Niels Bohr Institute, University of Copenhagen, Denmark.
Angew Chem Int Ed Engl. 2011 Mar 14;50(12):2690-704. doi: 10.1002/anie.201001411. Epub 2011 Mar 4.
The cornerstone of finite-time thermodynamics is all about the price of haste and how to minimize it. Reversible processes may be ultimately efficient, but they are unrealistically slow. In all situations-chemical, mechanical, economical-we pay extra to get the job done quickly. Finite-time thermodynamics can be used to develop methods to limit that extra expenditure, be it in energy, entropy production, money, or something entirely different. Finite-time thermodynamics also includes methods to calculate the optimal path or mode of operation to achieve this minimal expenditure. The concept is to place the system of interest in contact with a time-varying environment which will coax the system along the desired path, much like guiding a horse along by waving a carrot in front of it.
有限时间热力学的基石是关于仓促的代价以及如何将其最小化。虽然可逆过程可能最终是有效的，但它们的速度太慢，不切实际。在所有情况下——化学、机械、经济——我们都需要额外的付出才能快速完成工作。有限时间热力学可用于开发方法来限制这种额外的支出，无论是在能源、熵产生、金钱还是其他完全不同的方面。有限时间热力学还包括计算实现最小支出的最佳路径或操作模式的方法。其理念是将感兴趣的系统与随时间变化的环境接触，这将诱使系统沿着所需的路径前进，就像在它面前挥舞胡萝卜引导马前进一样。
