Steady state of a dissipative flow-controlled system and the maximum entropy production principle.

A theory to predict the steady-state position of a dissipative flow-controlled system, as defined by a control volume, is developed based on the maximum entropy principle of Jaynes, involving minimization of a generalized free-energy-like potential. The analysis provides a theoretical justification of a local, conditional form of the maximum entropy production principle, which successfully predicts the observable properties of many such systems. The analysis reveals a very different manifestation of the second law of thermodynamics in steady-state flow systems, which provides a driving force for the formation of complex systems, including life.