Fundamentals of Thermal-Fluid Sciences: Heat Engines

Fundamentals of Thermal-Fluid Sciences: Heat Engines

• This presentation likely covers a course onheat engines, part of thermal-fluid sciences.
• Introduction to the second law of thermodynamics is covered.
• Learning objectives include identifying valid processes, understanding thermal energy reservoirs, reversible and irreversible processes, and different thermodynamic statements.
• The presentation includes an overview of heat engines, refrigerators, and heat pumps, including the Carnot cycle and their thermal efficiencies and coefficients of performance.
• A recap of the first law of thermodynamics is included, emphasizing conservation of energy.
• The presentation explores the inadequacies of the first law of thermodynamics, introducing the need for the second law.
• Processes occur in a specific direction.
• A process must satisfy both the first and second laws to proceed.
• The presentation introduces the concept of thermal energy reservoirs, including examples like oceans, lakes, and the atmosphere.
• A source supplies heat, and a sink absorbs it.
• Heat engines convert heat into work with three main components: receiving heat from a high-temperature source, converting part of the heat to work, and rejecting waste heat to a low-temperature sink.
• The concept of the working fluid is defined.
• Energy balance for heat engines is explained, highlighting that part of the heat input is converted to work, and the rest is rejected.
• Example diagrams and formulas are included regarding steam power plants, efficiency, and the principles of heat engines.
• The Carnot cycle is introduced as a theoretical, totally reversible cycle, which can be reversed for refrigeration.
• Reversible processes are defined, contrasted against irreversible processes, and the factors causing irreversibility are described.
• The presentation covers the efficiency of the Carnot cycle, its principles, the Carnot refrigerator and heat pump.
• The concept of energy quality is introduced linking thermal efficiency and temperature.
• The Coefficient of Performance, COP, for refrigerators and heat pumps is explained.
• Key aspects of refrigeration systems are outlined.
• Presentation ends with a summary of covered topics and a preview of the next tutorial.