Title
Modeling Electric Discharges with Entropy Production Rate Principles
Abstract
Under which circumstances are variational principles based on entropy production rate useful tools for modeling steady states of electric (gas) discharge systems far from equilibrium? It is first shown how various different approaches, as Steenbeck's minimum voltage and Prigogine's minimum entropy production rate principles are related to the maximum entropy production rate principle (MEPP). Secondly, three typical examples are discussed, which provide a certain insight in the structure of the models that are candidates for MEPP application. It is then thirdly argued that MEPP, although not being an exact physical law, may provide reasonable model parameter estimates, provided the constraints contain the relevant (nonlinear) physical effects and the parameters to be determined are related to disregarded weak constraints that affect mainly global entropy production. Finally, it is additionally conjectured that a further reason for the success of MEPP in certain far from equilibrium systems might be based on a hidden linearity of the underlying kinetic equation(s).
Year
DOI
Venue
2009
10.3390/e11041042
ENTROPY
Keywords
Field
DocType
entropy production rate principles,Steenbeck principle,Prigogine principle,electric arc,charge injection
Statistical physics,Mathematical optimization,Nonlinear system,Voltage,Linearity,Theoretical physics,Configuration entropy,Entropy production,Entropy (classical thermodynamics),Principle of maximum entropy,Physical law,Mathematics
Journal
Volume
Issue
Citations 
11
4
3
PageRank 
References 
Authors
1.19
0
1
Name
Order
Citations
PageRank
Thomas Christen1335.96