Abstract
The concept of energy is a longstanding enigma. An acceptable explanation is given by finding a new concept of energy: effective energy which is defined as the conserved quantity transferred between two interactions, not between two systems. The effective energy is not a property of a system, but that of a composite system. It is a kind of relation, or distance, between two systems. The conservation of effective energy is composed for reversible processes of a composite system. The conventional energy and exergy (available energy) are explained as special cases of the effective energy. Energy conservation for reversible processes can be inferred from the conservation of effective energy. In irreversible phenomena, effective energy irreversibly changes into entropy. It is revealed that the energy conservation in irreversible process is not conservation in general but just a special expression when the absolute temperature scale is adopted.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
E. Hecht, Energy and Change, The Physics Teacher, 45 (2007) 88–92.
R. P. Feynman, R. B. Leighton and M. Sands, The Feynman Lectures on Physics Volume 1, Addison-Wesley, Reading. (1963) 4–2.
E. P. Gyftopoulos and G. P., Beretta, Thermodynamics Foundation and Application, Macmillan, New York, (1991) 27, 73.
B. Gal-Or, A Critical Review of Thermodynamics, Edited by E. D. Stuart, A. J. Brainard and B. Gal-Or, Mono, Baltimore, (1970) 445.
D. Fair, Causation and the Flow of Energy, Erkentniss, 14 (1979) 219–250.
J. L. Aronson, Conditions versus transference, Synthese, 63 (1985) 249–257.
P. Dowe, Wesley Salmon’s Process Theory of Causality and the Conserved Quantity Theory, Philosophy of Science, 59 (1992) 195–216.
P. Dowe, Physical Causation, Cambridge University Press, New York, (2000)
P. S. Jung, Reconstruction of Thermodynamics by the Concept of Available Energy (2) — Thermodynamics of Real World, Transactions of KSME B, 28(12) (2004) 1573–1581 (in Korean).
P. S. Jung and S. T. Ro, Availability of Energy and Reconstruction of Thermodynamics (1) — Thermodynamics of Reversible World, Transactions of KSME, 17(5) (1993) 1227–1236 (in Korean).
P. S. Jung and S. T. Ro, Reformulation of Thermodynamic Principles On the Basis of Available Energy, Yeung-nam University Press, Gyeongsan, Korea (1997).
P. S. Jung and S. Y. Kim, Thermodynamics of a Composite System composed of Two Simple Thermal Systems, Transactions of KSME B, 21(2) (1997) 275–284 (in Korean).
P. S. Jung and K. C. Cho, Thermodynamic Behavior of the Composite System composed of Two Simple Ideal Gas Systems, Transactions of KSME B, 22(6) (1998) 832–839 (in Korean).
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Additional information
This paper was recommended for publication in revised form by Associate Editor Tong Seop Kim
Pyung Suk Jung received his B.S., M.S. and Ph.D. degrees in mechanical engineering from Seoul National University in 1976, 1981 and 1984 respectively. He stayed at Cambridge University in 1988, at MIT in 1994, and at Rutgers University in 2001 and 2007 for sabbatical leaves to study the second law of thermodynamics, the reformulation of thermodynamic principles, and the physical causation in philosophy of science.
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Jung, P.S. A logical explanation of the concept of energy and the energy conservation principle. J Mech Sci Technol 23, 1583–1590 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12206-009-0416-2
Received:
Revised:
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12206-009-0416-2