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The Tenuous Use of Exergy as a Measure of Resource Value or Waste Impact

Author

Listed:
  • Kyrke Gaudreau

    (Environment and Resource Studies, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, Ontario, N2L 3G1, Canada)

  • Roydon A. Fraser

    (Mechanical and Mechatronics Engineering, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, Ontario, N2L 3G1, Canada)

  • Stephen Murphy

    (Environment and Resource Studies, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, Ontario, N2L 3G1, Canada)

Abstract

Exergy is a thermodynamic concept that has been widely promoted for assessing and improving sustainability, notably in the characterization of resources and wastes. Despite having many notable benefits, exergy is often misused by authors who tend to apply it as an intrinsic characteristic of an object ( i.e. , as a static thermodynamic variable). Using both theoretical and empirical evidence the authors present five key limitations that must be overcome before exergy can be applied to characterize objects: (1) the incompatibility between exergy quality and resource quality ; (2) the inability of exergy to characterize non work-producing resources via the concentration exergy; (3) the constraints placed on the derivation of exergy; (4) problems with the exergy reference environment; and (5) the multiple perspectives applied to exergy analysis. Until the limitations are addressed, exergy should only be used for its original purpose as a decision making tool for engineering systems analysis.

Suggested Citation

  • Kyrke Gaudreau & Roydon A. Fraser & Stephen Murphy, 2009. "The Tenuous Use of Exergy as a Measure of Resource Value or Waste Impact," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 1(4), pages 1-20, December.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:1:y:2009:i:4:p:1444-1463:d:6608
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    Citations

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    Cited by:

    1. Christopher J. Koroneos & Evanthia A. Nanaki & George A. Xydis, 2012. "Sustainability Indicators for the Use of Resources—The Exergy Approach," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 4(8), pages 1-12, August.
    2. Sobhy Khedr & Melchiorre Casisi & Mauro Reini, 2022. "The Thermoeconomic Environment Cost Indicator (i ex-TEE ) as a One-Dimensional Measure of Resource Sustainability," Energies, MDPI, vol. 15(6), pages 1-14, March.
    3. Martin Nwodo & Chimay J. Anumba, 2021. "Exergy-Based Life Cycle Assessment of Buildings: Case Studies," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(21), pages 1-15, October.
    4. Liao, Wenjie & Heijungs, Reinout & Huppes, Gjalt, 2012. "Thermodynamic analysis of human–environment systems: A review focused on industrial ecology," Ecological Modelling, Elsevier, vol. 228(C), pages 76-88.
    5. Kyrke Gaudreau & Roydon A. Fraser & Stephen Murphy, 2012. "The Characteristics of the Exergy Reference Environment and Its Implications for Sustainability-Based Decision-Making," Energies, MDPI, vol. 5(7), pages 1-17, July.
    6. Roozbeh Nia, Ali & Awasthi, Anjali & Bhuiyan, Nadia, 2023. "Integrate exergy costs and carbon reduction policy in order to optimize the sustainability development of coal supply chains in uncertain conditions," International Journal of Production Economics, Elsevier, vol. 257(C).

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