Introduction and basic thermodynamic

concepts
Navy Shipyard Fire
Department Vehicle (1881)

Manufactured in England by
Merryweather & Sons – London.
The steam which set in motion
the water pumps to the fire hose
was provided by the coal boiler.
In less than 10 minutes it
produced the required pressure,
which happened while the car
was on its way to the fire.
The car was pulled either by
man or mules.
(Museu de Marinha, Lisbon)
 Objectives Engineering Thermodynamics
• Engineering thermodynamics: application of thermodynamics to
solve technological problems that engineers face
• Analysis of transport and conversion of various forms of energy
(work ↔ electricity ↔ heat ↔ cold)
• The objectives are:
1. Conversion of heat into work / electricity (heat engine)
2. Transportation of heat using work / electricity (cooling /
heat pump)

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 Engineering Thermodynamics?
• Engineering Thermodynamics is the application of thermodynamics to
solve engineering problems
Goal: convert heat into work or transport heat using work
• Using thermodynamics for practical applications requires knowledge
of
• Thermodynamic concepts and definitions
• Thermodynamic states and processes
• Classification of energy into various forms
• Thermodynamic properties of substances
• First law on energy conservation
and transformation
• Entropy and the second law
• Building thermodynamic power
cycles

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 Content Class 1
• Important definitions and concepts will be introduced as well as
some terminology
• Systems and boundaries
• Open / closed / isolated systems
• Properties
• Extensive / intensive / specific
• States and State Postulate
• Equilibrium and quasi-equilibrium
• Processes and cycles
• Isobaric / isotherm / isochoric / adiabatic
• Process diagrams
• Metric system and fundamental units
• Volume and density
• Temperature and the zeroth law of thermodynamics
• Pressure (absolute and gauge pressure)
• Systematic method for solving problems
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 Systems: Definitions
• System: part of the universe that we want to analyze

Universe

System

Universe

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 Systems: examples
• System: part of the universe that we want to analyze
• Surroundings / En vironment: part of universe that is
affected or influen ced by the system
• System boundary: separates the system from the
surroundings (not e: a systemy can be rigid or
deformable or moboundar ve)
Universe

System

Universe

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 Systems: Definitions
• System: part of the universe that we want to analyze
• Surroundings / Environment: part of universe that is affected
or influenced by the system
• System boundary: separates the system from the surroundings
(note: a system boundary can be rigid or deformable or move)

Universe

Surroundings or
Environment
System

System

Boundary
Universe

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 Systems: Three types
• Three types of systems can be distinguished
• Difference based on the transport of mass and energy
across the system boundary

Mass ?
System

Boundary System Energy ?

1. Open systems: Mass and energy can cross the boundary

2. Closed systems: Only energy can cross the boundary
3. Isolated systems: No mass or energy can cross the
boundary
• Do you know examples?
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 Systems: Three types
Mass ?
System Energy ? Transferred across Note: a boundary can be rigid
system boundary or deformable or move

Type of System Mass Energy Example

Jet engine, compressor,
Open System / turbine, power plant, fan,
Ye Ye
Control Volume (CV) nozzle, pump
s s
Closed System / Light bulb, radiator, piston-
Control Mass (CM) No Ye cylinder device, glass with
s ice cubes
Isolated System No No Ice chest / Cooler for small T

• Thermodynamic relations for closed or open systems are different:

important to know what kind of system it is
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Combustion in Open & Closed Systems

• Closed system: Combustion in

a closed system, only heat can
cross the system boundary
mass stays inside the system

• Open system: Combustion in

an open system, also mass
(fuel, oxidizer and combustion
products) can cross the system
boundary

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 Properties: Definitions

• Property: any defining characteristic of a system

• Thermodynamic properties: properties that describe mass
and energy of systems (e.g. T, P, V,  and U)

Extensive and intensive properties

• Extensive properties: depend on system size and vary if the

size of the system changes (e.g. V, U)
• Intensive properties: independent of system size, do not vary
if the size of the system changes (e.g. T, P, )

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 Intensive and Extensive Properties
• The value of an extensive property is dependent of the mass
/ size of the system
• The value of an intensive property is independent of the
mass / size of the system

• The box will be divided in two parts

• How will the properties change?

P0 = P1 = P2  Intensive prop
P1 P2
Po, T o, T0 = T1 = T2  Intensive prop
Vo, mo T1 T2 V0  V1  V2  Extensive prop
m0  m1  m2  Extensive prop
V1 V2
m m
1 2 12
 Total and Specific Properties
• Besides intensive and extensive properties, total and
specific properties can be distinguished
• Total properties
• Describe the total value of a system
• Depend on the size of the system, i.e. extensive properties
• Denoted by upper case letter

• Specific properties
• Dividing an extensive property by mass gives a specific one
• Specific properties are intensive properties as they are not dependent
on the size of the system
• Denoted by lower case letter

• Total volume: V [m3] • Specific volume: v=V/m [m3/kg]

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 Specific Properties
• Why we use specific properties?
• The size of the system is not important
• Compare every day life example: shopping

• Fresh fruit, vegetables and meat are priced in Euro per kg:
• you buy Y kg and you pay Y kg x euro/kg (price is independent of the
amount of vegetables or meat that the shopkeeper has)

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 Total and Specific Properties
• Example for volume
• Total volume: V [m3] • Specific volume: v = V/m [m3/kg]
(note: v = 1/)

• Specific volume, v = V/m = 1/ is the same for A and B

• This also holds for energy properties
• Total energy: E [J] • Specific Energy: e = E/m [J/kg]
Note: in handwriting the difference between upper and lower case is not always clear
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Intensive, Extensive and specific properties

Property Extensive Intensive

Mass m -
Temperature - T
Volume V v = V/m (specific volume)
Pressure - P
Internal Energy U u = U/m (specific internal energy)
Enthalpy H h = H/m (specific enthalpy)

• Any extensive property can be made intensive by

dividing by mass: specific property

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 Thermodynamic State

• A set of thermodynamic properties that describe the

condition of a system

• At a given state all the properties of the system have

fixed values

• The ability to define the state of a system is essential in

thermodynamics

• Using the state postulate, only a limited set of property

data is needed to determine all property data of a
thermodynamic state
T, P, v, m,
e, ….

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 State Postulate

Any two independent intensive thermodynamic

properties are sufficient to describe the state of a
system containing a single pure substance

Please see steam table !!!

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 Changing the state of a system: Processes
• Change of the state of the system is
State B
reflected in a change of the properties
of the system

• Process: Changing the state of a

system State R

• The system undergoes a cycle if it Cycle

undergoes a process to a different state
and returns to the original state via a
different process path

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 Types of Processes

• Isothermal: constant temperature

• Isobaric: constant pressure
• Isometric or isochoric: constant volume
• Adiabatic: no heat transfer

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 Processes: property diagrams
• Thermodynamic processes displayed in property diagrams

P = constant
• Pv-diagram P
(isobaric)

v =constant
(isometric)

v
• Tv-diagram T = constant
T
(isothermal)

v =constant
(isometric)

v
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Example: Isobaric, Isentropic & Isometric Processes

• Isobaric process (2-3) and isochoric (isometric) (1-4) process

• Processes (1-2) and (3-4) are isentropic (class 5)
• The four processes together make a complete cycle

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 Thermodynamic Equilibrium
• Equilibrium of a system implies a state of balance of the
system, where there are no driving forces within the system
• Types of equilibrium
• Thermal equilibrium 25oC
37oC
30oC
30oC
• Mechanical equilibrium 40oC 30oC
31oC 30oC
• Phase equilibrium 27 C
o
30oC
20oC 29oC 30oC 30oC
• Chemical equilibrium
Closed system reaching thermal equilibrium
• A system is only in
equilibrium when all relevant equilibrium criteria are satisfied
• If the properties of a system (like pressure
and temperature) are not changing with time
the system is in thermodynamic equilibrium
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 Quasi-Equilibrium
• A system's equilibrium changes during a process
• During the process the system passes a series of states
• Describe the system at any point in time ⟶ always consider a system to
be in quasi-equilibrium
• Quasi-equilibrium
• Idealized process, not a true representation of an actual process
• Modeling tool

Slow compression:
every step quasi-
equilibrium is reached

• All steps can be considered infinitesimal small and the process occurs
between the upper and lower limit
• Mathematics: differentials and integrals

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 Unit Systems / Dimensions
• Fundamental units or dimensions: defined by reproducible
physical measurements
• SI: metric international system
• Base units: time (s), length (m), temperature (K), mass (kg)

• Derived units or dimensions: derived from base units

• Force (N) is a derived unit from mass via:
Newton’s Law: F = m.a [N] =
[kg.m/s2]

Always give dimensions with

values
• Other unit system: U.S. Conventional System or English System (USCS)
• Base Units: time (s), length (ft), force (lbf)
• Mass (lbm) is a derived unit from force
• Although it is handy to know how to convert units it not part of this course

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 Property Units: Time (t)
• Time (t) in seconds (s)

Since 1967 the

second is defined
as the time required
V for cesium-133
v atoms to resonate
m 9.192.631.770
cycles in a cesium
resonator

1 m
  Time is one of the fifty
v subjects in the beta canon
(http://www.foksuk.nl/betac
anon en
http://extra.volkskrant.nl/be
V tacanon/)
1 seconde is 9.192.631.770 trillingen in cesium-133
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 Property Units: Length (L)
• Length (L) in meters (m)
• 1875 International Prototype Meter, the distance between two marks
on a platinum-iridium bar under certain prescribed circumstances (the
bar is in the International Bureau of Weights and Measures in Serves
in France)
• In 1960 a meter is a length equal to 1 650 763.73 wave-lengths in a
vacuum of the orange-red line of krypton-86
• In 1983 the meter is the length of the path traveled by light in a
vacuum during a time interval of 1/299 792 458 (1/c) of a second

1/299 792 458 s

1m

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 Property Units: Mass (M)
• Mass (M) in kilograms (kg)
• Defined in 1889/1901 as the mass of a platinum-iridium cylinder
maintained under prescribed conditions. The International Prototype
Kilogram is kept at the Bureau International des Poids et Mesures
(International Bureau of Weights and Measures) in Sèvres on the
outskirts of Paris.

A computer-generated image of
the International Prototype
kilogram (IPK), which is made
from an alloy of 90% platinum
and 10% iridium (by weight) and
machined into a right-circular
cylinder (height = diameter) of
39.17 mm (the inch ruler is for
scale), its edges have a four-
angle chamfer to minimize wear.

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 Property Units: Temperature (T)
• Temperature (T) in Kelvin (K)
• Absolute zero temperature
• Lowest possible temperature (like m = 0 is smallest possible mass)
• Units: Kelvin (K) (T = 0 K lowest possible temperature)
• Absolute temperature can never be negative

• Relative temperature
• Temperature measured relative to non-absolute zero temperature
• Non-absolute zero temperature is the freezing
point of water at atmospheric pressure (273.15 K)
• Units: Degrees Celsius (0C)

• T(K) = T(0C) + 273.15

• The Kelvin is defined as the 1/273.16 part of the

thermodynamic temperature of the triple point
(freezing point) of water Lord Kelvin (William Thomson)
(1824-1907)

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Temperature Scales

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 Zeroth law of thermodynamics
• The zeroth law of thermodynamics states:
if two bodies are in thermal equilibrium with a third body
(e.g. a thermometer), they are also in thermal equilibrium
with each other
• The zeroth law was formulated by Fowler in 1931

• Its value as a fundamental

physical principle was
recognized after
formulation of the first and
the second law

Two bodies reaching thermal

equilibrium after being brought into
contact in an isolated enclosure
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 Property Units: Volume (V) –Density ()
• Volume, specific volume and density
• Volume, V [m3]
• Related to meter

• Specific volume, v [m3/kg]

V
vm
• Density, ρ [kg/m3]
1 m
 
v
Density and specific volume depend on temperature
V 32
 Property Units: Pressure (P)
• Pressure (P): P = Force divided by area (F /
area)
• Units: Pa = N/m2 (1 bar = 105 Pa)
• Two types of pressure
• Pgauge: measured relative to atmospheric pressure (Patm)
• Pabsolute: measured relative to zero pressure (vacuum)Patm
⟶Pabsolute = Patm + Pgauge
• Measuring pressure with manometer
H
Pline  Patm  gH

Pline
• Patm = 1 bar = 105 Pa

33
 Problem Solving (in Thermodynamics)
• Problem Statement
• Analysis
• Given
• Diagram of system and process
• Assumptions
• Governing relations

• Solution
• Derive the answer in symbols → e.g.:
• Fill in the data for a quantitative solution (unit!)

• Discussion of Results
• Does the answer make sense?
• What are implications? → this follows from the symbolic
solution
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 Recapitulate
• What is thermodynamics? ⟶ science on using heat and power,
• Systems and boundaries conversion of different forms of energy
• Open / closed / isolated systems
• Properties
• Extensive / intensive / specific
• States and State Postulate
• Equilibrium and quasi-equilibrium
• Processes and cycles
• Isobaric / isotherm / isochoric / adiabatic
• Process diagrams
• Metric system and fundamental units
• Volume and density
• Temperature and the zeroth law of
thermodynamics
• Pressure (absolute and gauge
pressure)
• Systematic method for solving
35
 Keep in mind: Important Formulas
• Total volume: V [m3]
• Specific volume: v=V/m [m3/kg]
• Density:  =1/v=m/V [kg/m3]

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