Theoretical study of a molecular turbine.
We present an analytic and stochastic simulation study of a molecular engine working with a flux of particles as a turbine. We focus on the physical observables of velocity, flux, power, and efficiency. The control parameters are the external conservative force and the particle densities. We revise a simpler previous study by using a more realistic model containing multiple equidistant vanes complemented by stochastic simulations of the particles and the turbine. Here we show that the effect of the thermal fluctuations into the flux and the efficiency of these nanometric devices are relevant to the working scale of the system. The stochastic simulations of the Brownian motion of the particles and turbine support the simplified analytical calculations performed.
Department of Mathematics, University College London, Gower Street, London WC1E 6BT, United Kingdom and Departament d'Estructura i Constituents de la Matèria, Facultat de Física, Universitat de Barcelona, Carrer Martí Franqués, 1, 08028 Barcelona, Spain.
R
R
Perez-Carrasco
J M
JM
Sancho
D001696:Biomechanical Phenomena; D002462:Cell Membrane / Q000378:metabolism*; D055595:Mechanical Phenomena; D008954:Models, Biological; D012399:Rotation; D013269:Stochastic Processes