Modern Thermodynamics - From Heat Engines to Dissipative Structures 2e

Modern Thermodynamics is a comprehensive introduction to this important subject, presenting a unified view of both equilibrium and nonequilibrium thermodynamics. The relationship between irreversible processes that occur naturally and the rate of increase of entropy is introduced early in the text, enabling the reader to benefit from seeing this relationship in such processes as heat conduction and chemical reactions. The textbook presents thermodynamics in a modern and exciting way, highlighting a wide range of applications, and incorporating many exercises and practical examples. Students are encouraged to solve problems computationally through the provision of Mathematica code, and the inclusion of problems that can be solved using Mathematica and Maple.An important aspect of this new edition is the inclusion of new applications and examples relating to the sustainable economy, for example solar and wind energy flows in nature and the efficiency of conversion of renewable forms of energy. The new edition also addresses thermodynamics of nano systems, a subject of increasing importance for the technologies of the 21st century. Since publication of the 1st edition, hypotheses on maximization of the rate of entropy production in non-equilibrium systems have been advanced. Consequently, the new edition will expand on the basic methods needed to compute the rates of entropy production, and include a critical assessment of these new hypotheses.