relevance for such purpose, has been met by straightforward nonreversible boiler
combustion processes, in the vast majority of cases today. Intuition and science and
engineering suggest, therefore, that a systematic study of operational principles
(“logic of contriving” reversible-like processes) in general and searching for
reversible-like process for low temperature heat in particular, are worthy pursuits of
engineering thermodynamics.
Industrial civilizations have been built upon the extraction of energy for production of heat and power [13, 14]. Instead, ecological civilization, cognizant of the
essence of the second law as “the tendency for living systems to become more
complex is not somehow in defiance of the second law. In fact, it is more meaningful to characterise the phenomenon described by the second law as [the] fundamental enabler of all activity, and hence of all life,” [15] should be and will be
built upon the extraction of heat powered by entropy growth potential.
References
1. Schneider E, Sagan D (2005) Into The Cool—Energy Flow, Thermodynamics, and Life. Univ
of Chicago Press
2. Yener Y, Kakac S (2008) Heat Conduction, 4th edition. Taylor & Francis
3. Fox RW, Pritchard PJ, McDonald AT (2009) Introduction to Fluid Mechanics, 7th edition.
Wiley
4. Bird RB, Stewart WE, and Lightfoot EN (2007) Transport Phenomena, 2nd edition. Wiley
5. Wang LS (2006) The auxiliary components of thermodynamic theory and their non-empirical,
algorithmic nature. Physics Essays 19 (2):174–199
6. Polanyi M (1958) Personal Knowledge. Univ. of Chicago Press
7. Polanyi M (1968) Life’s irreducible structure. Science 160:1308–1312
8. Bridgman PW (1961) The Nature of Thermodynamics. Harvard Univ Press
9. Hume D (1739–1740; 1969 Penguin Books edition) A Treatise of Human Nature. Penguin
Books, London
10. Wang LS (2011) Causal efficacy and the normative notion of sustainability science. SSPP 7
(No.2):30–40
11. Newburgh R, Leff H S (2011) The Mayer-Joule Principle: The foundation of the first law of
thermodynamics. The Physics Teacher 49(November):484–487
12. Ayres RU, Warr B (2010) The Economic Growth Engine: How energy and work drive
material prosperity. Edward Elgar (p. 127)
13. Smith C, Wise MN (1989) Energy and Empire: A Biographical Study of Lord Kelvin.
Cambridge Univ Press
14. Smil V (2017) Energy and Civilization, A History. MIT Press, Cambridge, MA
15. Floyd J (2007) Thermodynamics, entropy and disorder in futures studies. Futures 39
(2007):1029–1044
10.6 Engineering for Efficiency
291
combustion processes, in the vast majority of cases today. Intuition and science and
engineering suggest, therefore, that a systematic study of operational principles
(“logic of contriving” reversible-like processes) in general and searching for
reversible-like process for low temperature heat in particular, are worthy pursuits of
engineering thermodynamics.
Industrial civilizations have been built upon the extraction of energy for production of heat and power [13, 14]. Instead, ecological civilization, cognizant of the
essence of the second law as “the tendency for living systems to become more
complex is not somehow in defiance of the second law. In fact, it is more meaningful to characterise the phenomenon described by the second law as [the] fundamental enabler of all activity, and hence of all life,” [15] should be and will be
built upon the extraction of heat powered by entropy growth potential.
References
1. Schneider E, Sagan D (2005) Into The Cool—Energy Flow, Thermodynamics, and Life. Univ
of Chicago Press
2. Yener Y, Kakac S (2008) Heat Conduction, 4th edition. Taylor & Francis
3. Fox RW, Pritchard PJ, McDonald AT (2009) Introduction to Fluid Mechanics, 7th edition.
Wiley
4. Bird RB, Stewart WE, and Lightfoot EN (2007) Transport Phenomena, 2nd edition. Wiley
5. Wang LS (2006) The auxiliary components of thermodynamic theory and their non-empirical,
algorithmic nature. Physics Essays 19 (2):174–199
6. Polanyi M (1958) Personal Knowledge. Univ. of Chicago Press
7. Polanyi M (1968) Life’s irreducible structure. Science 160:1308–1312
8. Bridgman PW (1961) The Nature of Thermodynamics. Harvard Univ Press
9. Hume D (1739–1740; 1969 Penguin Books edition) A Treatise of Human Nature. Penguin
Books, London
10. Wang LS (2011) Causal efficacy and the normative notion of sustainability science. SSPP 7
(No.2):30–40
11. Newburgh R, Leff H S (2011) The Mayer-Joule Principle: The foundation of the first law of
thermodynamics. The Physics Teacher 49(November):484–487
12. Ayres RU, Warr B (2010) The Economic Growth Engine: How energy and work drive
material prosperity. Edward Elgar (p. 127)
13. Smith C, Wise MN (1989) Energy and Empire: A Biographical Study of Lord Kelvin.
Cambridge Univ Press
14. Smil V (2017) Energy and Civilization, A History. MIT Press, Cambridge, MA
15. Floyd J (2007) Thermodynamics, entropy and disorder in futures studies. Futures 39
(2007):1029–1044
10.6 Engineering for Efficiency
291