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arXiv · 1710.06646

Thermodynamic bound on heat to power conversion

Rongxiang Luo·Giuliano Benenti·Giulio Casati·Jiao Wang
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Abstract

In systems described by the scattering theory, there is an upper bound, lower than Carnot, on the efficiency of steady-state heat to work conversion at a given output power. We show that interacting systems can overcome such bound and saturate, in the thermodynamic limit, the much more favorable linear-response bound. This result is rooted in the possibility for interacting systems to achieve the Carnot efficiency at the thermodynamic limit without delta-energy filtering, so that large efficiencies can be obtained without greatly reducing power.

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Rongxiang Luo, Giuliano Benenti, Giulio Casati, Jiao Wang. 2017-10-18. Thermodynamic bound on heat to power conversion. https://doi.org/10.1103/physrevlett.121.080602

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