Stochastic Novikov Engine with Fourier Heat Transport

The Stochastic Novikov engine is an endoreversible model for heat engines where the heat supply takes place at a fluctuating temperature. These fluctuations can be observed for example at solar thermal power plants. While recently the influence of the temperature fluctuations on the engine’s performance has been studied for Newtonian heat transport, the relation between the used heat transport type and the performance measures remained open. Therefore, we here consider a Stochastic Novikov engine with Fourier heat transport. Based on a short summary of the concept of a Stochastic Novikov engine and the corresponding different control types, the maximum work output and the corresponding efficiency are derived. In particular, we discuss the influence of the distribution’s parameters on the engine’s performance assuming a uniform temperature distribution. We find that the heat transport type has a significant effect on some of the engine’s fundamental properties.