Thermodynamics, graduate class, T. Korakianitis

T. KORAKIANITIS Graduate Thermodynamics class (ME 512)	"Korakianitis" is pronounced phonetically
email: tk@mecf.wustl.edu	link: [ 183 kB audio wav]

ME 512 General Thermodynamics

Thermodynamics is based on two axioms, known as the first and second laws of thermodynamics. These two axioms are intuitively obvious statements, but we can not prove them from first principles. We will introduce them as "please accept" statements, and base the remainder of thermodynamics science on them.

If you have taken thermodynamics elsewhere, you have probably faced something like the following. Temperature is... well, you know what it is. If you have any doubts about temperature, then we will conduct experiments with buckets of hot and cold water, ending with a lukewarm feeling. You also know what are energy (e) and heat (q), or they are... intuitively obvious. Please accept that the first law of thermodynamics for a closed system is de = dq - delta w, where w is work. (Except, if you do not know what energy e and heat q are, along with the equation, these are three "please accept" statements wrapped into one). Of course you also know what entropy is, and please accept that the second law of thermodynamics states that the entropy of a closed system undergoing adiabatic processes (which you also know what they are) can not decrease. If you feel particularly uncertain about entropy we will "clarify" its meaning with statistical thermodynamics, and in the process we may even introduce a "demon". In what other engineering (or scientific) subject has one accepted such imprecise definitions? If you can not find another example, then why should you accept this inexactitude (to put it mildly) in thermodynamics?

If you find the above confusing, then take ME 512 to learn that thermodynamics is a very precise science, more general than all the other sciences. We will start from logical statements and carefully define each concept based on theoretical, fundamental and practical understanding of its meaning and use. The statement of the first and second laws will be discussed until everyone accepts that each of these statements (the laws as presented, using previously-defined and unambiguous concepts) are intuitively obvious, and only then we will point out that there is no proof, ie they are axioms. In the process we will learn why the statements of the first paragraph above (found in most thermodynamics texts today) are absurd. We will cover the correct definitions and usage of all the above and several other concepts, including how to use these concepts in practical applications.

January-May 2000
Lectures: Tuesdays and Thursdays 4:00 to 5:30
Help: ask questions in class
Office: Jolley Hall room 318
Open-door office hours: Tuesdays 3:00 to 4:00, others by appointment

Teaching Assistant: TBA
Office: TBA
Open-door office hours: TBA

Outline (by topic):

Energy, conservation of energy, equilibria

States, reversible and irreversible processes

Adiabatic availability, reservoir, available energy

Entropy, state principle, temperature

Heat interaction and heat engine

Graphical representations, simple system

Definition of some properties, enthalpy, specific heats

Energy and entropy balances

Bulk Flow

One-component two-phase systems

Constitutive relations and equations of state

Availability expressions for various systems and states

General topics on availability use (power cycles, refrigeration etc)

Solutions, non-reactive gas mixtures, psychrometry

Chemical reactions and combustion

Make up classes (if needed) on Friday April 14th, 4-6 pm

QUIZ DATES
QUIZ 1, on Thursday February 24th
QUIZ 2, on Thursday March 30th
QUIZ 3, on Tuesday April 25th

GRADING will be based on:
25% 6 to 10 problem sets
75% 3 80-minute quizzes (25\% each)

Class conduct: Those of you who attend the lectures will find yourselves at a distinct advantage in solving the homework and quiz problems. It is therefore strongly recommended that you do not miss class. Homeworks represent individual effort. Questions about the class material and the homeworks will be handled in class, so that everyone will have the same amount of information and help. You are not allowed to solve homework problems together. The teaching assistant will discuss the homework problems with you, but will not help you solve them. Please do not work on the same table with your friends. The quizzes are open book, notes, etc (see below). Collaboration of any sort on problem
sets and quizzes is not allowed.

Problem sets: Problem sets will be due at the beginning of lectures (usually on Thursdays at 4:00). Solutions will be posted at the end of the lecture. Each problem set will be graded and returned at the beginning of the next lecture. Problem sets turned in late will not be graded. Please turn in whatever you have completed by the
due time. If you wish to turn in your homework early, please make arrangements directly with the teaching assistant in advance. The problem sets will not be repetitive. It is important that you try to solve each problem before you study (not read) the solution. We recommend that you study each problem in depth. Come to the lectures with
questions on the problem sets or the lecture material.

Quizzes: There will be three quizzes held during class times. They will last 80 minutes each. The quizzes will test your understanding of fundamentals. They will be different than the homework problems, and will test your ability to apply the class material in new situations. You may use any book and any notes you wish during the quizzes. We recommend that in addition to the books and notes you develop a one or two page of summary notes
for the quizzes.

Texts: Use mainly your class notes. One suitable textbook is ``Thermodynamics: Foundations and Applications'' by
E. P. Gyftopoulos and G. P. Beretta, Macmillan 1991. This text is presently out of print, but the Bookstore has photocopies for sale by permission from the publisher, and it is the best thermodynamics text you could buy for under $30. There will be some differences in notation, but they will not affect presentation of the material or the philosophy of the course. Most homework problems will be from this text. You will need to take very careful notes in class. The theory is also covered in a very similar (but not exactly the same) way in ``Principles of General Thermodynamics'' by Hatsopoulos and Keenan, John Wiley & Sons, 1965. This text has been out of print for years, has no examples, and the problems do not reflect the emphasis of ME 512. Some good problems are in ``Engineering thermodynamics: fundamentals and applications'' by Francis Huang, Macmillan Publishing Company, 1988. The 1988 edition is very different from an earlier (1976) edition. The examples in both editions of that book are not detailed enough to help you solve the problems, and the theory has a
different emphasis from the one we will use in ME 512. For property tables you can use Gyftopoulos' textbook or ``Thermodynamics'' by Wark, McGraw Hill, 1988 (5th ed). If you use anything other than the class notes and Gyftopoulos'
textbook for theoretical coverage please realize that you will be acting against my advice and you will be using these books at your own risk.