Thermodynamic analysis of two-dimensional heat conduction

Abstract

ABSTRACT In earlier papers the author considered the critical or extremum points of entropy production rate and of other functions in one-dimensional heat conduction with constant temperature boundary conditions. The aim of this paper is to examine the same problem in the case of two-dimensional heat conduction with thermal conductivity depending only upon temperature, partly in accordance with the methods and the purposes of generalized thermodynamics. The search for the states of minimum entropy production rate is meaningful in the thermodynamic optimization for cryogenic systems; indeed, minimum entropy production rate means minimum exergy destruction rate.