Exergy (availability) is the amount of mechanical work that could be produced by reversible processes. This notion is revisited in the case when ambient temperature fluctuates. Simple examples are first considered, and then a theoretical approach is developed. It results that the most reliable way for combining entropy and total energy into an exergy function is a linear combination where entropy is multiplied by a constant temperature. It results that ambient air has non-zero exergy, but that exergy is surely conserved in ideal reversible processes. This approach is relevant for studying some recent problems in solar energy and building engineering.
Pons, M. (2009). On the Reference State for Exergy when Ambient Temperature Fluctuates. International Journal of Thermodynamics, 12(3), 113-121.
AMA
Pons M. On the Reference State for Exergy when Ambient Temperature Fluctuates. International Journal of Thermodynamics. September 2009;12(3):113-121.
Chicago
Pons, Michel. “On the Reference State for Exergy When Ambient Temperature Fluctuates”. International Journal of Thermodynamics 12, no. 3 (September 2009): 113-21.
EndNote
Pons M (September 1, 2009) On the Reference State for Exergy when Ambient Temperature Fluctuates. International Journal of Thermodynamics 12 3 113–121.
IEEE
M. Pons, “On the Reference State for Exergy when Ambient Temperature Fluctuates”, International Journal of Thermodynamics, vol. 12, no. 3, pp. 113–121, 2009.
ISNAD
Pons, Michel. “On the Reference State for Exergy When Ambient Temperature Fluctuates”. International Journal of Thermodynamics 12/3 (September 2009), 113-121.
JAMA
Pons M. On the Reference State for Exergy when Ambient Temperature Fluctuates. International Journal of Thermodynamics. 2009;12:113–121.
MLA
Pons, Michel. “On the Reference State for Exergy When Ambient Temperature Fluctuates”. International Journal of Thermodynamics, vol. 12, no. 3, 2009, pp. 113-21.
Vancouver
Pons M. On the Reference State for Exergy when Ambient Temperature Fluctuates. International Journal of Thermodynamics. 2009;12(3):113-21.