Optimisation of heat engines at the micro-scale has applications in biological and artificial nano-technology, stimulates theoretical research non-equilibrium statistical physics. Here we consider non-interacting overdamped particles confined by an external harmonic potential, contact either with a thermal reservoir or stochastic self-propulsion force (active Ornstein-Uhlenbeck model). A cyclic...

Investigating all possible steady-state solutions in a particle-exchanging double-quantum-dot heat engine coupled to baths parallel reveals possibility of power-enhanced by quantum coherence.

We study networks of interacting oscillators, driven at the boundary by heat baths at possibly different temperatures. A set of first elementary questions are discussed concerning the uniqueness of a stationary possibly Gibbsian density and the nature of the entropy production and the local heat currents. We also derive a Carnot efficiency relation for the work that can be extracted from the he...

Thermoacoustic (TA) heat engines are engines which convert heat into acoustic power. This relatively new class of heat engines gains commercial interest, because of their low number of moving parts and high potential efficiency [1]. Especially traveling wave thermoacoustic engines are capable of reaching this high efficiency, because traveling wave engines perform a thermodynamic cycle similar ...

Thermoacoustic heat engines (TAEs) are potentially advantageous drivers for thermoacoustic refrigerators (TARs). Connecting TAEs to TARs means that waste heat can effectively be utilized to provide cooling, and increase overall efficiency. However, this is currently a niche technology. Improvements can be made through a better understanding of the interactions of relevant design parameters. Thi...