Elements of thermodynamics

Some of the elements of thermodynamics of irreversible processes were described in Sections 2.1 and 2.3. Consider the system represented by n fluxes of thermodynamic quantities and n driving forces it follows from Eqs (2.1.3) and (2.1.4) that n(n +1) independent experiments are needed for determination of all phenomenological coefficients (e.g. by gradual elimination of all the driving forces except one, by gradual elimination of all the fluxes except one, etc.). Suitable selection of the driving forces restricted by relationship (2.3.4) leads to considerable simplification in the determination of the phenomenological coefficients and thus to a complete description of the transport process. 

Obert, E.F., Elements of Thermodynamics and Heat Transfer, McGraw-Hill, 1949. 

E. O. Hercus, Elements of Thermodynamics and Statistical Mechanics , University Press, Melbourne, 1950. 

C. Fabry, TTie Elements of Thermodynamics , F. Muller, London, 1951. 

P. Rudolph, 1998, Elements of thermodynamics for the understanding and design of crystal growth processes . Mater. Sci. Forum 276-277, 1-26. 

Consider a system with N identical particles contained in volume V with a total energy E. Assume that N,V, and E are kept constant. We call this an NVE system (Fig. 1.1). These parameters uniquely define the macroscopic state of the system, that is all the rest of the thermodynamic properties of the system are defined as functions of N, V, and E. For example, we can write the entropy of the system as a function S = S(N,V, E), or the pressure of the system as a function p = P N, V, E). Indeed, if we know the values of N, V, and E for a single-component, single-phase system, we can in principle find the values of the enthalpy H, the Gibbs free energy G, the Helmholtz free energy A, the chemical potential jx, the entropy S, the pressure P, and the temperature T. In Appendix B, we sununarize important elements of thermodynamics, including the fundamental relations between these properties. 

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