The production of work by devices receiving radiant energy and interacting with a local environment is discussed. Provision is made for the device to radiate at a temperature different from the local environmental temperature. The resulting conversion efficiency is discussed in terms of the radiant source, emitting and environmental temperatures. The environment is seen to play a pivotal role in the production of work. Extrema in the efficiency function are examined and no true maxima are found to exist. However, there are optimum choices for the emitter temperature if we hold the environmental temperature constant, and conversely. A case is demonstrated for which the device may absorb an amount of heat from the environment and perform an equal amount of work.
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