Living System Negative Entropy Reliability, Old Trees and a Fifth Law for Thermodynamics on Negative Entropy

摘要

Physics of failure laws could start with the Second Law of thermodynamics as it explains aging when written as “The spontaneous irreversible degradation processes causing aging that take place in a system interacting with its environment will do so in order to go towards thermodynamic equilibrium with its environment increasing entropy” Often in thermodynamics we can think of replacing the word aging with disorder or entropy increase. Yet it might be said we are at a loss according to the Second Law when we try and explain why living systems allow for spontaneous growth and repair, because in this case entropy is decreasing. In life forms, negative entropy eventually gives way to aging or entropy increase. For living system reliability, understanding aging, requires an additional knowledge of order, repair and growth, a new type of physics of non failure. The concept of spontaneous clearly applies to disorder in the Second Law, yet living systems uncontrollably spontaneously grow and repair, creating order. However, to make matters even more complicated, Mother Nature has created one living system that seems capable of a type of perpetual spontaneous negative entropy. This life form is trees where in some cases reported to 9000 years old. Such longevity is beyond ones human comprehension. It becomes apparent in our assessment, that the Second Law has shortcomings and a Fifth Law of Thermodynamics is proposed for repair and growth. We will see that the Carnot cycle instrumental in the second law is modified for living system so that appropriate efficiencies can accurately be measured. Lastly we describe atomic weapons and global warming. In these extreme cases, degradation can be so severe negative reproductive entropy is unattainable. Extreme degradation will likely have cascade effects, so that many systems can become irreproducible in the environment. Such events need to be defined and identified in today's modern age in thermodynamic terms, which we introduce in this paper.