Related papers: Ideally Efficient Irreversible Molecular Gears
A simple model of the two-state ratchet type is proposed for molecular chemical engines that convert chemical free energy into mechanical work and vice versa. The engine works by catalyzing a chemical reaction and turning a rotor.…
An equilibrium reversible cycle with a certain engine to transduce the energy of any chemical reaction into mechanical energy is proposed. The efficiency for chemical energy transduction is also defined so as to be compared with Carnot…
We study the energetics of isothermal ratchets which are driven by a chemical reaction between two states and operate in contact with a single heat bath of constant temperature. We discuss generic aspects of energy transduction such as…
Similarly to gear systems in vehicles, most chemical reaction networks (CRNs) involved in energy transduction have at their disposal multiple transduction pathways, each characterized by distinct efficiencies. We conceptualize these…
We discuss a problem of optimization of the energetic efficiency of a simple rocked ratchet. We concentrate on a low-temperature case in which the particle's motion in a ratchet potential is deterministic. We show that the energetic…
It is known that an engine with ideal efficiency ($\eta =1$ for a chemical engine and $e = e_{\rm Carnot}$ for a thermal one) has zero power because a reversible cycle takes an infinite time. However, at least from a theoretical point of…
Efficiency of generation of net unidirectional current in an adiabatically driven symmetric periodic potential system is studied. The efficiency shows a maximum, in the case of an inhomogeneous system with spatially varying periodic…
The energetic efficiencies of rocked ratchets reported in the literature typically lie in the sub-percent range. We discuss the problem of optimization of the energetic efficiency of a ratchet, and show that considerably higher efficiencies…
In this paper we investigate the use of path-integral formalism and the concepts of entropy and traffic in the context of molecular motors. We show that together with time-reversal symmetry breaking arguments one can find bounds on…
We investigate the model of "reversible ratchet" with interacting particles, introduced by us earlier [Europhys. Lett. 84, 50009 (2008)]. We further clarify the effect of efficiency enhancement due to interaction and show that it is of…
The efficiency of different types of Brownian motors is calculated analytically and numerically. We find that motors based on flashing ratchets present a low efficiency and an unavoidable entropy production. On the other hand, a certain…
In thermodynamics, there exists a conventional belief that "the Carnot efficiency is reachable only when a process is reversible." However, there is no theorem proving that the Carnot efficiency is unattainable in an irreversible process.…
In this work we include, for the Carnot cycle, irreversibilities of linear finite rate of heat transferences between the heat engine and its reservoirs, heat leak between the reservoirs and internal dissipations of the working fluid. A…
Thermal ratchets can extract useful work from random fluctuations. This is common in the molecular scale, such as motor proteins, and has also been used to achieve directional transport in microfluidic devices. In this work, we use the…
Vehicle power-trains use a variable transmission (multiple gear-ratios) to minimize motor size and maximize efficiency while meeting a wide-range of operating points. Robots could similarly benefit from variable transmission to save weight…
Molecular motors transduce chemical energy obtained from hydrolizing ATP into mechanical work exerted against an external force. We calculate their efficiency at maximum power output for two simple generic models and show that the…
The aim of this paper is to determine lost works in a molecular engine and compare results with macro (classical) heat engines. Firstly, irreversible thermodynamics are reviewed for macro and molecular cycles. Secondly, irreversible…
We consider the transport of rigid objects with internal structure in a flashing ratchet potential by investigating the overdamped behavior of a rod-like chain of evenly spaced point particles. In 1D, analytical arguments show that the…
Biomolecular machines transduce free energy from one form to another to fulfill many important roles inside cells, with dissipation required to achieve directed progress. We investigate how to break time-reversal symmetry at a given…
The Carnot engine sets an upper limit to the efficiency of a practical heat engine. An arbitrary irreversible engine is sometimes believed to behave closely as the Curzon-Ahlborn engine. Efficiency of the latter is obtained commonly by…