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ME2121- Thermodynamics
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Introduction
for students who aspire to become a practicing Mechanical

Engineer. with a title, Er (by the Professional Engineers Board).

Thermodynamic functions of machines and cycles a key subject of
Mechanical Engineering

Topics to be covered
Review of fundamentals, definitions etc. (Tutorial #1),,
Properties of pure substances, state diagrams, how to use steam
tables, temperature measurements and scale. (Tutorial #2)
First Law of thermodynamics, steady flow energy equations,
applications (Tutorial #3),
Second Law of Thermodynamics, statements of 2nd Law, Clausius
inequality, Clausius Clapeyron equation, entropy, entropy increase.
(Tutorial #4).

Mechanical Engineering,
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Texts & References

Cengel YA and MA Boles, Thermodynamics: an

engineering approach, 4th edition, McGraw Hill,2002
van Wylen GJ and RE Sonntag, Fundamentals of
classical thermodynamics, John Wiley & Sons, 1993
Rogers GFC & YR Mayhew, Engineering
Thermodynamics, Longmann, 1992
Engineering and Chemical Thermodynamics by MD
Koretsky, Wiley, 2004 (Advance reading)
Thermodynamics and Transport properties of fluids (SI
Units) by GFC Rogers and YR Mayhew, Blackwell.

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What is Thermodynamics?
A science that deals with the properties of matter and the
relationship between key variables -energy, heat, work,
temperature, enthalpy, entropy, etc.
Treats all matters behave in a continuum manner,
Based on simple postulates or laws, axioms for
behaviour of matters,
To quantify efficiency, useful effects (work), etc.
A tool to evaluate the viability of a machine or system
To make investment decision on the thermo-economics
of projects, eg., micro-power plants, cooling and heating
plants, aeroplanes, fleet of vehicles, etc.

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Historical background people associated with thermodynamics

1. Joseph Black (1728-1799)-Noted for
his fundamental work on latent and
specific heats and for his discovery
of carbon dioxide.

1. Benjamin Thomson (1753-1814)

noted for his early statement on
the 1st Law, disproved the
caloric theory of heat.

2. http://www.chem.gla.ac.uk/~alanc/de
pt/black.htm

http://www.english.upenn.edu/Projec
ts/knarf/People/rumford.html

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Robert Mayer (1814-1878) reported

the conversion between heat and
work.

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James P Joule (1818-1889) noted for

his experiments in heat, formulated
the amount of heat to produce a unit
of work- the Joule Law.

http://www.mhtl.uwaterloo.ca/courses/
me354/mayer.html

http://www.mhtl.uwaterloo.ca/courses/me
354/joule.html

Mechanical Engineering,
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Sadi Carnot(1796-1832) noted for
the heat input to steam engine
and the work derived from it, laid
the foundation to 2nd Law (1824)
in the thesis, the motive of fire.

http://www.mhtl.uwaterloo.ca/courses
/me354/carnot.html

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Rudolf Clausius (1822-1888) unified
the statements of 2nd Law
axioms of thermodynamics.

http://www.mhtl.uwaterloo.ca/courses/
me354/clausius.html

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Lord Kelvin (1824-1907) noted for the
absolute temperature scale.
Scottish Mathematician & physicist

http://www-groups.dcs.stand.ac.uk/~history/Mathematicians/
Thomson.html

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JW Gibbs (1839-1903) noted for the
Gibbss law. First person to obtain
PhD in USA (Yale).

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Josiah_Willar
d_Gibbs

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Useful applications of Thermodynamics

Power plants electricity production

Internal Combustion engines work horse of our mode of
transportation,
Gas turbines air transportation, ships, etc.

http://www.geae.com/engines/commercial/genx/2b_fett.html

Compressors for air conditioning chillers, high

pressurized air, etc.
Desalination plants multi-stage, adsorption, etc.
Biological processes oxygenation in blood streams,
heart of animals, humans, etc.
Heat exchangers chillers, heaters, processes, reactors,
Separation reactors- chemical plants

Mechanism of Photosynthesis a thermodynamic

view point.
1. Fraction of useful wavelength of
solar spectrum = 0.25
2. Fraction of photons reaching the
leaves (containing chlorophyll) is
0.7 (70%).
3. Each photon of sunlight has 1.7
eV energy (1eV=1.609 x 10-19J)
CO2

O2

H 2O

4. I unit of glucose (plant matter) is

equivalent to 5 eV energy.
However, the process of
achieving 1 unit of plant matter
requires 8 photons (due to
losses)

Photosynthesis a thermodynamic process

that occurs in plants

fraction of useful
wavelength effect
from incident light

photosynthesis

0.25

fraction of
absorbed light
spectrum in foilage

0. 7

fraction of amt of stored

energy in glu cos e ( 5 eV )
to incident photons ( 8 x 1.7 eV )

0.35

0.06

chlorophyll
Plant experiments:- 3744 Cal/g or 15665 J/g of glucose
(by EC Pielou The energy of nature)

10

Kenaf plant
known as a miracle plant for CO2 capture.

11

CO2 capture by Kenaf Plants an excellent crop

12

Mechanical Engineering,
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ME2121- Thermodynamics
Chapter 1 9/9

Internal combustion engines

(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:4-Stroke-Engine.gif (for engine)

http://www.dula.tv/watch.php?file=how-the-drinking-bird-works.flv (drinking bird)