Thermodynamics (or) Heat-Power engineering (or) Energy Engineering

BASIC CONCEPTS
Energy
Energy is the capacity for doing work. It may exist in a variety of forms such as
thermal, mechanical, kinetic, potential, electric, magnetic, chemical, and nuclear. It may
be transferred from one type of energy to another. For example,
Heating water by gas:
Chemical energy ---> thermal energy
Heating water by electricity:
electric energy ---> thermal energy
Running nuclear power plant:
Nuclear energy ---> electric energy
Flying rocket:
Chemical energy ---> thermal Energy ---> Kinetic Energy
Kinetic Energy (KE):
The energy that a system possesses as a result of its motion.
KE = mv2/2
Where
m = mass of the system
v = velocity of the system

Prepared by
S.Vijay
akumar M.E (Thermal Engineering)

If an object of mass m changes velocity from v1 to v2. Thus the change of its kinetic
energy is:
KE = 1/2 (v2 2- v1 2)

Potential Energy (PE):

The energy that a system possesses as a result of its elevation in a gravitational
field or change of configurations.
Gravitational potential energy (elevation in a gravitational field):
PE = mgz
Where
m = mass of the system
z = height relative to a reference frame
Moving an object from location A to B, its gravitational potential energy change is:
PE = mg (ZB - ZA)
Internal energy (U):
The energy associated with the random, disordered motion of molecules. It is the sum
of the kinetic and potential energies of all molecules.
Experience has shown that for most substances with no phase change involved,
internal energy strongly depends on temperature. Its dependence on pressure and
volume is relatively small.
It is not possible to calculate the absolute value of the internal energy of a body.
Only internal energy change of a system can be determined.

Prepared by
S.Vijay
akumar M.E (Thermal Engineering)

 Internal energy is a property

Total Energy (E):
The sum of all forms of energy exist in a system. The total energy of a system that
consists of kinetic, potential, and internal energies is expressed as:
E = U + KE + PE = U + mv2/2 + mgz
The change in the total energy of a system is:
E = U + KE + PE
Enthalpy (h):
Enthalpy is a thermodynamics property of a substance and is defined as the sum of
its internal energy and the product of its pressure and volume.
H = U + PV
Specific Heat (C):
Experiment shows that the temperature rise of liquid water due to heat transfer to
the water is given by
Q = m c (T2 - T1)
Where
Q = heat transfer to the water
m = mass of water
T2 - T1 = temperature rise of the water
c = specific heat, an experiment factor

Prepared by
S.Vijay
akumar M.E (Thermal Engineering)

In general, the value of specific heat c depends on the substance in the system, the
change of state involved, and the particular state of the system at the time of transferring
heat. Specific heat of solids and liquids is only a function of temperature but specific heat
of gaseous substances is a function of temperature and process.

Specific Heat at Constant Volume (cv)

Specific Heat at Constant Pressure (cP)

Prepared by
S.Vijay
akumar M.E (Thermal Engineering)

Continuum
Matter is made up of atoms that are widely spaced in the gas phase. Yet it is very
convenient to disregard the atomic nature of a substance and view it as a continuous,
homogeneous matter with no holes, that is, a continuum.

Study of Thermodynamics

Macroscopic approach
To study about group of
molecule

Microscopic approach
To study about each and every
molecules

Macroscopic approach
The macroscopic approach to thermodynamics is concerned with the gross or
overall behavior of molecule. This is sometimes called classical thermodynamics.
Prepared by
S.Vijay
akumar M.E (Thermal Engineering)

Microscopic approach
The

microscopic

approach

to

thermodynamics,

known

as

statistical

thermodynamics, is concerned directly with the structure of matter. The objective of

statistical thermodynamics is to characterize by statistical means the average behavior of
the particles making up a system of interest and relate this information to the observed
macroscopic behavior of the system. For applications involving lasers, plasmas, highspeed gas flows, chemical kinetics, very low temperatures (cryogenics), and others, the
methods of statistical thermodynamics are essential.

Path function:
Their magnitudes depend on the path followed during a process as well as the end
states. Work (W), heat (Q) are path functions.
Process A: WA = 10 kJ
Process b: WB = 7 kJ
Point Function:
They depend on the state only, and not on how a system reaches that state. All
properties are point functions
Process A: V2 - V1 = 3 m3
Process B: V2 - V1 = 3 m3
Pressure:
Prepared by
S.Vijay
akumar M.E (Thermal Engineering)

Prepared by
S.Vijay
akumar M.E (Thermal Engineering)