Ecological optimization of energy selective electron (ESE) heat engine

The ecological performance optimization of an energy selective electron (ESE) heat engine operated at maximum power regime and the intermediate regime (i.e. between maximum power operation and reversible operation) is carried out in this paper by using finite time thermodynamics. In the analyses, the analytical formulae for the entropy generation rate and the ecological function of the ESE heat engine are derived for the two operation regimes, respectively. The performance characteristic curves are obtained by numerical examples. The influence of the resonance widths on the ecological performance of the ESE heat engine at intermediate regime is discussed. The ecological performances are analyzed and compared with the power and efficiency characteristic. It is shown that, when the working point is changed from the maximum power point to the maximum ecological function point, the efficiency increases and the entropy generation rate decreases mostly with only a small power output drop. The results obtained herein have theoretical significance for the understanding of thermodynamic performance of the micro-nano devices. (C) 2010 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.