A Solar Radiation Exergy Model to Study Photosynthesis

Book chapter

Eduardo González-Mora, Ram Poudel, Ma. Dolores Durán-García
Albert Reimer, Horizons in World Physics, chapter 7, vol. 310, Nova Science Publishers, 2023 , pp. 231-258

Cite

APA Click to copy
González-Mora, E., Poudel, R., & Durán-García, M. D. (2023). A Solar Radiation Exergy Model to Study Photosynthesis. In A. Reimer (Ed.), Horizons in World Physics (Vol. 310, pp. 231–258). Nova Science Publishers.

Chicago/Turabian Click to copy
González-Mora, Eduardo, Ram Poudel, and Ma. Dolores Durán-García. “A Solar Radiation Exergy Model to Study Photosynthesis.” In Horizons in World Physics, edited by Albert Reimer, 310:231–258. Nova Science Publishers, 2023.

MLA Click to copy
González-Mora, Eduardo, et al. “A Solar Radiation Exergy Model to Study Photosynthesis.” Horizons in World Physics, edited by Albert Reimer, vol. 310, Nova Science Publishers, 2023, pp. 231–58.

BibTeX Click to copy

@inbook{eduardo2023a,
  title = {A Solar Radiation Exergy Model to Study Photosynthesis},
  year = {2023},
  month = dec,
  chapter = {7},
  pages = {231-258},
  publisher = {Nova Science Publishers},
  volume = {310},
  author = {González-Mora, Eduardo and Poudel, Ram and Durán-García, Ma. Dolores},
  editor = {Reimer, Albert},
  booktitle = {Horizons in World Physics},
  month_numeric = {12}
}

Abstract

Radiation exergy analysis has been studied over the last 60 years. These analyses have focused mainly on systems that provide useful mechanical and electrical power, so the process of photosynthesis has been overlooked. Autotrophs use solar energy to produce the primary food of the food chain. Photosynthesis, as the first process of conversion of solar radiation by biological systems, is then of great interest. This chapter is focused on analyzing this process through an endoreversible photosynthesis engine, which consists of a photo-thermal work extractor coupled with a chemical reactor to synthesize glucose. Thermal conductances associated with solar radiation transfer and the mass transfer conductances linked with the kinetics of CO2 are performance parameters of the engine that utilizes solar radiation to synthesize foods The analysis shows that the conversion rate and the efficiency of the photosynthesis engine can be modeled by identifying suitable values for the mass transfer conductances for each plant, tree, or algae to be analyzed.