Thermodynamic Circuits I: Association of devices in stationary nonequilibrium

For a circuit made of thermodynamic devices in stationary nonequilibrium, we determine the mean currents (of energy, matter, charge, etc) exchanged with external reservoirs driving the circuit out of equilibrium. Starting from the conductance matrix describing the nonlinear current–force characteristics of each device, we obtain the conductance matrix of the composite device. This generalizes the rule of resistance addition (serial association) or conductance addition (parallel association) in stationary out-of-equilibrium thermodynamics and for multiple coupled potentials and currents of different natures. Our work emphasizes the pivotal role of conservation laws when creating circuits of complex devices. Finally, two examples illustrate the determination of the conservation laws for the serial and parallel associations of thermodynamic devices.