Nature of Entropy

The sustainability of phytomass-derived materials: thermodynamical aspects, life cycle analysis and research perspectives

“…Entropy, in the engineering sense, can precisely be used to tell how much energy is not available in a conversion system. 79 The concept of exergy combines the first and the second laws of thermodynamics in that it couples energetic considerations with inevitable energy dissipation: exergy is therefore the Fig. 4 The carbon cycle can be reinterpreted in thermodynamic terms by stating that low entropy/high energy resources (non-renewable fossil or nuclear fuels, non-renewable ores and renewable biomass) are being rapidly depleted.…”

“…Entropy, in the engineering sense, can precisely be used to tell how much energy is not available in a conversion system. 79 The concept of exergy combines the first and the second laws of thermodynamics in that it couples energetic considerations with inevitable energy dissipation: exergy is therefore the optimal work that can be produced by a system. 80 This optimum point is reached when the system is at equilibrium with the environment.…”