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Researchers derived key thermodynamic relations for maximum power, efficiency, and minimum dissipation. These findings simplify under specific Onsager matrix symmetries, offering insights into energy conversion and transport.

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Area of Science:

  • Thermodynamics
  • Non-equilibrium systems
  • Statistical mechanics

Background:

  • Linear irreversible thermodynamics provides a framework for analyzing systems near equilibrium.
  • Understanding the interplay between power, efficiency, and dissipation is crucial for optimizing energy conversion devices.
  • Onsager relations describe the coupling between thermodynamic fluxes and forces.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To establish general relationships between maximum power, maximum efficiency, and minimum dissipation regimes.
  • To investigate how these relationships are simplified by specific symmetries in the Onsager matrix.
  • To demonstrate the applicability of these findings using model systems.

Main Methods:

  • Derivation of general thermodynamic relations using linear irreversible thermodynamics.
  • Analysis of the Onsager matrix and conditions for symmetry (detailed balance).
  • Application and illustration on a periodically driven system and a three-terminal device.

Main Results:

  • General relations connecting maximum power, efficiency, and minimum dissipation were derived.
  • These relations exhibit significant simplification when the Onsager matrix possesses a specific symmetry, linked to detailed balance.
  • The theoretical findings were validated through examples of a periodically driven system and a three-terminal device.

Conclusions:

  • The study provides a unified theoretical framework for understanding optimal operating points in thermodynamic systems.
  • The identified symmetries offer a pathway to simplified analysis and potential design improvements for energy devices.
  • The results are broadly applicable to various non-equilibrium systems, including those with external fields.