation approach, the equilibrium properties of the system are required, which in our case, can be calculated through a statelike equation for the mean value 〈x^{2}〉_{eq} coming from a macroscopic expression associated with the Langevin equation.

Optimization Criteria and Efficiency of a Thermoelectric Generator.

The efficiency of a thermoelectric generator model under maximum conditions is presented for two optimization criteria proposed under the context of finite-time thermodynamics, namely, the efficient power criterion and the Omega function, where this last function represents a trade-off between useful and lost energy. The results are compared with the performance of the device at maximum power output. A macroscopic thermoelectric generator (TEG) model with three possible sources of irreversibilities is considered: (i) the electric resistance R for the Joule heating, (ii) the thermal conductances Kh and Kc of the heat exchangers between the thermal baths and the TEG, and (iii) the internal thermal conductance K for heat leakage. In particular, two configurations of the macroscopic TEG are studied: the so-called exoreversible case and the endoreversible limit. It shows that for both TEG configurations, the efficiency at maximum Omega function is always greater than that obtained in conditions of maximum efficient power, and this in turn is greater than that of the maximum power regime.

Optimization criteria, bounds, and efficiencies of heat engines.

The efficiency of four different and representative models of heat engines under maximum conditions for a figure of merit representing a compromise between useful energy and lost energy (the Ω criterion) is investigated and compared with previous results for the same models where the efficiency is considered at maximum power conditions. It is shown that the maximum Ω regime is more efficient and, additionally, that the resulting efficiencies present a similar behavior. For each performance regime we obtain explicit equations accounting for lower and upper bounds. The optimization of refrigeration devices is far from being as clear as heat engines, and some remarks on it are finally considered.

Harmonic quantum heat devices: optimum-performance regimes.

The finite-time performance of a quantum-mechanical heat engine (or refrigerator) with a working fluid consisting of many noninteracting harmonic oscillators is considered in order to analyze three optimum operating regimes: maximum efficiency (maximum coefficient of performance), maximum work output (maximum cooling load) and a third one, Omega criterion, which represents a compromise between them. The reported results extend previous findings for macroscopic and mesoscopic energy converters to quantum heat devices and also endorse the Omega criterion as a unified, optimum working regime for energy converters, independent of their size and nature.

Adiabatic rocking ratchets: Optimum-performance regimes.

We analyze work and efficiency for an adiabatic rocking ratchet working under three operating regimes: maximum efficiency, maximum work, and a third one which represents a compromise between them. For all of these regimes the application of very concrete loads and external amplitudes is found necessary in order to obtain the maximum possible values of both efficiency and work. The reported results could be valuable to design efficient Brownian motors and compare their operation under different working regimes.