Exergy flows as bases of constructal law

Abstract

How do macroscopic systems react when imposed to external forces? A recent analysis of Carnot’s theorem has pointed out that the systems do not convert all the inflow energy to work and dissipation, but that some energy will be incorporated to internal processes. These exergy flows appear as the heat exchanged with a second thermal reservoir of a thermodynamic general engine. Flows of energy from surroundings are driven by internal forces to the systemic process. Also, when the system has evolved to reach a stationary state, internal flows manifest themselves as internal processes. Here, the entropy generation extrema theorem is used to prove how the macroscopic system will react upon forces that are imposed by the external surroundings. This provides the link between the entropy generation extrema approach and the constructal law.