BCSSS

International Encyclopedia of Systems and Cybernetics

2nd Edition, as published by Charles François 2004 Presented by the Bertalanffy Center for the Study of Systems Science Vienna for public access.

About

The International Encyclopedia of Systems and Cybernetics was first edited and published by the system scientist Charles François in 1997. The online version that is provided here was based on the 2nd edition in 2004. It was uploaded and gifted to the center by ASC president Michael Lissack in 2019; the BCSSS purchased the rights for the re-publication of this volume in 200?. In 2018, the original editor expressed his wish to pass on the stewardship over the maintenance and further development of the encyclopedia to the Bertalanffy Center. In the future, the BCSSS seeks to further develop the encyclopedia by open collaboration within the systems sciences. Until the center has found and been able to implement an adequate technical solution for this, the static website is made accessible for the benefit of public scholarship and education.

A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W Y Z

ENTHALPY 5)

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"A measure of the total thermal energy, including the changes of states, included into a kilo or a mole of matter" (D. DUBOIS, 1987, p.62).

DUBOIS writes: "… thermal energy is the only form of energy, whose energetic value remains absolutely constant during its flow by conduction in stationary regime …thermal energy is the only one which is totally retained through a heat transfer because… it is the lowest of all possible forms"(p.64).

In some chemical reactions, energy in the form of heat is released (exothermic reactions, f. ex. explosive processes). In others, so-called "activation energy" must be added to initiate and sustain the reaction (endothermic reaction).

G. DYER emphasizes the role of catalysts in this last type of reactions: "Catalysts work in various ways, but their purpose is always the same – to reduce the activation energy. Using a catalyst will allow a reaction to proceed with lower energy input" (1996, p.47).

DYER uses the enthalpy and catalysts models as metaphors for psychological reactions in small design groups, whose dynamics must be activated and can be much favored by a catalyst, in this case a spirit of free exchange and collaboration (Ibid).

The considerable increase of enthalpy in man-managed physico-chemical systems during the last 150 years is closely related to the sociological chain reactions that we witnessed during this century.

→ Entropy production (Theorem of)

Categories

  • 1) General information
  • 2) Methodology or model
  • 3) Epistemology, ontology and semantics
  • 4) Human sciences
  • 5) Discipline oriented

Publisher

Bertalanffy Center for the Study of Systems Science(2020).

To cite this page, please use the following information:

Bertalanffy Center for the Study of Systems Science (2020). Title of the entry. In Charles François (Ed.), International Encyclopedia of Systems and Cybernetics (2). Retrieved from www.systemspedia.org/[full/url]

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