Irreversibility and exergy (availability)

Subhransu Roy
March 13, 2020

1 Introduction
We need a methodology to evaluate the performance of real thermodynamic systems. An
irreversible real thermodynamic system that exchanges work Ẇcv and heat Q̇0 with the
surrounding at temperature T0 is shown in figure 1.

d 1 1 1
 
mcv (u + v 2 + gz)cv = Q̇0 + Q̇j − Ẇcv + ṁi (hi + Vi2 + gzi ) − ṁe (he + Ve2 + gze )
dt 2 2 2
d Q̇0 Q̇j
Ṡcv = [mcv scv ] = ṁi si − ṁe se + + + (Ṡgen )cv
dt T0 Tj
Q̇0
Ṡsurr = − − (ṁi si − ṁe se )
T0
1 1
Ẇcv = ṁi (hi − T0 si + Vi2 + gzi ) − ṁe (he − T0 se + Ve2 + gze )
2 2
d 1 2
 
− mcv (u − T0 s + V + gz)cv − T0 (Ṡgen )cv
dt 2
The equivalent thermodynamic system undergoing same change of state in a reversible
manner is shown in figure 2. This requires work exchange Ẇrev and the heat exchange

1
 Environment

Tres;j _ cv
W T0 control volume
boundary
Q_ j Q_ cv

Tj

_ i (hi + 12 vi2 + gzi )

m d _ o (ho + 21 vo2 + gzo )
m
[mcv (u + 12 v 2 + gz)cv ]
dt
_ i si
m d _ o so
m
[mcv scv ]
dt

S_ gen

Figure 1: irreversible (real) thermodynamic system

Tres ; j _ rev
W T0

Environment
Q_ rev
Q_ j 0

_c
W Reversible control volume
Heat Engine boundary
_ rev
W Q_ rev
cv cv

Tj

_ i (hi + 21 vi2 + gzi )

m d _ o (ho + 21 vo2 + gzo )
m
[mcv (u + 12 v 2 + gz)cv ]
dt
_ i si
m d _ o so
m
[mcv scv ]
dt

Figure 2: reversible thermodynamic system

2
Q̇rev
0 with the surrounding at temperature T0 .

d 1 1 1
 
mcv (u + v 2 + gz)cv = Q̇rev 0 + Q̇j − Ẇ
rev
+ ṁi (hi + Vi2 + gzi ) − ṁe (he + Ve2 + gze )
dt 2 2 2
rev
d Q̇ Q̇j
[mcv scv ] = ṁi si − ṁe se + 0 +
dt T0 Tj
1 1
Ẇ rev = ṁi (hi + Vi2 + gzi ) − ṁe (he + Ve2 + gze )
2 2
d 1 2
 
− mcv (u + V + gz)cv
dt 2
d Q̇j
−T0 (ṁi si − ṁe se ) + T0 [mcv scv ] + Q̇j − T0
dt Tj
1 1
Ẇ rev = ṁi (hi − T0 si + Vi2 + gzi ) − ṁe (he − T0 se + Ve2 + gze )
2 !2
d 1 T0
 
− mcv (u − T0 s + V 2 + gz)cv + 1 − Q̇j
dt 2 Tj
I˙ = Ẇ rev − Ẇcv = T0 (Ṡgen )cv
= T0 (Ṡcv + Ṡsurr )
rev
Ẇ − Ẇcv = Q̇rev
0 − Q̇0

The useful work for a flexible control volume

dVcv
Ẇusef ul = Ẇcv − Ẇsurr = Ẇcv − p0
dt
rev rev dVcv
Ẇusef ul = Ẇ − p0
dt
rev 1 2 1 2
Ẇusef ul = ṁi (hi − T0 si + Vi + gzi ) − ṁe (he − T0 se + Ve + gze )
2 2 !
d 1 2 T0
 
− mcv (u − T0 s + p0 v + V + gz)cv + 1 − Q̇j
dt 2 Tj
The concept of exergy is used to calculate the reversible work output.
1
 
non-flow exergy φ = u − T0 s + p0 v + V 2 + gz − (u0 − T0 s0 + p0 v0 )
2 | {z }
dead state
1
 
flow exergy ψ = h − T0 s + V 2 + gz − (h0 − T0 s0 )
2 | {z }
dead state

!
rev d T0
Ẇusef ul = ṁi ψi − ṁe ψe − [mcv φcv ] + 1 − Q̇j
| {z } dt Tj
flow exergy
| {z } | {z }
non-flow exergy heat exergy
!
d T0
Ẇusef ul = ṁi ψi − ṁe ψe − [mcv φcv ] + 1 − Q̇j − T0 Ṡgen
|dt {z Tj
| {z } | {z }
flow exergy
} | {z } exergy destroyed
non-flow exergy heat exergy

Concept of exergy balance is as follows

3
 " ! #
d T0 h i
[mcv φcv ] = ṁi ψi + 1 − Q̇j − ṁe ψe + Ẇusef ul − T0 Ṡgen
|dt {z } Tj | {z } | {z }
| {z } exergy out exergy destroyed
system exergy increase exergy in
" ! #
d T0 h
rev
i
[mcv φcv ] = ṁi ψi + 1 − Q̇j − ṁe ψe + Ẇusef ul
|dt {z } Tj | {z }
system exergy increase
| {z } exergy out
exergy in