FINITE-TIME THERMODYNAMICS - EXERGY AND OPTIMIZATION OF TIME-CONSTRAINED PROCESSES

The criterion of thermodynamic ideality is introduced. It is the ratio of actual rate of entropy production to the minimal rate of entropy p roduction. It is closely related to the energy approach but incorporat es the irreversible losses due to finite-time and nonzero rates. No ex plicit reference need be made to the average values of the thermodynam ic potentials of the environment. The regimes with minimal entropy pro duction for the system where chemical reaction occurs and for the set of parallel heat engines are found.