FUNDAMENTALS OF EXERGY ANALYSIS AND EXERGY-AIDED THERMAL SYSTEMS DESIGN

A close reading of the early literature of the second law of thermodynamics originating from the time of Carnot shows that second law reasoning in today’s engineering sense - -optimal conversion of inputs to end use - - was present from the beginning. Interest in this theme occasionally flickered in the interim, but it was kept alive and now forms the basis for contemporary applications of engineering thermodynamics. The bonds that have been forged in recent years between thermodynamics and economics have made the theme of optimal use more explicit and have allowed second law methods to be even more powerful and effective than ever before for the design and analysis of thermal systems.