The equivalent combined cycle of an irreversible chemical pump and its performance analysis

A new type of thermodynamic cycle, which is accomplished by a chemical pump operating among three reservoirs at different chemical potentials, is investigated. The chemical pump may be conceived as a combined system having a chemical pump operating between two reservoirs driven by a chemical engine. The influence of the irreversibility of finite-rate mass transfer is taken into account. The fundamental optimal relations of the chemical engine and pump operating between two reservoirs are used to derive the fundamental optimal relation of the chemical pump operating among three reservoirs. Consequently, it is proved that such a combined cycle system is equivalent to the chemical pump operating among three reservoirs at different chemical potentials. Moreover, The maximum rate of energy pumping is calculated. The other optimum performance characteristics of the chemical pump are discussed in detail. The results obtained here may provide some theoretical bases for the development of chemical pumps.