Optimal paths for minimizing lost available work during usual heat transfer processes (Q1876277)

This paper deals with a particular case where minimization of entropy generation is not equivalent to minimization of lost available work. It is considered a system of uniform temperature that is heated in a fixed amount of time between given initial and final temperatures by a heat reservoir whose temperature is controllable. Several ways of defining the lost available work are briefly presented and heat transfer mechanisms are examined, including Newtonian convection and radiative heat transfer. Finally, the results are compared with those obtained by using common industrial strategies such as heating at constant temperature or at constant heat flux.