FINITE-TIME THERMODYNAMICS - LIMITING PERFORMANCE OF RECTIFICATION AND MINIMAL ENTROPY PRODUCTION IN MASS-TRANSFER

Rectification and separation processes generally operate far from their thermodynamically optimal conditions. Here, the operating conditions yielding minimal entropy production are obtained for this mass-transfer process, The corresponding optimal concentration profiles are also obtained. The results show that minimal heat consumption corresponds to the minimal entropy production in the rectification process. Estimates are derived of realistic rates of entropy production.