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The Second Law: The Entropy Growth Potential Principle and the Three-Place Relation in Heat Phenomena

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A Treatise of Heat and Energy

Part of the book series: Mechanical Engineering Series ((MES))

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Abstract

Perfection in Gibbsian equilibrium thermodynamics has led to the impression that the Kelvin–Clausius formulation of MTH is flawless. In fact, perfection exists only in equilibrium thermodynamics whereas the Kelvin–Clausius synthesis failed as a project of synthesis of Carnot’s theory and MEH to formulate a theory that Carnot aspired to, i.e., engineering thermodynamics. An analysis of MTH ’s failure is given in this chapter. This analysis arrives at the conclusion that the fundamental error was the equating of correlation with causality, thus, giving heat (and energy) causal agency, which belongs to the second law of thermodynamics in terms of a newly introduced concept, entropy growth potential. Correspondingly, processes that are in the reverse direction to spontaneous processes should be, instead of subject to strict limitation, understood in terms of the triadic relationship.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY, USA

    Lin-Shu Wang

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  1. Lin-Shu Wang
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Correspondence to Lin-Shu Wang .

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Wang, LS. (2020). The Second Law: The Entropy Growth Potential Principle and the Three-Place Relation in Heat Phenomena. In: A Treatise of Heat and Energy. Mechanical Engineering Series. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-05746-6_8

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-05746-6_8

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  • Publisher Name: Springer, Cham

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-030-05745-9

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-030-05746-6

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