On the Negentropy Application in Thermoeconomics: A Fictitious or an Exergy Component Flow?

Abstract

The introduction of the negentropy in thermoeconomics represented a great advance in the discipline, since this magnitude allows quantifying the condenser product in a steam cycle plant, which was not possible before because the condenser is a dissipative component, whose product cannot be expressed in terms of exergy. However, most authors have been applying the negentropy as a fictitious flow, joined up with the exergy flow. This paper aims at opening a discussion about the procedure for negentropy application in thermoeconomics, by showing that: (i) the original procedure leads to some inconsistencies; and (ii), a more recent approach takes all the negentropy advantages, without leading to inconsistencies, by applying the negentropy as a physical exergy component flow.

• This paper is an updated version of a paper published in the ECOS'08 proceedings. 

Keywords

• thermoeconomics, negentropy, fictitious flow, exergy component