Comment on 'Dissipative work in thermodynamics'

In an analysis of dissipative work in thermodynamics (2011 Eur. J. Phys. 32 37), the irreversible adiabatic processes corresponding to the so-called fire piston and fog bottle are treated numerically, it being claimed that an analytical approach is not possible. It is shown that such a claim is erroneous and that analytical solutions, against which the previous numerical results can be gauged, do exist and are provided here for all thermodynamical quantities pertaining to those two processes. In addition, misconceptions arising therein related to entropy calculations and the use of auxiliary reversible processes and also to the behaviour of heat and work under a system-surroundings interchange are identified and corrected.