Thermodynamic Length and Dissipated Availability

Abstract

New expressions for the availability dissipated in a finite-time endoreversible process are found by use of Weinhold's metric on equilibrium states of a thermodynamic system. In particular, the dissipated availability is given by the square of the length of the corresponding curve, times a mean relaxation time, divided by the total time of the process. The results extend to local thermodynamic equilibrium if instead of length one uses distance (length of the shortest curve) between initial and final states.