Carnot Cycles
The Carnot cycle is the most efficient cyclical process possible and uses only reversible processes through its cycle. We know from the second law of thermodynamics that a heat engine…
Heat Engines
In thermodynamics, a heat engine is a system that performs the conversion of heat or thermal energy to mechanical work. In thermodynamics, a heat engine is a system that performs…
The Second Law of Thermodynamics
The second law of thermodynamics states that heat transfer occurs spontaneously only from higher to lower temperature bodies. Irreversibility The second law of thermodynamics deals with the direction taken by…
limitations of the first law of Thermodynamics.
Limitations of the first law of thermodynamics are discussed below: 1. No restriction on the direction of the flow of heat: the first law establishes definite relationship between the heat…
Non flow and flow processes
Non Flow Processes 1. These are compression and expansion processes on gases in a cylinder with complete leak proofing. In these there is only energy transfer with zero mass transfer. 2. These…
What is Enthalpy?
When a process takes place at constant pressure, the heat absorbed or released is equal to the Enthalpy change. Enthalpy is sometimes known as “heat content”, but “enthalpy” is an…
Energy balance
• The net change (increase or decrease) in the total energy of a system during a process is equal to the difference between the total energy entering and total energy…
Joule’s experiment
• Joule’s experiment (1840-1849) to investigate the equivalence of heat and work. • Prior to Joule, heat was considered to be a invisible fluid known as caloric and flows from…
The First Law of Thermodynamics
If we are interested in how heat transfer is converted into doing work, then the conservation of energy principle is important. The first law of thermodynamics applies the conservation of…
Compressibility factor
The compressibility factor (Z), also known as the compression factor or the gas deviation factor, is a correction factor which describes the deviation of a real gas from ideal gas behaviour. It is simply defined…
