Heat engines are thermodynamic physical systems that convert heat energy into mechanical work by exploiting a temperature difference between a high-temperature heat source and a low-temperature heat sink. They operate cyclically, undergoing a sequence of thermodynamic processes (e.g., isothermal, adiabatic, isobaric, or isochoric) that return the working substance to its initial state after each cycle. Their performance is characterized by thermal efficiency, defined as the ratio of net work output to heat input, and fundamentally limited by the Carnot efficiency, which depends solely on the reservoir temperatures and imposes an upper bound dictated by the second law of thermodynamics.
Fusion energy has the potential to be an effective clean energy source, as its reactions generate incredibly large amounts of energy. Fusion reactors aim to reproduce on Earth what happens in the core of the sun, where very ...
Plasma Physics
Oct 21, 2024
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Thanks to nanoscale devices as small as human cells, researchers can create groundbreaking material properties, leading to smaller, faster, and more energy-efficient electronics. However, to fully unlock the potential of ...
Nanophysics
Sep 17, 2024
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Heat engines, converting heat into useful work, are vital in modern society. With advances in nanotechnology, exploring quantum heat engines (QHEs) is crucial for designing efficient systems and understanding quantum thermodynamics.
Optics & Photonics
Sep 2, 2024
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The molecules that make up the matter around us are in constant motion. What if we could harness that energy and put it to use?
General Physics
Jun 6, 2024
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In a study published on January 18, 2024 in the journal Physics of Fluids, researchers from Tohoku University theoretically linked ignition and deflagration in a combustion system, unlocking new configurations for stable, ...
General Physics
Mar 14, 2024
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Skoltech researchers have identified promising ceramic materials for metal coatings that would boost gas turbine efficiency. If further experimental tests prove successful, the coatings will enable power plants to produce ...
Condensed Matter
Mar 13, 2024
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When Mickael Perrin started out on his scientific career 12 years ago, he had no way of knowing he was conducting research in an area that would be attracting wide public interest only a few years later: Quantum electronics. ...
Nanophysics
Jan 19, 2024
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Obtaining useful work from random fluctuations in a system at thermal equilibrium has long been considered impossible. In fact, in the 1960s eminent American physicist Richard Feynman effectively shut down further inquiry ...
Nanomaterials
Aug 18, 2023
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A new study determines the efficiency of a single-molecule heat engine by considering a series of ratchets that transfer energy along a network.
Nanophysics
Jul 25, 2023
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Researchers at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) have fabricated a novel device that could dramatically boost the conversion of heat into electricity. If perfected, the technology could help recoup ...
Nanophysics
May 19, 2023
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