Learning objectives

•  Examine the performance of engineering devices in light of the

second law of thermodynamics.
•  Define exergy, which is the maximum useful work that could be
obtained from the system at a given state in a specified
environment.
•  Define reversible work, which is the maximum useful work that
can be obtained as a system undergoes a process between two
specified states.
•  Define the exergy destruction, which is the wasted work potential
during a process as a result of irreversibilities.
•  Define the second-law efficiency.
•  Develop the exergy balance relation.
•  Apply exergy balance to closed systems and control volumes.
 Exergy

Exergy (availability or available energy): useful work potential of a

given amount of energy at some specified state.
Equilibrium state – dead state

Temperature of immediate surrounding changes

from that of hot potato to environment. At the
end of the process the system reaches a dead
state
A system delivers the maximum possible work as it undergoes a
reversible process from the specified initial state to the state of its
environment, that is, the dead state.
This represents the useful work potential of the system at the specified
state and is called exergy.
Exergy  represents  the  upper  limit  on  the  amount  of  work  a  device  can  
deliver  without  viola9ng  any  thermodynamic  laws.  
 Exergy transfer from a furnace
Consider a large furnace that can transfer heat at a temperature of 1100
oC at a steady rate of 3000 kJ/s. Determine the rate of exergy flow

associated with this heat transfer. Assume an environment temperature

of 25 oC
 Exergy (work potential)
Kinetic energy and potential energy are forms of mechanical
energy and thus can be converted to work entirely!

Exergy of kinetic energy:

Exergy of potential energy:
Internal energy u and enthalpy h are not entirely available to work

Unavailable energy is
the portion of energy
that cannot be
converted to work by
even a reversible heat
engine.
The work potential or exergy of potential
energy is equal to the potential energy
itself.
 rev FIGURE 8–9 t
Reversible workI and
WrevIrreversibility
=The difference
– Wu between reversible The ti
work and actual useful work is the Sec. q8
irreversibility.
FIGURE 8–9 system expands, surrounding
As a closed termsp
The difference
work (Wsurr)between to push the totally
reversible
is needed
work and actualair
atmospheric useful work
out of the is
waythe quant
irreversibility. produ

Useful work = actual work – surrounding work

cen98179_ch08_421-484.indd 426

•  Wsurr can be loss or gain

•  Wu=W for a constant volume system
cen98179_ch08_421-484.indd 426
 I = Wrev – Wu The irreversibility is eq
Reversible work and Irreversibility
Sec. 8–4.
Initial For a totally re
state
FIGURE 8–9 terms are identical,Actualandproc
th
WrevThe: Reversible work is defined as the maximum
difference between reversible totallyamount of useful
reversible Wu < Wrev
processe
workwork
that can
andbe produced
actual useful(or minimum
work is the workquantity
that needs forto all
be actual (ir
supplied) as a system undergoes a process between
irreversibility. the specified
producing devices initial
and Wr
and final states.
Final s
- if the final state is dead, Wrev=exergy Reversible
process
- The difference between Wrev and useful work isWrev called
irreversibility, which is equivalent to exergy destroyed. I = W – W
rev u

FIGURE 8–9
The difference between r
work and actual useful w
cen98179_ch08_421-484.indd 426
The performance of a system can be irreversibility.
improved by minimizing the irreversibility
 Example
A heat engine receives heat from a source at 1200 K at a rate of 500
kJ/s and rejects the waste heat to a medium at 300 K) The power
output of the heat engine is 180 kW. Determine the reversible power
and the irreversibility rate for this process.
 for engine A), and thus should do a lot better tha
Realistic measurecanofsayperformance
that engine B is performing poorly relativ
FIGURE 8–15
both have the same thermal efficiency.Based on thi
Second-law
It is efficiency
obvious
st law- is a this
from measure of that
example the first-la
discussed ab
Thermal efficiency or COP based on 1
the performance doesn’t
of a device
realistic measure
address
relative
of performance
the best
of engineering
performance to its deficiency,
performance weunder reversible
define a second-law efficiency h
conditions.
thermal efficiency to the maximum possible (rev
hth = 30%
hΙΙ 60% under the same conditions (Fig. 8–15):
hrev = 50% hth
hII 5   (heat engine
hth,rev
FIGURE 8–15 Based on this definition, the second-law efficienc
Second-law efficiency is a measure of discussed above are
the performance of a device relative
to its performance under reversible 0.30 0
5 5 0.60 and h 5
conditions. Though same430thermal
cen98179_ch08_421-484.indd
h II,A efficiency but II,B 0
0.50
have different reversible engine
efficiency. B’s performance seems to
be inferior to A.

1st law is not sufficient to measure

cen98179_ch08_421-484.indd 430 realistic performance of a device
 Second-law efficiency is a measure of discussed above a
need to do
the performance is of
Second determine
a law how much exergy Two
efficiency
device relative or heat
FIGURE work
8–14 potential
engines that have the s
to
FIGURE sumed
its during
performance
8–15 a process.
under In a reversible
reversible
ηII: Second-law efficiency is a measure of the performance
operation, we
thermal efficiency,
of a device
shoul
but different

entirely the exergy expended Based

during the on thisand
maximum
process,
thermal
definiti
efficiencies.h
the i
conditions.
relativeSecond-law
to its efficiency
performance underis reversible
a measureconditions.
of
case should be zero. The second-lawdiscussed
efficiency above
is zero are wh
the performance of a device relative
of the exergy expended by the system. Note that the exe
Definedtoasitsthe
performance under thermal
ratio of the actual reversible
efficiency to the maximum h
or recovered at various amounts in various forms suchII,Aas
possibleconditions.
(reversible) thermal efficiency under the same conditions
energy, potential energy, internal energy, and enthalpy. Som
h = 30%
fering (though valid) opinions on what constitutes
h
h = 50% expend
ΙΙ
th

rev
60%

causes differing definitions for second-law efficiency. At all

exergy recovered and the exergy destroyed (the efficiency
FIGURE 8–15
Second-law irreversibil
is a measu
the exergy expended. Also, we need to define the system p
the performance of a device rela
to its performance under reversib
identify correctly
cen98179_ch08_421-484.indd 430 any interactions betweenconditions.
the system and i

The second law efficiency can also be expressed as:

cen98179_ch08_421-484.indd 430

General expression for cen98179_ch08_421-484.indd 430

work producing devices,

Note, it cannot exceed 100 turbine, piston-cylinder,
 energy, potential energy, internal
Exergy energy, and enthalpy.
recovered Sometimes
Exergy destroyed
the (though
fering exergy
Second expended.
II law
valid)
h Also,
efficiency
5 opinions on we
what need to define
5 1constitutes
2 expended theexes
Exergy expended Exergy expended
causes differing definitions for second-law efficiency. Atthe
identify correctly any interactions between all syste
times,
The second-law exergyefficiency
Therefore, can
when
recovered and also
the be
determiningexpressed
exergy the as (the
second-law
destroyed the efficiency,
ratio of the
the firs
irreversibility) m
useful work outputneed
the toand
exergy isthe maximum
do expended.
determine how we
Also, possible
much to(reversible)
exergy
need or work
define workisprecise
thepotential
system expen
output: sumed during
identify a process.
correctly In a reversible
any interactions operation,
between we should
the system and itsbesurro
able
entirely the exergy expended during the process, and the irreversib
case should be zero. The second-law efficiency is zero when we re
of the exergy expended by the system. Note that the exergy can b
or recovered at various amounts in various forms such as heat, w
energy, potential energy, internal energy, and enthalpy. Sometimes th
fering (though valid) opinions on what constitutes expended exerg
causes differing431
cen98179_ch08_421-484.indd definitions for second-law efficiency. At all times, h
definitionsexergy
for therecovered
Thecen98179_ch08_421-484.indd second-law
431
andefficiency
the exergydo destroyed (the
not apply to irreversibility) mus
devices
the exergy
that are not intended expended.
to produce Also, we
or consume needTherefore,
work. to define wethe system precisely
identify
need a more general correctly any interactions between the system and its surrou
definition.

General expression: second law efficiency in terms of exergy or work potential

 Next lecture
•  Examine the performance of engineering devices in light of the
second law of thermodynamics.
•  Define exergy, which is the maximum useful work that could be
obtained from the system at a given state in a specified
environment.
•  Define reversible work, which is the maximum useful work that
can be obtained as a system undergoes a process between two
specified states.
•  Define the exergy destruction, which is the wasted work potential
during a process as a result of irreversibilities.
•  Define the second-law efficiency.
•  Develop the exergy balance relation.
•  Apply exergy balance to closed systems and control volumes.