8
The Second Law: The Entropy Growth
Potential Principle and the Three-Place
Relation in Heat Phenomena
Abstract
Perfection in Gibbsian equilibrium thermodynamics has led to the impression
that the Kelvin–Clausius formulation of MTH is flawless. In fact, perfection
exists only in equilibrium thermodynamics whereas the Kelvin–Clausius
synthesis failed as a project of synthesis of Carnot’s theory and MEH to
formulate a theory that Carnot aspired to, i.e., engineering thermodynamics. An
analysis of MTH’s failure is given in this chapter. This analysis arrives at the
conclusion that the fundamental error was the equating of correlation with
causality, thus, giving heat (and energy) causal agency, which belongs to the
second law of thermodynamics in terms of a newly introduced concept, entropy
growth potential. Correspondingly, processes that are in the reverse direction to
spontaneous processes should be, instead of subject to strict limitation,
understood in terms of the triadic relationship.
Keywords
Energy conversion doctrine Á The premises of MTH Á Energetics Á Poincare
range Á Systems approaching equilibrium with an external heat reservoir Á
Isolated systems approaching internal equilibrium (pure spontaneity) Á Entropy
growth in universe for spontaneous changes Á Conceptual differentiation of
entropy growth in universe (entropy growth potential) Á The second law of
thermodynamics Á Predicative entropic theory of heat (PETH) Á Triadic
framework Á The premises of PETH
© Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2020
L.-S. Wang, A Treatise of Heat and Energy, Mechanical Engineering Series,
https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-05746-6_8
189
The Second Law: The Entropy Growth
Potential Principle and the Three-Place
Relation in Heat Phenomena
Abstract
Perfection in Gibbsian equilibrium thermodynamics has led to the impression
that the Kelvin–Clausius formulation of MTH is flawless. In fact, perfection
exists only in equilibrium thermodynamics whereas the Kelvin–Clausius
synthesis failed as a project of synthesis of Carnot’s theory and MEH to
formulate a theory that Carnot aspired to, i.e., engineering thermodynamics. An
analysis of MTH’s failure is given in this chapter. This analysis arrives at the
conclusion that the fundamental error was the equating of correlation with
causality, thus, giving heat (and energy) causal agency, which belongs to the
second law of thermodynamics in terms of a newly introduced concept, entropy
growth potential. Correspondingly, processes that are in the reverse direction to
spontaneous processes should be, instead of subject to strict limitation,
understood in terms of the triadic relationship.
Keywords
Energy conversion doctrine Á The premises of MTH Á Energetics Á Poincare
range Á Systems approaching equilibrium with an external heat reservoir Á
Isolated systems approaching internal equilibrium (pure spontaneity) Á Entropy
growth in universe for spontaneous changes Á Conceptual differentiation of
entropy growth in universe (entropy growth potential) Á The second law of
thermodynamics Á Predicative entropic theory of heat (PETH) Á Triadic
framework Á The premises of PETH
© Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2020
L.-S. Wang, A Treatise of Heat and Energy, Mechanical Engineering Series,
https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-05746-6_8
189