Ecological performance analyses and multi-objective optimizations for thermal-Brownian-engine with external heat-transfer

Abstract Based on finite-time-thermodynamics and thermal-Brownian-engine cycle with external heat transfers, expressions for ecological function and efficient ecological function are derived firstly herein. Two temperatures for hot and cold viscous mediums are solved by combining heat flow balance equations, and ecological performances are analyzed. Next, with thermal-conductance-ratio, barrier-height and external-load as optimization variables, 15 combinations including power, efficiency, ecological-function and efficient-ecological-function as optimization objectives, single- and multi-objective optimizations are conducted utilizing non-dominated sorting genetic algorithm-II (NSGA-II), and Pareto frontiers for different combinations are obtained. Finally, the optimal schemes for different multi-objective optimizations are determined using three decision-making methods. Results indicate that this engine can operate under maximal ecological function or efficient ecological function objectives. Ecological-function, efficient-ecological-function and multi-objective optimizations can achieve trade-offs between power and efficiency, and multi-objective optimizations provide more suitable solutions. For four-objective optimization, optimal scheme with Shannon-Entropy method is closer to ideal solution, and barrier height and external load corresponding to Pareto frontier are distributed uniformly within their ranges, while thermal conductance ratio is concentrated around 0.5. Adjusting barrier height and external load is an effective way to achieve coordinated optimization of these four objectives.