Thermodynamics and Exergy

Research Description:
Exergy is a concept that can be difficult to grasp, but it is at the heart of many of our thermodynamic analyses. In fact, it was the desire to understand the maximum amount of work that a heat engine can produce that inspired Sadi Carnot’s revolutionary work that gave birth to the field of thermodynamics. In one of my research projects, I establish an analogy between exergy flow in thermodynamic systems and the flow of current in electrical circuits. This method of conceptualizing exergy can be used to better visualize how exergy flows through connected thermodynamic systems.

As part of this work, we created a MATLAB-based GUI that can be downloaded for free at this link: https://github.com/jordankocher/Exergy-Flow-Tool/. The GUI allows the user to specify the heat input, heat source temperature, heat rejection temperature, ambient temperature, and entropy generation for the thermodynamic system in question. Then, the GUI creates an energy flow diagram and schematic for the system. The user can optionally view the resistances and driving forces that determine the different amount of heat rejection and work output (e.g., the entropy generation causes some of the energy to leave the system as exergetic heat and non-exergetic heat).

Selected Publications:
J. D. Kocher and S. K. Yee; “Equivalent Circuits for Energy and Exergy Flow in Thermodynamic Systems.” (In preparation)