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 betwen 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.

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