Real life examples in thermodynamics

✍ Scribed by Eann A. Patterson (ed.)

• Year: 2010
• Tongue: English
• Leaves: 52
• Series: Lesson plans and solutions
• Category: Library

✦ Synopsis

These notes are designed to enhance the teaching of a sophomore level course in
thermodynamics, increase the accessibility of the principles, and raise the appeal of the
subject to students from diverse backgrounds.
These notes are intended to be used by instructors and are written in a style that addresses
the instructor; however this is not intended to exclude students who should find the notes
and examples interesting, stimulating and hopefully illuminating, particularly when their
instructor is not utilizing them. In the interest of brevity and clarity of presentation,
standard derivations and definitions are not included since these are readily available in
textbooks which these notes are not intended to replace but rather to supplement and
enhance. Similarly, it is anticipated that these lessons plans can be used to generate
lectures/lessons that supplement those covering the fundamentals of each topic.

✦ Table of Contents

Introduction and acknowledgements 5
FIRST LAW CONCEPTS
1. Systems, properties, & pure substances 6
Coffee maker, exploding soup
2. First law of thermodynamics 9
Chips, classroom air-conditioning, photosynthesis, iPod
SECOND LAW CONCEPTS
3. Second law of thermodynamics 13
Large fan (air circulator), cup of tea, geothermal heat engine
4. Entropy 17
Balloons, bicycle tires, turbine, milky coffee
5. Exergy 22
Candy, death, air-powered cars, ‘destructive’ walls, personal performance
POWER CYCLES
6. Vapor Power Cycles 26
Water pistol, kettle, geothermal power plant
7. Gas Power Cycles 30
Spark ignition engine, diesel engine, gas turbine
THERMODYNAMIC APPLICATIONS
8. Refrigeration and heat pumps 35
Personal refrigerator, drinks cooler, dorm room air-conditioning & heating
9. Non-reacting Mixtures 40
Fire extinguisher, landfill gas, desalination
10. Psychrometric applications 44
Sweating water bottle, misted glasses, windshield misting, cooling towers
THERMODYNAMICS OF CHEMICAL TRANSFORMATIONS
11. Reacting mixtures & combustion 48
Birthday candles, cooking pasta, engine heat losses