Boosting thermodynamic performance by bending space-time

TL;DR

This paper explores the thermodynamic efficiency of black hole-inspired engines, demonstrating that certain black hole models can surpass traditional efficiency limits, with implications for both astrophysics and advanced materials like graphene.

Contribution

It introduces a novel thermodynamic analysis of black hole-based engines, showing enhanced efficiency with (2+1)-dimensional black holes compared to ideal gases.

Findings

Efficiency of black hole engines exceeds classical limits.

BTZ black hole as a more efficient working medium.

Potential applications in graphene technology.

Abstract

Black holes are arguably the most extreme regions of the universe. Yet, they are also utterly inaccessible to experimentation, and even just indirect observation poses significant technical challenges. The phenomenological approach of thermodynamics is uniquely suited to explore at least some of the physical properties of such scenarios, and this has motivated the study of so-called holographic engines. We show that the efficiency of an endoreversible Brayton cycle is given by the Curzon-Ahlborn efficiency if the engine is fueled by a 2-dimensional ideal gas; and that the efficiency is higher, if the working medium is a (2+1)-dimensional BTZ black hole. These findings may be relevant not only in the quest to unlock the mysteries of black holes, but also for potential technological applications of graphene.