Ma. Barrancojimenez et F. Angulobrown, A NONENDOREVERSIBLE MODEL FOR WIND ENERGY AS A SOLAR-DRIVEN HEAT ENGINE, Journal of applied physics, 80(9), 1996, pp. 4872-4876
We study the Gordon and Zarmi model [Am. J. Phys. 57, 995 (1989)] for
dealing with the earth's wind energy as a solar-driven endoreversible
heat engine under a nonendoreversible approach. We take into account t
he departure from an endoreversible regime through a parameter arising
from the Clausius inequality. We use this approach for the Gordon-Zar
mi maximum power criterion with two possible cold reservoirs: the 3 K
surrounding universe and the 200 K isothermal tropopause shell. Our nu
merical results for the average extreme temperatures of the earth's at
mosphere and for the annual average energy of the earth's winds are re
asonable. We also use an ecological optimization criterion for the Gor
don-Zarmi model. This criterion consists of an austere compromise betw
een power and entropy production. With this model, we also obtain reas
onable numerical results for extreme temperatures and the wind's power
. (C) 1996 American Institute of Physics.