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Energy 32 (2007) 249253 www.elsevier.com/locate/energy

Denitions and nomenclature in exergy analysis and exergoeconomics

George Tsatsaronis
Technische Universita t Berlin, Institute for Energy Engineering, Marchstr. 18, 10587 Berlin, Germany

Abstract This paper presents the denitions of some terms used in exergy analysis and exergy costing, discusses options for the symbols to be used for exergy and some exergoeconomic variables, and presents the nomenclature for the remaining terms. r 2006 Published by Elsevier Ltd.
Keywords: Total energy; Exergy; Physical; Chemical; Kinetic; Potential; Thermal; Mechanical; Reactive and nonreactive exergy; Symbols for exergy; Exergoeconomics

1. Introduction The number of publications dealing with exergy analysis and exergoeconomics has been increasing continuously in the past years. The symbols used in these publications and in textbooks (see Table 1) cover a rather large spectrum of the Latin and Greek alphabets. There is an urgent need for some consensus on the symbols to be used in the future. This will facilitate both the communication among practitioners and the further development of the disciplines of exergy analysis and exergoeconomics. The symbols used in Sections 2 and 3 are suggested for publications in journals and conference proceedings. In Section 4, some alternatives are presented for use in textbooks. 2. Exergy Exergy of a thermodynamic system is the maximum theoretical useful work (shaft work or electrical work) obtainable as the system is brought into complete thermodynamic equilibrium with the thermodynamic environment while the system interacts with this environment only. The total exergy of a system consists of:

  

chemical exergy (due to the deviation of the chemical composition of the system from that of the environment), kinetic exergy (due to the system velocity measured relative to the environment), and potential exergy (due to the system height measured relative to the environment). The physical exergy consists of:

 

mechanical exergy (associated with the system pressure), and thermal exergy (associated with the system temperature).

For a given thermodynamic state at a temperature T and pressure p, the thermal exergy should be calculated along the isobaric line at p (from state [T, p] to state [T0, p]), whereas the mechanical exergy should be calculated along the isothermal line at T0 (from state [T0, p] to state [T0, p0]). The chemical exergy of a system can be split into:

physical exergy (due to the deviation of the temperature and pressure of the system from those of the environment),
E-mail address: tsatsaronis@iet.tu-berlin.de.

 

Tel.: +49 30 314 24776; fax: +49 30 314 21683.

reactive exergy (associated in its calculation with chemical reactions), and nonreactive exergy (associated in its calculation with nonreactive processes such as expansion, compression, mixing and separation).

0360-5442/$ - see front matter r 2006 Published by Elsevier Ltd. doi:10.1016/j.energy.2006.07.002

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250 G. Tsatsaronis / Energy 32 (2007) 249253

Nomenclature c C e E Esys E PH sys Ec h H kc p s S T u U v V ~ v z Z average cost per exergy unit cost associated with an exergy stream specic exergy exergy total exergy of a system physical exergy of a system exergetic cost specic enthalpy enthalpy unit of exergetic cost pressure specic entropy entropy temperature specic internal energy internal energy specic volume volume velocity relative to the environment height relative to the environment cost associated with equipment

Z Zs k l

energetic (or thermal) efciency isentropic efciency inverse of the exergetic efciency marginal cost (optional)

Subscripts D F L P sys 0 exergy destruction fuel exergy exergy loss product exergy system conditions of the thermodynamic environment

Superscripts c CH KN M N PH PT R T exergetic cost chemical exergy kinetic exergy or energy mechanical exergy nonreactive exergy physical exergy potential exergy or energy reactive exergy thermal exergy

Greek letters e exergetic efciency

An option for splitting the chemical exergy into reactive and nonreactive exergy is presented in Ref. [1]. The splitting of physical and chemical exergy into their components might be useful for dening more accurate exergetic efciencies and for improving the costing approach. The symbol for exergy has been the subject of a lot of controversy in the past. The exergy symbol should be easy to use and recognize. We should not use two letters for this symbol (e.g., Ex) because (a) this is not common for important variables in thermodynamics, and (b) there is a potential for missinterpretations when this symbol is used with superscripts and subscripts. With exergy we mean the potential to generate work regardless of the cases, systems, or exergy components being actually considered. Therefore, it is logical to use only one and the same symbol for all cases, systems and exergy components, as well as for exergy destruction and exergy loss. The fact that in energy analysis we use traditionally different symbols for total energy, internal energy and enthalpy should not lead us to use different symbols for the physical exergy of a system and the physical exergy of a material stream simply because the equations used to calculate each of these physical exergies are different. If we would follow this way, we should use different symbols also for the exergy associated with both heat transfer and work, and we would soon arrive at a

completely unacceptable situation regarding symbols for exergy. If we now agree that a one-letter symbol should be used in all cases in conjunction with exergy, the question arises what letter should this be. The easiest and more natural approach for publications in journals and conference proceedings would be to use the letter E for exergy, as it has been used in Germany and some other countries from the very moment the exergy concept was introduced. It should be taken into account that the vast majority of publications involving exergy refer usually to control volumes at steady state. In these applications the relevant energy terms are only enthalpy, heat and work. Therefore, there is no danger of confusing total energy, which is also denoted by E, with any form of exergy. In cases where both exergy and total energy appear in the same publication, a slightly different font can be employed for total energy, unless energy is mainly used and exergy is mentioned only in passing. In the last case, a slightly different symbol (for example, the roman font) can be used for exergy. This should not result in confusion because it is always clear from the context whether exergy or total energy is meant. Thus, for publications in journals and conference proceedings, where a simple approach is very important, the following equations should be employed in exergy analysis. Alternatives are presented in Section 4.

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G. Tsatsaronis / Energy 32 (2007) 249253 Table 1 Symbols for exergy and exergetic efciency used in textbooks [initially compiled by Noam Lior]
Specic exergy (kJ/kg) or (J/ mol) Db Exergy (J) The specic The exergy exergy function function (J) (J/kg) b F, b Specic energy (kJ/kg) Energy (J) Exergy destruction Exergetic efciency Textbook reference

251

e e

E E

Irreversibility I

e ex for open systems, x for closed e

E Ex for open systems, X for closed E B X

b for open systems, a for closed e

B for open systems, A for closed E

e e

E E

Ed Wlost

c e e ZII

Keenan Hatsopoulos and Keenan (1965) Kotas (1985) Moran Moran and Shapiro Bejan

ED db I, Xdestroyed

e ZB, Zp ZII

c for open systems, j for closed c for open systems, j for closed

Bejan, Tsatsaronis, and Moran Szargut et al. Cengel and Boles

c, ~

Z2nd

Anderson

c, O E

e z ZII Z2nd

~ c for open systems, j for closed e

law

Gyftopoulos and Beretta Bosnjakovic Sussman Sontag, Borgnakke, van Wylen Baehr

_ (only for E streams)

Total exergy of a system: E sys E PH sys E

KN

PT

CH

(1) (1a)

hrsg for heat-recovery steam generator, and sr for storage vessel). Total exergy of a material stream: E E PH E KN E PT E CH , e ePH eKN ePT eCH . Physical exergy of a material stream: E PH H H 0 T 0 S S 0 , ePH h h0 T 0 s s0 . E PH E T E M , ePH eT eM . The terms E and E are calculated by E KN 1 m~ v2 , 2
KN PT

KN esys ePH ePT eCH . sys e

(5) (5a)

To distinguish the physical exergy and the total exergy of a system from the same exergies associated with a stream of matter, a subscript sys is used here for the exergies of the system. Physical exergy of a system: E PH sys U U 0 p0 V V 0 T 0 S S 0 , ePH sys u u0 p0 v v0 T 0 s s0 . Mechanical and thermal exergy of a system:
T M E PH sys E sys E sys , T M ePH sys esys esys .

(6) (6a)

(2) (2a)

Mechanical and thermal exergy of a material stream: (7) (7a) (e

KN

(3) (3a)

and e

PT

) in Eqs. (1) and (5)

Reactive and nonreactive exergy: E CH E R E N , eCH eR eN . (4) (4a)

(8) (8a)

eKN and

1 2 ~ v 2

In applications of the exergy concept, the subscript sys will be replaced by the abbreviation used for the component being considered (e.g., ac for air compressor,

E PT mgz,

(9)

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252 G. Tsatsaronis / Energy 32 (2007) 249253

ePT gz.

(9a)

Here, ~ v is the system velocity measured relative to the environment and z represents the system height also measured relative to the environment. 3. Other exergetic variables 3.1 The product exergy represents the desired result (expressed in terms of exergy) generated by the system being considered. The product exergy is denoted by EP. 3.2 The fuel exergy represents the resources (expressed in terms of exergy) expended to provide the product exergy. The fuel exergy is denoted by EF. The term fuel exergy here is not limited to fossil fuels but represents in general the exergetic resources used to drive (to fuel) the process being considered. 3.3 The exergetic efciency is the ratio between product exergy and fuel exergy and is denoted by e (Greek epsilon). The inverse of the exergetic efciency is denoted by the symbol k (Greek kappa). The terms second-law efciency and rational efciency are not precise and should be avoided when an exergetic efciency is implied by them. 3.4 The energetic (or thermal) efciency, dened in a similar way as the exergetic efciency but using only energy terms, is denoted by Z (Greek eta). 3.5 The thermodynamic inefciencies of a system consist of exergy destruction (ED) associated with the irreversibilities (entropy generation) within the system boundaries and of exergy losses (EL) associated with the transfer of exergy (through material and energy streams) to the surroundings. The uses of the term irreversibility (instead of exergy destruction) and of the symbol I should be avoided. The term irreversibility does not imply that the exergy concept is used because the exergy destruction can be calculated with the aid of only entropy values. 4. Alternatives in the nomenclature The suggestions made above refer to publications in journals and conference proceedings when exergy is mainly used and total energy is mentioned, if at all, in passing. For such applications addressed mainly to exergy practitioners, the letter E can be used for exergy without creating confusion. The situation might be different if we deal with students who might be easily confused by differences in notations. For textbooks an E should be used for total energy. This is in accord with current use in most textbooks. Then we have the following options for the exergy symbol. The options presented in order of decreasing simplicity and degree of preference. Option 1: Use the letter E in a different font, for example the roman font E (instead of an italic E).

Option

Option

Option

Option

Experience with textbooks using this option (e.g., [2]) shows that this seldom results in confusion. Texts and instructors simply need to point out the different fonts being used. 2: Use a Greek epsilon (e, e). This option requires that a letter different than e (for example, Greek zeta z) is used for the exergetic efciency since now e represents the specic exergy. 3: Use the letter X (x) which is the second one in the word exergy. This letter is used, however, to denote an unknown variable in mathematics. 4: Use a Greek epsilon (e, e) for the exergy associated with material and energy streams and a Greek psi (C, c) for the exergy associated with a system, to avoid the use of subscript sys. 5: Use the two letters Ex (ex).

It is apparent that several more options exist for exergy and also for the other variables associated with exergy costing. Authors should consider that simplicity and ease of use are two very important factors in selecting the symbol for exergy. 5. Exergoeconomics: exergy costing Exergoeconomics is the branch of engineering that appropriately combines, at the level of system components, thermodynamic evaluations based on an exergy analysis with economic principles, in order to provide the designer or operator of a system with information that is useful to the design and operation of a cost-effective system, but not obtainable by regular energy or exergy analysis and economic analysis. Exergoeconomics rests on the notion that exergy is the only rational basis for assigning monetary costs to the interactions that a system experiences with its surroundings and to the sources of thermodynamic inefciencies within it. We call this approach exergy costing. When exergy costing is not applied, authors should use a different term (e.g., thermoeconomics). Thermoeconomics, being a more general term and characterizing any combination of a thermodynamic analysis with an economic one, might also be used instead of the term exergoeconomics (but not vice versa). The following denitions and symbols are recommended in publications dealing with exergoeconomics: 5.1 The cost associated with a material or energy stream (that means with an exergy stream) in exergoeconomics is denoted by the symbol C. The average unit cost (usually a cost per unit of exergy) is denoted by c. 5.2 The cost associated with an equipment item is denoted by Z. 5.3 The exergetic cost of a stream represents the fuel exergy that needs to be supplied to the overall system to generate the exergy associated with that stream. The exergetic cost is denoted by Ec. The product and fuel

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exergetic costs are denoted by EPc and EFc, respectively. The unit of exergetic cost is the ratio between exergetic cost and corresponding exergy and is denoted by the symbol kc. 5.4 When marginal costs are used, these must be explicitly dened. A l (Greek lambda) may be used for this purpose.

Acknowledgment This project was initiated by Noam Lior. Input was also provided by many exergy practitioners including the following: Cai Ruixian Michel Feidt Christos Frangopoulos Richard Gaggioli Ben Hua Signe Kjelstrup Andrea Lazzaretto

Giampaolo Manfrida Alberto Mirandola Michael Moran Silvia Azucena Nebra Gordon Reistadt Ricardo Rivero Enrico Sciubba Jan Szargut Antonio Valero Michael von Spakovsky Andrej Ziebik It should be mentioned that not all of the above listed practitioners agree with every single suggestion made here.

References
[1] Bejan A, Tsatsaronis G, Moran M. Thermal design and optimization. New York: Wiley; 1996. [2] Moran M, Shapiro. Fundamentals of engineering thermodynamics, 5th ed. New York: Wiley; 2004.