PRESS-NEWS.org - Press Release Distribution
PRESS RELEASES DISTRIBUTION

Physicists at Mainz University build pilot prototype of a single ion heat engine

Nano-heat engine likely to operate at high efficiency/ Publication in Physical Review Letters

2014-02-03
(Press-News.org) Contact information: Johannes Roßnagel
j.rossnagel@uni-mainz.de
49-613-139-23671
Johannes Gutenberg Universitaet Mainz
Physicists at Mainz University build pilot prototype of a single ion heat engine Nano-heat engine likely to operate at high efficiency/ Publication in Physical Review Letters

Scientists at Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz (JGU) and the University of Erlangen-Nuremberg are working on a heat engine that consists of just a single ion. Such a nano-heat engine could be far more efficient than, for example, a car engine or a coal-fired power plant. A usual heat engine transforms heat into utilizable mechanical energy with the corresponding efficiency of an Otto engine amounting to only about 25 percent, for instance. The proposed nano-heat engine consisting of a single calcium ion would be much more efficient. The main aim of the research being conducted is to better understand how thermodynamics works on very small scales. A pilot prototype of such a single-ion heat engine is currently being constructed at Mainz University.

As the physicists explain in an article recently published in the journal Physical Review Letters, the efficiency of heat engines powered by thermal heat reservoirs is determined by the second law of thermodynamics, one of the fundamental concepts in physics. It was as far back as 1824 that Frenchman Nicolas Carnot calculated the maximum possible efficiency limit of such engines, now known as the Carnot limit. In the case of the newly proposed nano-heat engine, the scientists have been theoretically able to exceed the classic Carnot limit by manipulating the heat baths and exploiting nonequlibrium states.

Calculations and simulations made about a year ago showed for the first time that the thermo-dynamic flow in an internal combustion engine could be reproduced using individual ions. The idea was to use a calcium 40 ion, which has a diameter a million times smaller than that of a human hair, for this purpose. "Individual ions can basically act as the piston and drive shaft or, in other words, represent the entire engine," explained Johannes Roßnagel of the Quantum, Atomic, and Neutron Physics (QUANTUM) work group of the JGU Institute of Physics. Individual ions have already been captured in Paul traps and, using laser beams and electrical fields, not only cooled and heated but also compressed. "This means we are able to manipulate the pulse location distribution for optimum efficiency," added Roßnagel. "Exceeding the Carnot limit for a standard heat engine thus does not violate the second law of thermodynamics but instead demonstrates that the use of specially prepared, non-thermal heat reservoirs also makes it possible to further improve efficiency." In their publication, the physicists calculated the general Carnot limit for this situation. As the mechanical capacity of a single ion machine is extremely low, it can probably only be used in heating or cooling nano systems.

The intention is now to actually develop the proposed single ion heat engine in initial experiments and construct a prototype in the laboratory.



INFORMATION:



ELSE PRESS RELEASES FROM THIS DATE:

Communities prepared to be resettled for sake of conserving tigers

2014-02-03
Undertaken by researchers from the University's Durrell Institute for Conservation and Ecology (DICE), the research evaluates the ecological and habitat needs of wildlife in the region and the socio-economic ...

Your brain is fine-tuning its wiring throughout your life

2014-02-03
Philadelphia, PA, February 3, 2014 – The white matter microstructure, the communication pathways of the brain, continues to develop/mature as one ages. Studies link age-related ...

Murderers who killed during robberies more likely to return to crime when paroled

2014-02-03
Murderers who committed homicide during robberies are more likely to commit crimes again when they are paroled, compared to murderers who committed homicide under other circumstances, ...

Written all over your face: Humans express 4 basic emotions rather than 6

2014-02-03
Human beings are emotional creatures whose state of mind can usually be observed through their facial expressions. A commonly-held belief, first proposed by Dr Paul Ekman, posits ...

White silk wrappings key to female spider's heart

2014-02-03
It's not only what's inside the nuptial gift that a potential suitor brings to a female Paratrechalea ornata spider that ...

Satellites show 'total' California water storage at near-decade low

2014-02-03
PUBLIC RELEASE DATE: 3-Feb-2014 [ | E-mail ] var addthis_pub="eurekalert"; var addthis_options = "favorites, delicious, digg, facebook, twitter, google, newsvine, reddit, slashdot, stumbleupon, buzz, more" Share Contact: Callie Brazil brazilc@uci.edu UC Center for Hydrologic Modeling Satellites show 'total' California water storage at near-decade low Advisory from UC Center for Hydrologic Modeling finds statewide averages of snow, surface water and soil moisture near 10-year lows; Threat of multi-year epoch of unsustainable groundwater depletion imminent ...

Quasi-particle swap between graphene layers

2014-02-03
Belgian scientists have used a particle physics theory to describe the behaviour of ...

Biologic agents provide relief for children newly diagnosed with Crohn's disease

2014-02-03
Bethesda, MD (Feb. 3, 2014) — Children newly diagnosed with Crohn's disease may benefit from early treatment with the biologic drugs known as anti-TNF-α agents, ...

Invisible risk group among adolescents at risk of mental ill-health

2014-02-03
Adolescents with high media use, reduced sleep and low physical activity comprise an 'invisible-risk' group that has high prevalence of psychiatric symptoms, according to a large international study ...

Researchers develop 'envy-free' algorithm for settling disputes

2014-02-03
Whether it's season tickets to Green Bay Packers' games or silver place settings, divorce and inheritance have bred protracted disputes over the assignment of belongings. But, now, a trio of researchers ...

LAST 30 PRESS RELEASES:

Resistance training may improve nerve health, slow aging process, study shows

Common and inexpensive medicine halves the risk of recurrence in patients with colorectal cancer

SwRI-built instruments to monitor, provide advanced warning of space weather events

Breakthrough advances sodium-based battery design

New targeted radiation therapy shows near-complete response in rare sarcoma patients

Does physical frailty contribute to dementia?

Soccer headers and brain health: Study finds changes within folds of the brain

Decoding plants’ language of light

UNC Greensboro study finds ticks carrying Lyme disease moving into western NC

New implant restores blood pressure balance after spinal cord injury

New York City's medical specialist advantage may be an illusion, new NYU Tandon research shows

Could a local anesthetic that doesn’t impair motor function be within reach?

1 in 8 Italian cetacean strandings show evidence of fishery interactions, with bottlenose and striped dolphins most commonly affected, according to analysis across four decades of data and more than 5

In the wild, chimpanzees likely ingest the equivalent of several alcoholic drinks every day

Warming of 2°C intensifies Arctic carbon sink but weakens Alpine sink, study finds

Bronze and Iron Age cultures in the Middle East were committed to wine production

Indian adolescents are mostly starting their periods at an earlier age than 25 years ago

Temporary medical centers in Gaza known as "Medical Points" (MPs) treat an average of 117 people daily with only about 7 staff per MP

Rates of alcohol-induced deaths among the general population nearly doubled from 1999 to 2024

PLOS One study: In adolescent lab animals exposed to cocaine, High-Intensity Interval Training boosts aversion to the drug

Scientists identify four ways our bodies respond to COVID-19 vaccines

Stronger together: A new fusion protein boosts cancer immunotherapy

Hidden brain waves as triggers for post-seizure wandering

Music training can help the brain focus

Researcher develop the first hydride ion prototype battery

MIT researchers find a more precise way to edit the genome

‘Teen’ pachycephalosaur butts into fossil record

Study finds cocoa extract supplement reduced key marker of inflammation and aging

Obesity treatment with bariatric surgery vs GLP-1 receptor agonists

Nicotinamide for skin cancer chemoprevention

[Press-News.org] Physicists at Mainz University build pilot prototype of a single ion heat engine
Nano-heat engine likely to operate at high efficiency/ Publication in Physical Review Letters