A Link between Nano- and Classical Thermodynamics: Dissipation Analysis (The Entropy Generation Approach in Nano-Thermodynamics)

Entropy

Umberto Lucia¹  A. Perez-Madrid¹ 

[1] Dipartimento Energia, Politecnico di Torino, Corso Duca Degli Abruzzi 24, 10129 Torino, Italy; E-Mail

关键词: entropy;    entropy generation;    irreversibility;    Gouy-Stodola theorem;    GSGL approach;    molecular machines;    open systems;    complex systems;    nanosystems;   

DOI  :  10.3390/e17031309

来源: mdpi

【 摘 要 】

The interest in designing nanosystems is continuously growing. Engineers apply a great number of optimization methods to design macroscopic systems. If these methods could be introduced into the design of small systems, a great improvement in nanotechnologies could be achieved. To do so, however, it is necessary to extend classical thermodynamic analysis to small systems, but irreversibility is also present in small systems, as the Loschmidt paradox highlighted. Here, the use of the recent improvement of the Gouy-Stodola theorem to complex systems (GSGL approach), based on the use of entropy generation, is suggested to obtain the extension of classical thermodynamics to nanothermodynamics. The result is a new approach to nanosystems which avoids the difficulties highlighted in the usual analysis of the small systems, such as the definition of temperature for nanosystems.

【 授权许可】

CC BY   
© 2015 by the authors; licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland