Thermodynamics module (ME21002)

You will learn about the key principles related to energy, work, power generation, and refrigeration.

You will also learn more about various forms of energy, energy conversion, and mechanisms of energy transfer. These are all commonly encountered in engineering systems.

You will develop a grounding in concepts such as:

• mass
• energy
• work in the energy analysis framework

This will allow you to establish the most efficient engineering design strategy.

This will give you a deeper understanding of underlying physical mechanisms.

You will be exposed to some exciting real-world applications of thermodynamics. These include steam and gas turbines, internal combustion engines, and refrigeration systems.

You will also learn some advanced energy analysis methods to establish a system's efficiency.

What you will learn

In this module, you will:

• study concepts such as reversibility and thermodynamic state
• learn about thermodynamic processes and cycles
• understand the conservation of energy and the 1st Law of Thermodynamics
• explore the ideal gas, standard processes, and their application in energy analysis
• study steam cycles
• examine the 2nd Law of Thermodynamics – cycle efficiency, forward and reversed heat engines
• understand Carnot efficiency, entropy, and reversibility
• learn about heat engines and the air standard approximation
• study steady-state energy transfer
• explore heat pumps and refrigeration systems

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

• apply aspects of energy analysis to problems involving heat, work, and phase changes
• classify and analyse thermodynamic processes
• apply the 1st and 2nd laws of thermodynamics to the energy analysis of a system
• calculate work done, heat supplied and rejected, and efficiency of various thermodynamic processes
• use charts and property tables to estimate processes or system performance
• link system design to the limitations of an application
• conduct system efficiency analysis

Assignments / assessment

• coursework (20%)
  • two coursework assignments based on the lectures and tutorials
• laboratory assignments (20%)
  • two practical sessions based on the lectures and tutorials
• written exam (60%)

Teaching methods / timetable

• lectures
• tutorials
• practical sessions