The well-known discussion on an engine consisting of a ratchet and a pawl in R.9] is shown to contain some misguided aspects: since the engine is simultaneously in contact with reservoirs at diierent temperatures , it can never work in a reversible way. As a consequence, the engine can never achieve the eeciency of a Carnot cycle, not even in the limit of zero power (innnitely slow motion), in ...

We present an explicit molecular-level model of Carnot cycle based on the recently developed framework of energetics of Langevin dynamics. In the quasi-static limit, the average efficiency of energy conversion over the cycles can attain arbitrarily close value to the one predicted by thermodynamics. Account is taken for the work for connecting and disconnecting the working material to the heat ...

A new thermodynamic inequality is derived which leads to the maximum work that can be extracted from multi-heat-baths with the assistance of discrete quantum feedback control. The maximum work is determined by the free-energy difference and a generalized mutual information content between the thermodynamic system and the feedback controller. This maximum work can exceed that in conventional the...

This paper presents a fundamental investigation of the use of conventional Rankine Cycle, Trilateral Flash Cycle, and wet vapour Rankine Cycle system for the generation of power from Enhanced Geothermal Systems. The paper considers ideal Carnot, Trilateral and Quadlateral cycles, and compares the ideal cases of maximum rate of power production with maximum total electricity delivery. These resu...

A unification of thermodynamics and information theory is proposed. It is argued that similarly to the randomness due to collisions in thermal systems, the quenched randomness that exists in data files in informatics systems contributes to entropy. Therefore, it is possible to define equilibrium and to calculate temperature for informatics systems. The obtained temperature yields correctly the ...

The efficient conversion of thermal energy to mechanical work by a heat engine is an ongoing technological challenge. Since the pioneering work of Carnot, it has been known that the efficiency of heat engines is bounded by a fundamental upper limit—the Carnot limit. Theoretical studies suggest that heat engines may be operated beyond the Carnot limit by exploiting stationary, nonequilibrium res...