Minimal dissipation processes and estimates of limiting possibilities of irreversible thermodynamic systems

Abstract

Irreversible work of separation and irreversible max-imal productivity of heat driven separation are de-rived in this paper. 1 Finite Time thermodynamics Finite-time thermodynamics have been developed to provide in-principle limits of performance for processes operating within finite intervals or at a nonzero rate. These performance limits are ob-tained by solving control problems where these per-formances are optimized subject to given finite aver-age rates/times of its processes. The minimal work of separation is one of such in-principle limits that is defined as the minimal amount of work, required for separation of a mixtur