Preface

Chapter 8 **Thermodynamics of Abiotic Stress and Stress Tolerance of**

Chapter 11 **Foundation of Equilibrium Statistical Mechanics Based on**

Chapter 9 **The Planck Power – A Numerical Coincidence or a Fundamental**

**Cultivated Plants 195** Vesna Dragičević

Jack Denur

**VI** Contents

Jack Denur

A.S. Parvan

**Number in Cosmology? 223**

Chapter 10 **Absolute Zero and Even Colder? 261**

**Generalized Entropy 303**

The topic of thermodynamics is taught in physics and chemistry courses as part of the regu‐ lar curriculum. Concepts of thermodynamics are used to solve engineering problems. Engi‐ neers use thermodynamics to calculate the fuel efficiency of engines and to find ways to make more efficient systems, be they rockets, refineries, or nuclear reactors. One aspect of "engineering" in the title is that a lot of the data used is empirical (e.g., steam tables), since you won't find clean algebraic equations of state for many common working substances. Thermodynamics is the science that deals with the transfer of heat and work. Engineering thermodynamics develops the theory and techniques required to use empirical thermody‐ namic data effectively. However, with the advent of computers, most of these techniques are transparent to the engineer, and instead of looking up data in tables, computer applications can be queried to retrieve the required values and use them in calculations. There are even applications tailored to specific areas which give answers for common design situations. But a thorough understanding will only come with the knowledge of underlying principles, and the ability to judge the limitations of empirical data is perhaps the most important gain from such knowledge.

Thermodynamics is the study of the relationships between HEAT (thermos) and WORK (dynamics). Thus, it deals with energy interactions in physical systems. Classical thermody‐ namics is based on the four laws of thermodynamics, called the zeroth, first, second, and third laws, respectively. The laws of thermodynamics are empirical, i.e., they are deduced from experience and supported by a large body of experimental evidence. These laws had a deep influence on the development of physics and chemistry.

In the past, historians considered thermodynamics as a science that is isolated, but in recent years, scientists have incorporated more friendly approaches to it and have demonstrated a wide range of applications of thermodynamics.

The book aims to present novel ideas that are crossing traditional disciplinary boundaries and introducing a wide spectrum of viewpoints and approaches in applied thermodynamics of the third millennium. The book will be of interest to those working in the fields of propul‐ sion systems, power generation systems, chemical industry, quantum systems, refrigeration, fluid flow, combustion, and other phenomena. It can also be used in postgraduate courses for students and as a reference book, as it is written in a language pleasing to the readers.

> **Mofid Gorji-Bandpy** Department of Mechanical Engineering Babol Noshirvani University of Technology Iran
