entropy-logo

Journal Browser

Journal Browser

Special Applications of the Second Law of Thermodynamics: From a Cell to Society

A special issue of Entropy (ISSN 1099-4300). This special issue belongs to the section "Thermodynamics".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (16 February 2024) | Viewed by 5420

Special Issue Editors


E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Mechanical Engineering, Centro Universitário da FEI, São Bernardo do Campo 09850-901, Brazil
Interests: exergy analysis; thermodynamics; rational use of energy; renewable energy; chemical processes

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Renewable Energy Engineering, Federal University of Paraíba (UFPB), Joao Pessoa 58051-970, Brazil
Interests: life cycle assessment; thermodynamics; renewable energy; energy efficiency

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The main objective of this Special Issue on “Applications of the Second Law of Thermodynamics: From a Cell to Society” is to showcase to the scientific world different applications of the concepts of entropy generation or destroyed exergy as a tool of diagnosis of different energy conversion systems, from pathologies to a rational use of energy in society. Irreversibilities are inherent to any process, and an increase in this physical quantity indicates a possible misfunctioning in biological systems and may be used as a tool even for diagnosing some illnesses. Also of interest is the demonstration of how society can properly use its natural resources, including methods to progress toward a more sustainable society. This Special Issue invites articles that explain the malfunctioning/better function of “aging systems”, including small systems, the human body (sports, thermal comfort, hypothermia, hyperthermia), corporations, cities, sectors and society, and other thermodynamic systems.

Prof. Dr. Carlos Eduardo Keutenedjian Mady
Prof. Dr. Monica Carvalho
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Entropy is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2600 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • second law of thermodynamics
  • entropy generation
  • irreversibilities
  • healthy cells
  • cancerous cell
  • thermal comfort conditions
  • human hypothermia or hyperthermia
  • plant analysis
  • photosynthesis
  • whole society behavior
  • sectors

Benefits of Publishing in a Special Issue

  • Ease of navigation: Grouping papers by topic helps scholars navigate broad scope journals more efficiently.
  • Greater discoverability: Special Issues support the reach and impact of scientific research. Articles in Special Issues are more discoverable and cited more frequently.
  • Expansion of research network: Special Issues facilitate connections among authors, fostering scientific collaborations.
  • External promotion: Articles in Special Issues are often promoted through the journal's social media, increasing their visibility.
  • e-Book format: Special Issues with more than 10 articles can be published as dedicated e-books, ensuring wide and rapid dissemination.

Further information on MDPI's Special Issue polices can be found here.

Published Papers (2 papers)

Order results
Result details
Select all
Export citation of selected articles as:

Research

15 pages, 1072 KiB  
Article
Thermodynamic Assessment of the Effects of Intermittent Fasting and Fatty Liver Disease Diets on Longevity
by Melek Ece Öngel, Cennet Yildiz, Özge Başer, Bayram Yilmaz and Mustafa Özilgen
Entropy 2023, 25(2), 227; https://doi.org/10.3390/e25020227 - 25 Jan 2023
Cited by 5 | Viewed by 2780
Abstract
Organisms uptake energy from their diet and maintain a highly organized structure by importing energy and exporting entropy. A fraction of the generated entropy is accumulated in their bodies, thus causing ageing. Hayflick’s entropic age concept suggests that the lifespan of organisms is [...] Read more.
Organisms uptake energy from their diet and maintain a highly organized structure by importing energy and exporting entropy. A fraction of the generated entropy is accumulated in their bodies, thus causing ageing. Hayflick’s entropic age concept suggests that the lifespan of organisms is determined by the amount of entropy they generate. Organisms die after reaching their lifespan entropy generation limit. On the basis of the lifespan entropy generation concept, this study suggests that an intermittent fasting diet, which means skipping some meals without increasing the calories uptake in the other courses, may increase longevity. More than 1.32 million people died in 2017 because of chronic liver diseases, and a quarter of the world’s population has non-alcoholic fatty liver disease. There are no specific dietary guidelines available for the treatment of non-alcoholic fatty liver diseases but shifting to a healthier diet is recommended as the primary treatment. A healthy obese person may generate 119.9 kJ/kg K per year of entropy and generate a total of 4796 kJ/kg K entropy in the first 40 years of life. If obese persons continue to consume the same diet, they may have 94 years of life expectancy. After age 40, Child–Pugh Score A, B, and C NAFLD patients may generate 126.2, 149.9, and 272.5 kJ/kg K year of entropy and have 92, 84, and 64 years of life expectancy, respectively. If they were to make a major recommended shift in their diet, the life expectancy of Child–Pugh Score A, B, and C patients may increase by 29, 32, and 43 years, respectively. Full article
Show Figures

Figure 1

19 pages, 1471 KiB  
Article
Adressing Energy Demand and Climate Change through the Second Law of Thermodynamics and LCA towards a Rational Use of Energy in Brazilian Households
by Marina Torelli Reis Martins Pereira, Monica Carvalho and Carlos Eduardo Keutenedjian Mady
Entropy 2022, 24(11), 1524; https://doi.org/10.3390/e24111524 - 25 Oct 2022
Cited by 5 | Viewed by 1935
Abstract
This study focuses on a typical Brazilian household through the lens of sustainable development, regarding energy demand and GHG emissions. The analysis encompasses both the direct and indirect energy, exergy consumption, and GHG emissions (quantified by life cycle assessment) associated with the usual [...] Read more.
This study focuses on a typical Brazilian household through the lens of sustainable development, regarding energy demand and GHG emissions. The analysis encompasses both the direct and indirect energy, exergy consumption, and GHG emissions (quantified by life cycle assessment) associated with the usual routine of a household. The household is modeled as a thermodynamic system to evaluate inputs (food, electricity, fuels for transportation) and outputs (solid and liquid residues). The hypothesis is that each input and output contains CO2,eq emissions and exergy derived from its physical-chemical characteristics or production chains. Each household appliance is modeled and tested as a function of external parameters. The contribution of several industries was obtained to the total GHG emissions and exergy flows entering and exiting the household (e.g., fuels for transportation, food, gas, electricity, wastewater treatment, solid waste). It was verified that urban transportation was the flow with the highest GHG and exergy intensity, ranging between 1.49 and 7.53 kgCO2,eq/day and achieving 94.7 MJ/day, almost five times higher than the calculated exergy demand due to electricity. The second largest flow in GHG emissions was food due to the characteristics of the production chains, ranging from 1.6 to 4.75 kgCO2,eq/day, depending on the adopted diet. On the other hand, the electricity presented low GHG emissions due to the main energy sources used to generate electricity, only 0.52 kgCO2,eq/day. Moreover, the chemical exergy of the solid waste was 9.7 MJ/day, and is not irrelevant compared to the other flows, representing an interesting improvement opportunity as it is entirely wasted in the baseline scenario. Full article
Show Figures

Figure 1

Back to TopTop