Thermodynamic analysis of heat engine with a Knudsen-effect pressure generator

The analysis on the basis of the two laws of thermodynamics entails that, in order to obtain work, two heat exchangers and one work exchanger are necessary (even if in general they are not sufficient). In general, two work exchangers (turbine and pump or compressor) are present. Nevertheless, since the presence of two work exchangers is not a consequence of the two laws of thermodynamics, one must not be surprised that in some cases it is possible to obtain work in a continuous process with only one work exchanger. A new pressure generator for a heat engine, which has been recently proposed, is one of these cases. The device works on the basis of the thermal transport of gas according to the “Knudsen effect”