Engineering Thermodynamics - A Graphical Approach
by Israel Urieli ( latest update: March 2021 )

This web resource is intended to be a totally self-contained learning resource in Engineering Thermodynamics, independent of any textbook. It is designed to be suitable for a two course sequence for Mechanical Engineering majors. It may, however, be used in any format and for any purpose, including self-study. The various unique pedagogical features of this web resource are discussed in Paper AC 2010-47 , presented at the 2010 ASEE Annual Conference (refer also to the OU Video). It is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-Share Alike 3.0 United States license and as such is freely available. Comments and constructive criticism are welcomed by the author.

There is normally a printed Thermodynamics Properties Tables booklet which accompanies the web resource. If this is unavailable then this booklet can be downloaded and printed.

In Part 1 we introduce the First and Second Laws of Thermodynamics. Rather than applying these laws in terms of components and processes we have chosen a more interesting approach of applying them to complete cycles or systems. The ideal Stirling cycle machine is developed as a prime example of both Laws (refer to a paper: A Meeting between Robert Stirling and Sadi Carnot in 1824 presented at the 2014 ISEC), and complete ideal heat engines, steam power plants and refrigeration systems are evaluated in Chapters 3 and 4. Where appropriate, we introduce graphical two-dimensional plots to evaluate the performance of these systems rather than relying on equations and tables. This enables intuitive visualization of the solutions to a high degree of accuracy. The section on Carbon Dioxide as a refrigerant does not appear in any textbook that I am aware of. Because of the Global Warming crisis, the currently used refrigerant, R134a, will be banned from usage in automobile air conditioning systems in Europe within a few years. Among the alternatives being developed we prefer to return to Carbon Dioxide as the refrigerant of choice.

Part 1 - Introduction to the First and Second Laws of Thermodynamics

In Part 2 we introduce the concept of Exergy to determine theoretical limits of performance of various thermodynamic components and systems, followed by advanced application of steam power plants and Carbon Dioxide refrigeration. Finally we introduce mixtures of water vapor and air and their application in air-conditioning and cooling tower systems, and conclude with an introduction to combustion processes.

Part 2 - Applied Engineering Thermodynamics

Photograph courtesy of Randy Sheidler, Gavin Power Plant

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Except for the Ohio University header and footer, including their graphics, Engineering Thermodynamics by Israel Urieli is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-Share Alike 3.0 United States License