Entropy-generated power and its efficiency

Phys Rev E Stat Nonlin Soft Matter Phys. 2013 Oct;88(4):042115. doi: 10.1103/PhysRevE.88.042115. Epub 2013 Oct 9.

Abstract

We propose a simple and analytically solvable model for a motor that generates mechanical motion by exploiting an entropic force arising from the topology of the underlying phase space. We show that the generation of mechanical forces in our system is surprisingly robust to local changes in kinetic and topological parameters. Furthermore, we find that the efficiency at maximum power of the motor may show discontinuities.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't