Thermodynamics module (ME12001)

The Thermodynamics module provides students with knowledge of energy transfer involving heat, mechanical work, and some aspects of energy analysis.

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Credits

10

Module code

ME12001

Thermodynamics is the study of energy transformations involving heat, mechanical work and other aspects of energy.  It forms an indispensable part of the foundation of engineering, physics, chemistry and the life sciences. This module will introduce students to the concepts of thermodynamics necessary to underpin their future studies in engineering.

Core contents includes:

  1. physical quantities, units and temperature scales
  2. heat transfer, thermal equilibrium, thermal expansion
  3. molecular models of solids, liquids and gases
  4. volume, temperature and pressure changes, the Ideal Gas Laws, heat capacities
  5. heat transfer and work done, paths between thermodynamic states
  6. molar heat capacities, internal energy and the First Law of Thermodynamics
  7. adiabatic, isochoric, isobaric and isothermal processes
  8. reversible and irreversible processes, refrigerators, heat engines and internal combustion engines
  9. the Second Law of Thermodynamics, the Carnot cycle and concept of entropy

In this module, you will gain knowledge of the key principles related to energy, work, power generation, and refrigeration. This module aims to advance understanding of various forms of energy, energy conversion, and mechanisms of energy transfer commonly encountered in engineering systems.

You will be provided with a grounding in concepts such as temperature and pressure in the energy analysis framework, enabling you to establish the most efficient engineering design strategy.

This module is ideal if you want to gain a deeper understanding of, and develop an intuition for, underlying physical mechanisms. You will be exposed to some exciting real-world applications of thermodynamics, such as internal combustion engines, heat pumps, and air conditioning systems. You will also learn basics of energy analysis to establish a systems efficiency.

What you will learn

In this module, you will:

  • be introduced to basic concepts such as: physical quantities, dimensions, and units, temperature and temperature scales
  • explore properties of pure substances: molecular models of solids, liquids, and gases
  • gain an understanding of energy transfer by heat, thermal equilibrium, and thermal expansion
  • study volume, temperature and pressure changes, the ideal gas laws, and heat capacities
  • explore heat transfer and work done, paths between thermodynamic states
  • learn about molar heat capacities, internal energy, and the 1st Law of Thermodynamics
  • gain an understanding of thermodynamic processes, reversible and irreversible: adiabatic, isochoric, isobaric, and isothermal
  • study refrigerators, heat engines, and internal combustion engines, the Carnot cycle
  • explore the 2nd Law of Thermodynamics and the concept of entropy

By the end of this module, you will be able to:

  • apply aspects of energy analysis to problems involving heat flow, temperature, and phase changes
  • utilise the ideal gas laws, heat capacities, and other state variables in the analysis of energy transfer
  • classify and analyse thermodynamic processes
  • apply the 1st and 2nd laws of thermodynamics to the energy analysis of a system, e.g., efficiency and idealised Carnot cycle calculations
  • link system design to the limitations of an application
  • analyse engineering system efficiency

Assignments / assessment:

  • Weekly tests (50%)
    • 10 tests based on the lectures and tutorials
  • Mid-term test (25%)
  • End-of-term test (25%)

Teaching methods / timetable:

  • lectures
  • tutorial sessions

As a 10- credit module there are 40 hours nominally allocated to the content delivery, and 60 hours of independent study. This includes 20 hours of lectures and 10 hours of tutorials.

Courses

This module is available on following courses: