Course Description
Ecological thermodynamics analyses as applied to ecosystems. First law energy balances and second law entropy generation analyses of ecosystem scale problems will be covered through conventional thermodynamic approaches, a new Lagrangian-based analyses approach, and the Odum Energy approach to thermodynamics.
Athena Title
ECOENERGETICS
Prerequisite
Graduate student standing in Engineering or Ecology
Semester Course Offered
Offered spring
Grading System
A - F (Traditional)
Course Objectives
Students will be proficient at doing first-law energy balances and second-law entropy analyses in a variety of systems ranging from bench scale to ecological scale problems. Students will be familiar with Lagrangian and traditional thermodynamic analyses. Students will be familiar with large scale Energy analyses and understand the pros and cons of thermodynamics at the micro, traditional and ecological scales.
Topical Outline
Fundamentals of systems Isolated Closed Open Conventional thermodynamics reference conditions Energy fundamentals Kinetic Potential Internal energy First law analyses Entropy and Exergy concepts Selected analyses of Ichiru Aoki. Analyses of ecological systems using the methods of Sven Jorgensen Comparison and contrast of various network thermodynamic analyses approaches of authors such as Jorgensen, Schneider and Kay, Fath, Patton and others. Lagrangian analyses reference conditions Fundamentals of Statistical thermodynamics Applications of statistical concepts to Lagrangian analyses of ecosystems using particle tracking. Odum Emergy-based thermodynamics Emergy algebra and similarities/differences with network environ analyses Students will select a project related to their research interests for an energy analyses.