On the Dissipation and Its Relation to Irreversible Processes

Abstract

As usual, industrial process systems operate far from (stable) equilibrium. Under practical conditions when putting the system back in equilibrium, this gives rise to the loss o f energy (or certain generalized energy). Following the second law o f thermodynamics, an irreversibleprocess generates entropy. On the basis o f this property, we propose an approach that allows to investigate quantitatively the amount o f (generalized) energy’lost when the system reaches equilibrium. A liquid phase reactor modelled with the CSTR (continuous stirred tank reactor) in which the acid-catalyzed hydration o f 2-3-epoxy-l- propanol to glycerol subject to steady state multiplicity takes place is used to illustrate the results.