The Dead State

Abstract

The purpose of this paper is to provide guidance for the selection of the dead state for exergy analysis, guidance that is especially important in applications to energy-conversion and materials processing plant engineering, and to ecology. First, the general definition of the dead state is provided, based on the concept of ‘the available energy of a body’ as originally presented by Gibbs. Gibbs ‘body’ can be any overall system, no matter how complex and a crucial point is that there is no need to include or have a ‘reference environment.’ On this groundwork, criteria underlying the selection of the appropriate dead state for a variety of practical engineering systems are referred to; while these cases are not exhaustive, they provide examples of the rationale for selection of an appropriate dead state for any case. Finally, the implications and relevance of the dead state on applications of exergy considerations to the issues of ecology and sustainability are discussed.

Keywords

• Keywords: Dead State, Exergy, Reference Environment, Available Energy, Resource Assessment

References

1. Andrews, F.C., 1975. Equilibrium Statistical Mechanics, 2nd ed., Wiley.
2. Callen, H.B, 1960, Thermostatics and Thermodynamics, Wiley.
3. Gaggioli, R.A., Richardson, D.H., Bowman, A.J., Paulus, D.M. Jr., 1999, “Available Energy: a. Gibbs Revisited, b. Gibbs Extended”, Proceedings of the Advanced En- ergy Systems Division, ASME, vol AES-39, pp. 285- 296 (also published in Trans. ASME, 2002, vol. 124, pp. 105-115).
4. Gaggioli, R.A., 1999, “Available Energy and Exergy”, In- ternational Journal of Thermodynamics, Vol. 1, pp. 1-8.
5. Gaggioli, R.A., 1999, “Reflections on the History of Exer- gy,” pp. 5-13, Proc. ECOS’99, M. Ishida, ed., Tokyo In- stitute of Technology, Japan.
6. Gaggioli, R.A., Wepfer, W.J. and Elkouh, A.F., 1978, “Available Energy Analysis for HVAC, I. Inefficiencies in a Dual-Duct System,” Energy Conservation and Building Heating and Air-conditioning Systems, ASME Symposium Volume H00116, pp. 1-20.
7. Gaggioli, R.A., 2010, “Teaching Elementary Thermody- namics and Energy Conversion: Opinions,” Energy, Vol. 35, pp. 1047–1056.
8. Gibbs, J.W., 1873, “A Method of Geometrical Reperese- nation of the Thermodynamic Properties of Substances by Means of Surfaces,” in The Scientific Papers of J.W. Gibbs, vol. 1, Dover Publications, 1961.

9. Gibbs, J.W., 1875, “On the Equilibrium of Heterogeneous Substances,” in The Scientific Papers of J.W. Gibbs, vol. 1, Dover Publications, 1961.
10. Goodenough, G.A., 1920, Principles of Thermodynamics, 3rd ed., Henry Holt and Co., New York.
11. Gyftopoulos, E.P, and Beretta, G.P., 1991, Thermodynam- ics: Foundations and Applications, Macmillan.
12. Hatsopoulos, G.N. and Keenan, J.H., 1965, Principles of General Thermodynamics, Wiley, New York.
13. Hatsopoulos, G. and Gyftopoulos, E., 1976, “A Unified Quantum Theory of Mechanics and Thermodynamics,” Foundations of Physics, Vol. 6, pp. 15-31, 127-141,439- 455, 561-570.
14. Keenan, J.H., 1941, Thermodynamics, Wiley.
15. Keenan, J. and Shapiro, A., 1947, “History and Exposition of the Laws of Thermodynamics,” Mechanical Engi- neering, Vol. 69, pp. 915-921.
16. Obert, E.F., 1949, Elements of Thermodynamics and Heat Transfer, McGraw-Hill.
17. Obert, E.F., 1973, Internal Combustion Engines, Harper and Row.
18. Paulus, D.M. Jr. and Gaggioli, R.A., 2000, “The Dead State According to the Available Energy of Gibbs”, AES-Vol. 40, ASME, New York,
19. Tribus, M., 1961, Thermostatics and Thermodynamics, Van Nostrand.
20. Wepfer, W.J. and Gaggioli, R.A., 1980, “Reference Datums for Available Energy [Exergy]”, Ch. 5, pp. 78-92, Thermodynamics: Second Law Analysis, American Chemical Society, Symposium Series Vol. 122.
21. Wepfer, W.J, Obert, E.F. and Gaggioli, R.A., 1979, “Proper Evaluation of Available Energy for HVAC,” Trans. ASHRAE. Vol. 85, pp. 1ff