B58EF: Mechanical Engineering Science 6

Thermodynamics

Lecture – 2:

• Reversibility
• Heat engine

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 0-1: Conversions of Energy
Preliminary conclusion from the examples given in the last
lecture:
•  Energy is conservative
–  The First law
•  But can be converted spontaneously in a
certain direction (i.e. work to heat) not in
the reverse direction (2nd Law of TD).

•  Energy has quality as well as quantity

(2nd Law of TD)

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 Today

Introduce some concepts:

•  Heat engines / reverse heat engines
•  Thermal efficiency of a heat engine
•  Reversible/Irreversible process

Aims:
Ready for learning 2nd law of thermodynamics

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 1: Heat Engines

Reference:
Chapter: 4.1 on pages 88-89
Applied Thermodynamics by Eastop & McConkey, 5th Edition

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 1-1: Heat Engine system, Definition:
Heat Engine is a kind of engine, which should be
•  Operating on a cycle
•  Receiving heat (Qin) from a high
temperature (Th ) sources or
reservoirs (solar, fossil fuel furnace/boiler,
nuclear reactors,…)
•  Converting part of this heat (Qin)
to work (Wnet mechanical energy)
•  Rejecting the remaining heat (Qout)
to lower temperature (TL) sinks or
reservoirs.
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 1-1 b: Reverse Heat Engines
Definition of reverse heat engine:

• An engine to produce an

environment with TL lower
than the atmospheric
temperature:
−  Refrigerators
−  Air conditioning
or
• An engine to transfer heat
from lower TL medium to a
higher TH one:
−  Heat pumps
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 1-2: Thermal energy reservoirs:
A hypothetic body

Definition of thermal energy reservoirs:

•  Relatively large Thermal energy capacity (m x C)
Ø  Atmosphere, sun, Boiler, …
Ø  Big lake, ocean, ….
Ø  Combustion in IC engines

•  Thermal Source: supplies the energy in the form of heat

•  Thermal Sink : absorbs the energy in the form of heat
Without undergoing any change in T
δQo −i
→ ΔT → 0
Eres
δQo −i : Heat supplied or absorbed by reservoir
Eres : Thermal energy capacity of reservoir 7
1-2a: Example of heat engine – steam power plant

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 1-2a: Example – Steam Power Plant

.
Qin Boundary Thermal source:
. Boiler with TH
Boiler Turbine Wout Qin

. Heat Wnet
Feed Pump
Condenser Qout engine

. Qout
Win
Thermal sink:
To the system (heat engine), we
Atmosphere with low TL
have: W! net = W! out + W! in
Q! net = Q! out + Q! in
Recall the convenBon we made: Qin and Win (+); Qout &Wout (–) 9
 1-2 b: How to assess a Heat Engine ?

Desired output
Performance = 100 %
Required input

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 1-2 c: Heat Engine:
Energy flow and efficiency

Definition of Thermal Efficiency of heat engines:

By First Law of Thermodynamics, the heat engine satisfies:

Qin + Qout + Wnet = ∫ dE = 0

where: Qout < 0 and Wnet <0

Then: Desired output
–Wnet
Thermal Efficiency (ηt)= 100 %
Qin
Required input11
 2-2d: Example: What is the efficiency of this
steam .power plant system?
Turbine delivers 1000 kW of Qin Boundary
power, (Wout).
Turbine
.
Boiler Wout
Heat supplied (qin) to the steam in
the boiler is 2800 kJ/kg Feed
.
Pump
Condenser Qout
Feed pump requires 5 kW of
.W
power to operate in
.m =1.421 kg/s
. .
steam Qin = msteam qin=1.421x2800 = 3979 kw
. . . .
Qout =? ηt =? Wnet=Wout+Win= –1000 + 5 = –995 kw
.
–Wnet 995 x 100
Eff. = . 100 % = = 25%
Qin 3979
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 2: Reversible/irreversible process
and system

Reference: Chapter: 1.4-1.5 on pages 10-16

Chapter: 3.5 on pages 73-74
Applied Thermodynamics by Eastop & McConkey, 5th Edition

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 2-1. Reversible Process

Definition:
A process that can be reversed without
leaving any trance on the surroundings, is
called as Reversible process.

Note: Reversible process is an ideal

process that actually dose not occur in
nature.

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 2-1. Reversible Process
Example:
A cylinder-piston system without friction:
Process from state 1 to 2:
Surrounding Process paths

p W1-2 p
Sys 1 2
W1-2
Process 1-2:
V1 V V2
State of adiabatic system
changes from state 1 to
state 2 and Surrounding Process from state 2 to 1:
received W1-2 Process paths
surrounding

p W2-1
Sys 1 2 p
W1-2 = W2-1
Process 2-1
V1 V V2
System back to state 1 from state 2 and
Surrounding delivered back the W1-2

Both the system and surrounding back to the initial state after the cycle
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 2.1a. Reversible Processes
For a thermo-system, this means:
•  Systems and surroundings can always
be restored to their original state.

And requests the process to be:

Ø  Frictionless process
Ø  Infinitely slow velocities (ΔC 0)
Ø  Infinitely slow heat transfer rates (ΔT 0)
Ø  No mixing (ΔYi 0 )
Ø  No chemical reactions (ΔGb 0)

Therefore, Reversible process is an ideal

process that actually can not occur in nature. 16
 2.2. Irreversible Processes

All natural processes are Irreversible

processes, for example:
Ø  Heat transfer from body with high temperature,
Th to those with lower temperature TL, driving by
ΔT= Th – TL, spontaneously.
Ø  Mixing processes.
Ø  Bio-processes: plants, animals, human beings …
Ø  ……

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 2-2 a. Irreversible Process Example:
Cylinder-piston Sys.

Wir,1-2
p States 1 – 2:
Sys 1 2 Adiabatic Sys: from state 1 to 2
Surrounding: received work Wir,1-2 and Q F
Q F: Friction heat (To keep the
system adiabatic) should be
released to surrounding

Q F: Friction heat
States 2 – 1:
Wir-2-1 > Wir-1-2 Adiabatic Sys: Restored to state 1 from state 2
p because of friction
Sys 1 2 Surrounding: delivered work Wir,2-1 and again
received Q F
Finally:
System: restored to state 1 (OK!)
Surrounding is affected: Received 2QF and delivered Wir = Wir,2-1 – Wir,1-2
Though the energy is balanced, but Q W needs a heat engine and has an efficiency !!!
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 2-2b. Irreversible Processes
Relations between works done
by a reversible (WREV ) and
irreversible (Wir) processes
Irreversible process from state 1 to state 2
1 Schematically show by a dash line because
no exact states could be identified
p
2

V1 V2 V
2
Wir < WREV = – p(V)dV
1
Why? Use the first Law of thermodynamics, a friction
work was lost.
Note: The polytropic processes we defined in the last semester are all reversible processes,
therefore, the W calculated by the polytropic processes are the reversible works 19
 Checklist
•  Understanding the concepts of
–  Reversible/irreversible processes (give some examples)
–  Thermal energy reservoirs (give examples)
•  Heat Engines
–  What are the characterisBcs of all heat engines
–  Sketch the characterisBcs of heat engines
–  How to assess the efficiency of a heat engine

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 Summary

•  Reversibility only exists in theory

•  Heat engines
•  Thermal efficiency

Next Lecture:

•  Reverse heat engines

•  Looking for maximum efficiency of a heat
engine

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