1 WHAT IS THERMAL SYSTEMS

ENGINEERING?

Introduction…
The objective of this chapter is to introduce you to thermal systems engineering chapter objective
using several contemporary applications. Our discussions use certain terms that
we assume are familiar from your background in physics and chemistry. The
roles of thermodynamics, fluid mechanics, and heat transfer in thermal systems
engineering and their relationship to one another also are described. The
presentation concludes with tips on the effective use of the book.

1.1 Getting Started

Thermal systems engineering is concerned with how energy is utilized to accomplish bene-
ficial functions in industry, transportation, and the home, and also the role energy plays in
the study of human, animal, and plant life. In industry, thermal systems are found in electric
power generating plants, chemical processing plants, and in manufacturing facilities. Our
transportation needs are met by various types of engines, power converters, and cooling equip-
ment. In the home, appliances such as ovens, refrigerators, and furnaces represent thermal
systems. Ice rinks, snow-making machines, and other recreational uses involve thermal sys-
tems. In living things, the respiratory and circulatory systems are thermal systems, as are
equipment for life support and surgical procedures.
Thermal systems involve the storage, transfer, and conversion of energy. Energy can be
stored within a system in different forms, such as kinetic energy and gravitational potential
energy. Energy also can be stored within the matter making up the system. Energy can be
transferred between a system and its surroundings by work, heat transfer, and the flow of
hot or cold streams of matter. Energy also can be converted from one form to another. For
example, energy stored in the chemical bonds of fuels can be converted to electrical or me-
chanical power in fuel cells and internal combustion engines.
The sunflowers shown on the cover of this book can be thought of as thermal systems.
Solar energy aids the production of chemical substances within the plant required for life
(photosynthesis). Plants also draw in water and nutrients through their root system. Plants
interact with their environments in other ways as well.
Selected areas of application that involve the engineering of thermal systems are listed
in Fig. 1.1, along with six specific illustrations. The turbojet engine, jet ski, and electrical
power plant represent thermal systems involving conversion of energy in fossil fuels to
achieve a desired outcome. Components of these systems also involve work and heat trans-
fer. For life support on the International Space Station, solar energy is converted to electrical
energy and provides energy for plant growth experimentation and other purposes. Semi-
conductor manufacturing processes such as high temperature annealing of silicon wafers
involve energy conversion and significant heat transfer effects. The human cardiovascular
1
2 Chapter 1. What Is Thermal Systems Engineering?

Prime movers: internal-combustion engines, turbines

Fluid machinery: pumps, compressors Fuel in
Fossil- and nuclear-fueled power stations Compressor Combustor
Turbine
Alternative energy systems
Fuel cells Air in Hot gases
Solar heating, cooling and power generation out
Heating, ventilating, and air-conditioning equipment
Biomedical applications
Life support and surgical equipment
Artificial organs
Air and water pollution control equipment Turbojet engine
Aerodynamics: airplanes, automobiles, buildings
Pipe flow: distribution networks, chemical plants Solar-cell arrays
Cooling of electronic equipment
Materials processing: metals, plastics, semiconductors
Manufacturing: machining, joining, laser cutting
Thermal control of spacecraft

Surfaces with thermal

control coatings
International Space Station

3.5 in. diameter

outlet jet
Quartz-tube furnace

30°
25 in.2 inlet area

Jet ski water =-pump propulsion

Wafer boat
High-temperature annealing of silicon wafers

Thorax
Lung Steam generator

Electric
Combustion Stack power
gas cleanup

Turbine
Coal Air Steam Cooling
Heart Generator tower
Condenser
Ash
Human cardiovascular system
Condensate
Cooling water
Electrical power plant

Figure 1.1 Selected areas of applications for thermal systems engineering.

 1.2 Thermal System Case Studies 3

system is a complex combination of fluid flow and heat transfer components that regulates
the flow of blood and air to within the relatively narrow range of conditions required to
maintain life.
In the next section, three case studies are discussed that bring out important features of
thermal systems engineering. The case studies also suggest the breadth of this field.

1.2 Thermal System Case Studies

Three cases are now considered to provide you with background for your study of thermal
systems engineering. In each case, the message is the same: Thermal systems typically con-
sist of a combination of components that function together as a whole. The components
themselves and the overall system can be analyzed using principles drawn from three dis-
ciplines: thermodynamics, fluid mechanics, and heat transfer. The nature of an analysis
depends on what needs to be understood to evaluate system performance or to design or
upgrade a system. Engineers who perform such work need to learn thermal systems prin-
ciples and how they are applied in different situations.

1.2.1 Domestic Hot Water Supply

The installation that provides hot water for your shower is an everyday example of a ther-
mal system. As illustrated schematically in Fig. 1.2a, a typical system includes:
• a water supply
• a hot-water heater
• hot-water and cold-water delivery pipes
• a faucet and a shower head
The function of the system is to deliver a water stream with the desired flow rate and tem-
perature.
Clearly the temperature of the water changes from when it enters your house until it
exits the shower head. Cold water enters from the supply pipe with a pressure greater than
the atmosphere, at low velocity and an elevation below ground level. Water exits the shower
head at atmospheric pressure, with higher velocity and elevation, and it is comfortably hot.
The increase in temperature from inlet to outlet depends on energy added to the water by
heating elements (electrical or gas) in the hot water heater. The energy added can be eval-
uated using principles from thermodynamics and heat transfer. The relationships among
the values of pressure, velocity, and elevation are affected by the pipe sizes, pipe lengths,
and the types of fittings used. Such relationships can be evaluated using fluid mechanics
principles.
Water heaters are designed to achieve appropriate heat transfer characteristics so that the
energy supplied is transferred to the water in the tank rather than lost to the surrounding air.
The hot water also must be maintained at the desired temperature, ready to be used on de-
mand. Accordingly, appropriate insulation on the tank is required to reduce energy losses to
the surroundings. Also required is a thermostat to call for further heating when necessary.
When there are long lengths of pipe between the hot water heater and the shower head, it
also may be advantageous to insulate the pipes.
The flow from the supply pipe to the shower head involves several fluid mechanics prin-
ciples. The pipe diameter must be sized to provide the proper flow rate—too small a diam-
eter and there will not be enough water for a comfortable shower; too large a diameter and
the material costs will be too high. The flow rate also depends on the length of the pipes and
4 Chapter 1. What Is Thermal Systems Engineering?

Shower head

Shower head

Hot
Diverter valve
To shower
head
Cold Cold water
faucet Cold
water

Cold water Hot

Water
supply line water Valve
heater Tub spout
Hot water stem
faucet To tub
spout
(a) (b)

Figure 1.2 Home hot water supply. (a) Overview. (b) Faucet and shower head.

the number of valves, elbows, and other fittings required. As shown in Fig. 1.2b, the faucet
and the shower head must be designed to provide the desired flow rate while mixing hot and
cold water appropriately.
From this example we see some important ideas relating to the analysis and design of
thermal systems. The everyday system that delivers hot water for your shower is composed
of various components. Yet their individual features and the way they work together as a
whole involve a broad spectrum of thermodynamics, fluid mechanics, and heat transfer prin-
ciples.

1.2.2 Hybrid Electric Vehicle

Automobile manufacturers are producing hybrid cars that utilize two or more sources of
power within a single vehicle to achieve fuel economy up to 60 –70 miles per gallon.
Illustrated in Fig. 1.3a is a hybrid electric vehicle (HEV) that combines a gasoline-fueled
engine with a set of batteries that power an electric motor. The gasoline engine and the elec-
tric motor are each connected to the transmission and are capable of running the car by
themselves or in combination depending on which is more effective in powering the vehicle.
What makes this type of hybrid particularly fuel efficient is the inclusion of several features
in the design:
• the ability to recover energy during braking and to store it in the electric batteries,
• the ability to shut off the gasoline engine when stopped in traffic and meet power
needs by the battery alone,
• special design to reduce aerodynamic drag and the use of tires that have very low
rolling resistance (friction), and
• the use of lightweight composite materials such as carbon fiber and the increased use
of lightweight metals such as aluminum and magnesium.
 1.2 Thermal System Case Studies 5

Generator

Inverter

Batteries
Electric motor
Gasoline engine

(a) Overview of the vehicle showing key thermal systems

(b) Regenerative braking mode with energy flow from wheels to battery

Figure 1.3 Hybrid electric vehicle combining gasoline-fueled engine, storage batteries, and
electric motor. (Illustrations by George Retseck.)

The energy source for such hybrid vehicles is gasoline burned in the engine. Because of
the ability to store energy in the batteries and use that energy to run the electric motor, the
gasoline engine does not have to operate continuously. Some HEVs use only the electric
motor to accelerate from rest up to about 15 miles per hour, and then switch to the gasoline
engine. A specially designed transmission provides the optimal power split between the gaso-
line engine and the electric motor to keep the fuel use to a minimum and still provide the
needed power.
Most HEVs use regenerative braking, as shown in Fig. 1.3b. In conventional cars, step-
ping on the brakes to slow down or stop dissipates the kinetic energy of motion through
the frictional action of the brake. Starting again requires fuel to re-establish the kinetic
energy of the vehicle. The hybrid car allows some of the kinetic energy to be converted
during braking to electricity that is stored in the batteries. This is accomplished by the
electric motor serving as a generator during the braking process. The net result is a
significant improvement in fuel economy and the ability to use a smaller-sized gasoline
engine than would be possible to achieve comparable performance in a conventional
vehicle.
The overall energy notions considered thus far are important aspects of thermodynam-
ics, which deals with energy conversion, energy accounting, and the limitations on how en-
ergy is converted from one form to another. In addition, there are numerous examples of
fluid mechanics and heat transfer applications in a hybrid vehicle. Within the engine, air,
6 Chapter 1. What Is Thermal Systems Engineering?

fuel, engine coolant, and oil are circulated through passageways, hoses, ducts, and mani-
folds. These must be designed to ensure that adequate flow is obtained. The fuel pump and
water pump also must be designed to achieve the desired fluid flows. Heat transfer princi-
ples guide the design of the cooling system, the braking system, the lubrication system, and
numerous other aspects of the vehicle. Coolant circulating through passageways in the engine
block must absorb energy transferred from hot combustion gases to the cylinder surfaces so
those surfaces do not become too hot. Engine oil and other viscous fluids in the transmis-
sion and braking systems also can reach high temperatures and thus must be carefully
managed.
Hybrid electric vehicles provide examples of complex thermal systems. As in the case of
hot water systems, the principles of thermodynamics, fluid mechanics, and heat transfer ap-
ply to the analysis and design of individual parts, components, and to the entire vehicle.

1.2.3 Microelectronics Manufacturing: Soldering Printed-Circuit Boards

Printed-circuit boards (PCBs) found in computers, cell phones, and many other products, are
composed of integrated circuits and electronic devices mounted on epoxy-filled fiberglass
boards. The boards have been metallized to provide interconnections, as illustrated in
Fig. 1.4a. The pins of the integrated circuits and electronic devices are fitted into holes, and
a droplet of powdered solder and flux in paste form is applied to the pin-pad region, Fig. 1.4b.
To achieve reliable mechanical and electrical connections, the PCB is heated in an oven to
a temperature above the solder melting temperature; this is known as the reflow process. The

Integrated circuit (IC)

Pin lead

Metal film
Pre-form solder paste
(b)

(c)

(a) (d)

Figure 1.4 Soldering printed-circuit boards (a) with pre-form solder paste applied to integrated
circuit pins and terminal pads (b) enter the solder-reflow oven (c) on a conveyor and are heated to
the solder melting temperature by impinging hot air jets (d ).
 1.3 Analysis of Thermal Systems 7

PCB and its components must be gradually and uniformly heated to avoid inducing thermal
stresses and localized overheating. The PCB is then cooled to near-room temperature for
subsequent safe handling.
The PCB prepared for soldering is placed on a conveyor belt and enters the first zone
within the solder reflow oven, Fig. 1.4c. In passing through this zone, the temperature of the
PCB is increased by exposure to hot air jets heated by electrical resistance elements, Fig. 1.4d.
In the final zone of the oven, the PCB passes through a cooling section where its tempera-
ture is reduced by exposure to air that has been cooled by passing through a water-cooled
heat exchanger.
From the foregoing discussion, we recognize that there are many aspects of this manu-
facturing process that involve electric power, flow of fluids, air-handling equipment, heat
transfer, and thermal aspects of material behavior. In thermal systems engineering, we per-
form analyses on systems such as the solder-reflow oven to evaluate system performance or
to design or upgrade the system. For example, suppose you were the operations manager of
a factory concerned with providing electrical power and chilled water for an oven that a ven-
dor claims will meet your requirements. What information would you ask of the vendor? Or,
suppose you were the oven designer seeking to maximize the production of PCBs. You might
be interested in determining what air flow patterns and heating element arrangements would
allow the fastest flow of product through the oven while maintaining necessary uniformity
of heating. How would you approach obtaining such information? Through your study of
thermodynamics, fluid mechanics, and heat transfer you will learn how to deal with ques-
tions such as these.

1.3 Analysis of Thermal Systems

In this section, we introduce the basic laws that govern the analysis of thermal systems of
all kinds, including the three cases considered in Sec. 1.2. We also consider further the roles
of thermodynamics, fluid mechanics, and heat transfer in thermal systems engineering and
their relationship to one another.
Important engineering functions are to design and analyze things intended to meet human
needs. Engineering design is a decision-making process in which principles drawn from
engineering and other fields such as economics and statistics are applied to devise a system,
system component, or process. Fundamental elements of design include establishing
objectives, analysis, synthesis, construction, testing, and evaluation.
Engineering analysis frequently aims at developing an engineering model to obtain a
simplified mathematical representation of system behavior that is sufficiently faithful to
reality, even if some aspects exhibited by the actual system are not considered. For ex-
ample, idealizations often used in mechanics to simplify an analysis include the assump-
tions of point masses, frictionless pulleys, and rigid beams. Satisfactory modeling takes
experience and is a part of the art of engineering. Engineering analysis is featured in this
book.
The first step in analysis is the identification of the system and how it interacts with its
surroundings. Attention then turns to the pertinent physical laws and relationships that allow
system behavior to be described. Analysis of thermal systems uses, directly or indirectly, one
or more of four basic laws:
• Conservation of mass
• Conservation of energy
• Conservation of momentum
• Second law of thermodynamics
8 Chapter 1. What Is Thermal Systems Engineering?

In your earlier studies in physics and chemistry, you were introduced to these laws. In
this book, we place the laws in forms especially well suited for use in thermal systems
engineering and help you learn how to apply them.

1.3.1 The Three Thermal Science Disciplines

As we have observed, thermal systems engineering typically requires the use of three ther-
mal science disciplines: thermodynamics, fluid mechanics, and heat transfer. Figure 1.5 shows
the roles of these disciplines in thermal system engineering and their relationship to one
another. Associated with each discipline is a list of principles featured in the part of the book
devoted to that discipline.
Thermodynamics provides the foundation for analysis of thermal systems through the con-
servation of mass and conservation of energy principles, the second law of thermodynamics,
and property relations. Fluid mechanics and heat transfer provide additional concepts, in-
cluding the empirical laws necessary to specify, for instance, material choices, component
sizing, and fluid medium characteristics. For example, thermodynamic analysis can tell you
the final temperature of a hot workpiece quenched in an oil, but the rate at which it will cool
is predicted using a heat transfer analysis.
Fluid mechanics is concerned with the behavior of fluids at rest or in motion. As shown
in Fig. 1.5, two fundamentals that play central roles in our discussion of fluid mechanics are
the conservation of momentum principle that stems from Newton’s second law of motion and
the mechanical energy equation. Principles of fluid mechanics allow the study of fluids flowing
inside pipes (internal flows) and over surfaces (external flows) with consideration of frictional

Thermodynamics
Conservation of mass
Conservation of energy
Second law of thermodynamics
Properties
o
m
er
Th

Heat Transfer
Thermal Systems Engineering
Conduction
H ea

Analysis directed to
Convection
t transfer

Design
Radiation
Operations/Maintenance
Multiple Modes
Marketing/Sales
Costing
•
•
•

Fl
uid
s
Fluid Mechanics
Fluid statics
Conservation of momentum
Mechanical energy equation
Similitude and modeling

Figure 1.5 The disciplines of thermodynamics, fluid mechanics, and heat transfer involve
fundamentals and principles essential for the practice of thermal systems engineering.
 1.4 How to Use This Book Effectively 9

effects and lift/drag forces. The concept of similitude is used extensively in scaling measure-
ments on laboratory-sized models to full-scale systems.
Heat transfer is concerned with energy transfer as a consequence of a temperature dif-
ference. As shown in Fig. 1.5, there are three modes of heat transfer. Conduction refers
to heat transfer through a medium across which a temperature difference exists. Convection
refers to heat transfer between a surface and a moving or still fluid having a different
temperature. The third mode of heat transfer is termed thermal radiation and represents
the net exchange of energy between surfaces at different temperatures by electromagnetic
waves independent of any intervening medium. For these modes, the heat transfer rates
depend on the transport properties of substances, geometrical parameters, and tempera-
tures. Many applications involve more than one of these modes; this is called multimode
heat transfer.
Returning again to Fig. 1.5, in the thermal systems engineering box we have identified
some application areas involving analysis. Earlier we mentioned that design requires analy-
sis. Engineers also perform analysis for many other reasons, as for example in the operation
of systems and determining when systems require maintenance. Because of the complexity
of many thermal systems, engineers who provide marketing and sales services need analy-
sis skills to determine whether their product will meet a customer’s specifications. As engi-
neers, we are always challenged to optimize the use of financial resources, which frequently
requires costing analyses to justify our recommendations.

1.3.2 The Practice of Thermal Systems Engineering

Seldom do practical applications involve only one aspect of the three thermal sciences disci-
plines. Practicing engineers usually are required to combine the basic concepts, laws, and prin-
ciples. Accordingly, as you proceed through this text, you should recognize that thermodynamics,
fluid mechanics, and heat transfer provide powerful analysis tools that are complementary.
Thermal systems engineering is interdisciplinary in nature, not only for this reason, but because
of ties to other important issues such as controls, manufacturing, vibration, and materials that
are likely to be present in real-world situations.
Thermal systems engineering not only has played an important role in the development
of a wide range of products and services that touch our lives daily, it also has become an
enabling technology for evolving fields such as nanotechnology, biotechnology, food pro-
cessing, health services, and bioengineering. This textbook will prepare you to work in both
traditional and emerging energy-related fields.
Your background should enable you to
• contribute to teams working on thermal systems applications.
• specify equipment to meet prescribed needs.
• implement energy policy.
• perform economic assessments involving energy.
• manage technical operations.
This textbook also will prepare you for further study in thermodynamics, fluid mechanics,
and heat transfer to strengthen your understanding of fundamentals and to acquire more
experience in model building and solving applications-driven problems.

1.4 How to Use This Book Effectively

This book has several features and learning resources that facilitate study and contribute
further to understanding.
10 Chapter 1. What Is Thermal Systems Engineering?

Core Study Features

Examples and Problems . . .
• Numerous annotated solved examples are provided that feature the solution
methodology presented in Sec. 2.6, and illustrated initially in Example 2.1. We
encourage you to study these examples, including the accompanying comments.
• Less formal examples are given throughout the text. They open with the words For
Example… and close with the symbol ▲. These examples also should be studied.
• A large number of end-of-chapter problems are provided. The problems are se-
quenced to coordinate with the subject matter and are listed in increasing order of
difficulty. The problems are classified under headings to expedite the process of
selecting review problems to solve.
Other Study Aids . . .
• Each chapter begins with an introduction stating the chapter objective and con-
cludes with a summary and study guide.
• Key words are listed in the margins and coordinated with the text material at those
locations.
• Key equations are set off by a double horizontal bar.
M ETHODOLOGY • Methodology Update in the margin identifies where we refine our problem-solving
U P D AT E methodology, introduce conventions, or sharpen our understanding of specific
concepts.
• For quick reference, conversion factors and important constants are provided on
the inside front cover and facing page.
• A list of symbols is provided on the inside back cover and facing page.
• (CD-ROM) directs you to the accompanying CD where supplemental text material
and learning resources are provided.
Icons . . .
identifies locations where the use of appropriate computer software is
recommended.
directs you to short fluid mechanics video segments.

Enhanced Study Features

Computer Software . . .
To allow you to retrieve appropriate data electronically and model and solve complex ther-
mal engineering problems, instructional material and computer-type problems are pro-
vided on the CD for Interactive Thermodynamics (IT) and Interactive Heat Transfer (IHT).
These programs are built around equation solvers enhanced with property data and other
valuable features. With the IT and IHT software you can obtain a single numerical solu-
tion or vary parameters to investigate their effects. You also can obtain graphical output,
and the Windows-based format allows you to use any Windows word-processing software
or spreadsheet to generate reports. Tutorials are available from the ‘Help’ menu, and both
programs include several worked examples.
Accompanying CD . . .
The CD contains the entire print version of the book plus the following additional con-
tent and resources:
• answers to selected end-of-chapter problems
• additional text material not included in the print version of the book

• the computer software Interactive Thermodynamics (IT) and Interactive Heat
Transfer (IHT), including a directory entitled Things You Should Know About IT
and IHT that contains helpful information for using the software with this book.
• short video segments that illustrate fluid mechanics principles
• built-in hyperlinks to show connections between topics
Special Note: Content provided on the CD may involve equations, figures, and examples
that are not included in the print version of the book.
Problems
1.1 List thermal systems that you might encounter in everyday
activities such as cooking, heating or cooling a house, and
operating an automobile.
1.2 Using the Internet, obtain information about the operation of
a thermal system of your choice or one of those listed or shown
in Fig. 1.1. Obtain sufficient information to provide a descrip-
tion to your class on the function of the system and relevant ther-
modynamics, fluid mechanics, and heat transfer aspects.
1.3 Referring to the thermal systems of Fig. 1.1, in cases assigned
by your instructor or selected by you, explain how energy is
converted from one form to another and how energy is stored.
1.4 Consider a rocket leaving its launch pad. Briefly discuss the
conversion of energy stored in the rocket’s fuel tanks into other
forms as the rocket lifts off.
Figure P1.4
1.5 Referring to the U.S. patent office Website, obtain a copy
of a patent granted in the last five years for a thermal system.
Describe the function of the thermal system and explain the
claims presented in the patent that relate to thermodynamics,
fluid mechanics, and heat transfer.
Problems 11
1.6 Contact your local utility for the amount you pay for elec-
tricity, in cents per kilowatt-hour. What are the major contrib-
utors to this cost?
1.7 A newspaper article lists solar, wind, hydroelectric, geo-
thermal, and biomass as important renewable energy resources.
What is meant by renewable? List some energy resources that
are not considered renewable.
1.8 Reconsider the energy resources of Problem 1.7. Give
specific examples of how each is used to meet human needs.
1.9 Our energy needs are met today primarily by use of fossil
fuels. What fossil fuels are most commonly used for (a) trans-
portation, (b) home heating, and (c) electricity generation?
1.10 List some of the roles that coal, natural gas, and petroleum
play in our lives. In a memorandum, discuss environmental,
political, and social concerns regarding the continued use of
these fossil fuels. Repeat for nuclear energy.
1.11 A utility advertises that it is less expensive to heat water
for domestic use with natural gas than with electricity. Deter-
mine if this claim is correct in your locale. What issues deter-
mine the relative costs?
1.12 A news report speaks of greenhouse gases. What is meant
by greenhouse in this context? What are some of the most preva-
lent greenhouse gases and why have many observers expressed
concern about those gases being emitted into the atmosphere?
1.13 Consider the following household appliances: desktop
computer, toaster, and hair dryer. For each, what is its func-
tion and what is the typical power requirement, in Watts? Can
it be considered a thermal system? Explain.
Figure P1.13
12 Chapter 1. What Is Thermal Systems Engineering?

1.14 A person adjusts the faucet of a shower as shown in Fig-
ure P1.14 to a desired water temperature. Part way through the
shower the dishwasher in the kitchen is turned on and the tem-
perature of the shower becomes too cold. Why?
1.21 Automobile designers have worked to reduce the aerody-
namic drag and rolling resistance of cars, thereby increasing
the fuel economy, especially at highway speeds. Compare the
sketch of the 1920s car shown in Figure P1.21 with the ap-
pearance of present-day automobiles. Discuss any differences
that have contributed to the increased fuel economy of mod-
ern cars.

Hot
Shower
Dishwasher
Figure P1.21

Cold 1.22 Considering the hot water supply, hybrid electric vehi-
Water cle, and solder-reflow applications of Sec. 1.2; give exam-
meter
Cold
Hot water ples of conduction, convection, and radiation modes of heat
heater transfer.
1.23 A central furnace or air conditioner in a building uses a
fan to distribute air through a duct system to each room as
Figure P1.14 shown in Fig. P1.23. List some reasons why the temperatures
might vary significantly from room to room, even though each
1.15 The everyday operation of your car involves the use of room is provided with conditioned air.
various gases or liquids. Make a list of such fluids and indi-
cate how they are used in your car.
1.16 Your car contains various fans or pumps, including the
radiator fan, the heater fan, the water pump, the power steering
pump, and the windshield washer pump. Obtain approximate Conditioned air Cooling
supply duct Heating and fan
values for the power (horsepower or kilowatts) required to
operate each of these fans or pumps. Outdoor air
intake
1.17 When a hybrid electric vehicle such as the one described
in Section 1.2.2 is braked to rest, only a fraction of the vehi-
cle’s kinetic energy is stored chemically in the batteries. Why
only a fraction?
1.18 Discuss how a person’s driving habits would affect the fuel
economy of an automobile in stop-and-go traffic and on a Air return
freeway.
1.19 The solder-reflow oven considered in Section 1.2.3 oper-
ates with the conveyer speed and hot air supply parameters ad-
justed so that the PCB soldering process is performed slightly
above the solder melting temperature as required for quality
joints. The PCB also is cooled to a safe temperature by the Figure P1.23
time it reaches the oven exit. The operations manager wants to
increase the rate per unit time that PCBs pass through the oven.
How might this be accomplished? 1.24 Figure P1.24 shows a wind turbine-electric generator
1.20 In the discussion of the soldering process in Section mounted atop a tower. Wind blows steadily across the turbine
1.2.3, we introduced the requirement that the PCB and its blades, and electricity is generated. The electrical output of the
components be gradually and uniformly heated to avoid ther- generator is fed to a storage battery. For the overall thermal
mal stresses and localized overheating. Give examples from system consisting of the wind-turbine generator and storage
your personal experience where detrimental effects have been battery, list the sequence of processes that convert the energy
caused to objects heated too rapidly, or very nonuniformly. of the wind to energy stored in the battery.

Figure P1.24
1.26 An automobile engine normally has a coolant circulating
1.25 A plastic workpiece in the form of a thin, square, flat plate
removed from a hot injection molding press at 150C must be
cooled to a safe-to-handle temperature. Figure P1.25 shows
two arrangements for the cooling process: The workpiece is
Still, ambient
air
Figure P1.25
Problems 13
suspended vertically from an overhead support, or positioned
horizontally on a wire rack, each in the presence of ambient
air. Calling on your experience and physical intuition, answer
the following:
(a) Will the workpiece cool more quickly in the vertical or
horizontal arrangement if the only air motion that occurs
is due to buoyancy of the air near the hot surfaces of the
workpiece (referred to as free or natural convection)?
(b) If a fan blows air over the workpiece (referred to as forced
convection), would you expect the cooling rate to increase
or decrease? Why?
through passageways in the engine block and then through
a finned-tube radiator. Lawn mower engines normally have
finned surfaces directly attached to the engine block, with
no radiator, in order to achieve the required cooling. Why
might the cooling strategies be different in these two appli-
cations?
Figure P1.26