Incident radiation flux → Mechanical work

Matrix context

D = disequilibrium row · C = coupling family column. A cell reads the state of the atlas for that pair.

D.11 × C.20 · Incident radiation flux × Photothermalfamily: PhotothermalD.11 × C.09 · Incident radiation flux × Caloric (magneto/electro/elasto)family: Caloric (magneto/electro/elasto)

Typed bounds on this route

Every limit the atlas holds for this route, as constraint records: reached through bounded_by claims on the route's own entities. Hard bounds (an upper bound or a formula) decide the thermodynamic-bound check above; benchmarks, constitutive relations and resource limits are listed and never decisive. No prose limit exists anywhere (pass 42).

• Landsberg limit · formula-bound · hard, applies to this route
  η ≤ 1 − (4/3)(T_c/T_s) + (1/3)(T_c/T_s)⁴ for conversion of blackbody radiation at T_s with a sink at T_c; 93.3 % at 6000 K / 300 K
• Carnot limit · formula-bound · hard, applies to this route
  η ≤ 1 − T_c/T_h for any heat engine between reservoirs at T_h and T_c

Steps

1. 01
   Incident radiation flux —drives→ Photothermal absorptionestablishedclaim record

   radiative → thermal

   • an absorber with high solar absorptance; selective surfaces suppress re-emission

   illumination required

   refs [1] [2]
2. 02
   Photothermal absorption —produces→ Temperature gradientestablishedclaim record

   thermal → thermal

   refs [1]
3. 03
   Temperature gradient —drives→ Thermal shape-memory effectestablishedclaim record

   thermal → mechanical · loss to thermal

   • a shape-memory alloy (NiTi) cycled between a hot reservoir above its austenite finish temperature and a cold one below its martensite finish temperature, under load

   solid · temperature gradient required

   refs [3] [4]
4. 04
   Thermal shape-memory effect —produces→ Mechanical motionestablishedclaim record

   mechanical → mechanical

   refs [4] [3]
5. 05
   Mechanical motion —converts into→ Mechanical workestablishedclaim record

   mechanical → mechanical · loss to thermal

   refs [1]

Evidence for the complete composition · 0

No source on record for this exact composition. The sources below support the individual steps, not the route as a whole.

Evidence for the constituent relations · 4

1. [1]
   A. Bejan. Advanced Engineering Thermodynamics (4th ed.) (2016)

   Wiley · doi:10.1002/9781119245964 · crossref ✓ 2026-09-19 · record
2. [2]
   P. T. Landsberg, G. Tonge. Thermodynamic energy conversion efficiencies (1980)

   Journal of Applied Physics 51, R1–R20 · doi:10.1063/1.328187 · crossref ✓ 2026-09-19 · record
3. [3]
   K. Otsuka (ed.), C. M. Wayman (ed.). Shape Memory Materials (1998)

   Cambridge University Press · book, no DOI · record
4. [4]
   P. Kumar et al.. Shape memory alloy engine for high efficiency low-temperature gradient thermal to electrical conversion (2019)

   Applied Energy 251, 113277 · doi:10.1016/j.apenergy.2019.05.080 · crossref ✓ 2026-09-20 · record