I believe my Knol adds a layer of understanding to the work of the
great aerodynamicist Theodore von Karman, who co-authored the seminal
work in the area of vehicle performance analysis. Von Karman and I
describe vehicle performance as a number theoretically ranging between
zero and infinity. I don't use the term "'efficiency number'", which
must range between zero and one. I use dimensional analysis only as a
book-keeping tool. I find understanding and meaning in the calculus,
algebraic ratios, and experiential values. Our best performer has a
residence time of 5 x 10E7 seconds, and is the Voyager I spacecraft.
Just as one might expect, since it has traveled farther in
frictionless deep space than any other human creation. The analogy
between material and energy flow is apt, long present in the
biological science literature, and creeping into the physics literature.
Please ask yourself what E / (dE/dt) might mean in the context of
energy flow analysis. Then critically read my Knol. (Based on your
apparently a priori dismissal, I'm guessing you hadn't!)