Thermodynamic optimization for irreversible thermal Brownian motors, energy selective electron engines and thermionic devices

Abstract

This mini review paper provides the study progresses on optimal performance of three kinds of typical microscopic systems, i.e. thermal Brownian motors, energy selective electron engines and thermionic energy conversion devices, including heat engines, refrigerators and heat pumps, by using the combination of finite time thermodynamics (FTT) and non-equilibrium thermodynamics carried out in the Naval University of Engineering in recent years. The results obtained herein can not only make progress in modern thermodynamics but also develop some new applications of FTT in microscopic energy conversion processes and devices. They have great significance for understanding the working mechanism of practical microscopic motors such as molecular motors, and can provide some new theoretical bases for the utilization of energy resources at the microscopic scale and the optimal design of real microscopic energy conversion devices.

KEYWORDS:

• Microscopic energy conversion systems
• thermal Brownian motors
• energy selective electron engines
• thermionic energy conversion devices
• finite time thermodynamics
• performance optimization

Acknowledgements

The authors wish to thank the reviewers for their careful, unbiased and constructive suggestions, which led to this revised manuscript.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Additional information

Funding

This paper is supported by The National Natural Science Foundation of China (Project Nos. 51576207, 51306206) and Hubei Provincial Natural Science Foundation of China (Project No. 2017CFB498).