THERMO Spoken Here! ~ Overview

This material was organized and written to assist the many students who have difficulty understanding beginning-level Engineering Thermodynamics. Much of the difficulty lies in the transition-of-ideas from physics and calculus to the engineering, system perspective. There are five chapters.

1. Matter Exists in Space and Time:   These are beginning ideas, a re-acquaintance with elementary algebra, trig and physics. The very simplest system, Newton's system, the BODY, is considered. Newton's "f = ma" needs to be studied anew. To know what he meant requires one understand the math he used; vectors, a little calculus and the first-order differential equation. Newton's writings contained much more than conclusions. He established a powerful method for analysis of many aspects of physical reality. Newton's Analytic Method, we might call it, comprises the very basis of understanding of mechanics and thermodynamics.

2. Ideal Fluids  The ancient Greeks classified matter as solid or fluid with fluids being liquid or gas. Since fluids flow and deform, they can be "contained" but not "pulled." To push a fluid requires a modification of force ~ pressure. When Newton's "f = ma" is applied to a fluid element the hydrostatic equation is obtained. "Ideal Fluid" is a model of fluid which assumes fluids have no friction.

3. Energy and Work: BODY  Newton's Second Law of Motion (a vector-differential-equation) describes and predicts events of real physical matter that can be suitably modeled as a BODY. No sooner had Newton written his "Laws" (1687) than others launched efforts to modify and extend them. When the Second Law is scalar-vector multiplied by a differential displacement, the mathematically resulting term is differential kinetic energy being equal to differential work.

4. Thermodynamic Properties  When matter under investigations exhibits phase change (as with heat) the nature of their molecules becomes important. A new model is used, matter as a "SUBSTANCE." Phase change of water at one atmosphere is the common case of introduction to phase-change behaviors.

5. Thermodynamic Analysis  Analysis of existence or event of a substance (thermodynamic system) focuses on three properties, mass, momentum and energy. In the past, Conservation Principles were used. That "place" where conservation happened was the entire universe. Today a system approach is coming to the fore. System configurations of mechanisms and machines as being open, closed, steady, etc are more readily understood than are the "conserved" methods. The system method, might logically be called a method of "Property Equations." Try this approach; it puts things consistently!