True nature of the Curzon-Ahlborn efficiency
Statistical Mechanics
2017-08-16 v2 Classical Physics
Abstract
The Curzon-Ahlborn efficiency has long served as the definite upper bound for the thermal efficiency at maximum output power, and has thus shaped the development of finite-time thermodynamics. In this paper, we repeal the ruling consensus according to which it has a genuine universal character that can be derived from linear irreversible thermodynamics. We demonstrate that the Curzon-Ahlborn efficiency should instead properly be associated with a particular case of nonlinear heat engines, and we derive a generalized expression for the efficiency at maximum power beyond the restrictive case of linear models.
Keywords
Cite
@article{arxiv.1612.07922,
title = {True nature of the Curzon-Ahlborn efficiency},
author = {Yann Apertet and Henni Ouerdane and Christophe Goupil and Philippe Lecoeur},
journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:1612.07922},
year = {2017}
}