Chapter 1: INTRODUCTION

AND BASIC CONCEPTS

Dr Aklilu Tesfamichael
Objectives
• Identify the unique thermodynamics vocabulary.
• Review the metric SI and the English unit systems.
• Explain the basic concepts of thermodynamics such
as system, state, state postulate, equilibrium,
process, and cycle.
• Review temperature, temperature scales, pressure,
and absolute and gage pressure.
• Introduce an intuitive systematic problem-solving
technique and the format of homework solution.
LESSON OUTCOMES

At the end of the lesson, you should be able to:

Identify application of thermodynamics

Define & differentiate between closed system and
control volume
Identify properties of substances
Understand state, process and path related to system
Define State postulate
Define Thermodynamic equilibrium and cycle
Define steady state
Application Areas of Thermodynamics
 1-1 THERMODYNAMICS AND ENERGY

• Thermodynamics: The science of

energy.
• Energy: The ability to cause changes.
• thermodynamics comes from Greek
Words therme (heat) and dynamis
(power).
• Conservation of energy principle:
During an interaction, energy can
change from one form to another
(transform) but the total amount of
energy remains constant.
• Energy cannot be created or
destroyed.
• The first law of thermodynamics: An
expression of the conservation of
energy principle.
 The first law asserts that energy is a
thermodynamic property. Energy cannot be created or destroyed; it can
only change forms (the first law).
The second law of thermodynamics:
It asserts that energy has quantity as
well as quality.
Actual processes occur in the direction
of decreasing quality of energy.

Heat flows in the direction of

decreasing temperature.
Classical thermodynamics: A macroscopic approach to the
study of thermodynamics that does not require a
knowledge of the behavior of individual particles
(continuum). - EASY
Statistical thermodynamics: A microscopic approach,
based on the average behavior of large groups of
individual particles. – NOT EASY!
1-2 IMPORTANCE OF DIMENSIONS AND UNITS
• Any physical quantity can be characterized by
dimensions.
• Primary or fundamental dimensions
Basic dimensions, such as mass m, length L, time t,
temperature T
secondary or derived dimensions such as velocity V,
energy E, volume V are expressed in terms of the
primary dimensions.
• The magnitudes assigned to the dimensions are
called units.
Units
Dimensional homogeneity
All equations must be dimensionally homogeneous.
Every term in an equation must have the same unit.

Unity Conversion Ratios

Unity conversion ratios are identically equal to 1 and are unitless,

and thus such ratios (or their inverses) can be inserted conveniently
into any calculation to properly convert units.
1-3 SYSTEMS AND CONTROL VOLUMES
System: A quantity of matter or a
region in space chosen for study.
Surroundings: The region outside
the system
 Boundary (------): The real or
imaginary surface that separates
the system from its surroundings.
 fixed or
 movable.
Systems may be considered to be
 Closed
 Open or
piston-cylinder device
 Isolated
Closed System (control mass):
• Fixed amount of mass
• No mass can cross its boundary
• No mass + No energy = isolated system
Open System (control volume):
Encloses a device that involves mass flow
• such as compressor, turbine, or nozzle.
 Both mass and energy can cross the boundary of a control
volume.
 Control surface (-----): The boundaries of a control volume. It can
be real or imaginary.
1-4 PROPERTIES OF A SYSTEM
 1-6 STATE AND EQUILIBRIUM

State: A set of properties that describe the condition of

a system at certain time
At a given state, all the
properties of a system have
fixed values.
If the value of one property
changes, the state will change
to a different one.
If the state changes, the
system is said to have
undergone a process
1-6 STATE AND EQUILIBRIUM
Thermodynamics deals with equilibrium states.
 Equilibrium: A state of balance with no unbalanced potentials (or driving
forces) within the system.
 Thermal equilibrium: temperature is the same throughout the entire
system.
 Mechanical equilibrium: no change in pressure at any point of the
system with time.
 Phase equilibrium: If a system involves multiple phases and when the
mass of each phase reaches an equilibrium level and stays there.
 Chemical equilibrium: chemical composition of a system does not change
with time, that is, no chemical reactions occur

A closed system reaching

thermal equilibrium.
The State Postulate
• The state of a simple compressible system is completely
specified by two independent, intensive properties.
 Simple compressible system: If a system involves no electrical,
magnetic, gravitational, motion, and surface tension effects.
1-7 PROCESSES AND CYCLE
• Process: Any change that a system undergoes from one
equilibrium state to another.
• Path: The series of states through which a system passes
during a process.
 A process : initial state, final states, as well as the path it
follows, and the interactions with the surroundings.

Quasistatic or quasi-equilibrium process: A process proceeds in

such a manner that the system remains infinitesimally close to an
equilibrium state at all times.
• A thermodynamic cycle: Sequence of processes
that begins and ends at the same state
The Steady-Flow Process
• steady implies no change with time.
• Steady-flow process: A process
during which a fluid flows through a
control volume steadily.
• A large number of engineering
devices operate for long periods of
time under the same conditions, and
they are classified as steady-flow
devices.
 turbines,
 pumps,
 boilers,
 condensers, and
 heat exchangers
 power plants
 refrigeration systems
1-8 TEMPERATURE AND THE ZEROTH LAW OF
THERMODYNAMICS
• The zeroth law of thermodynamics: If two bodies are in
thermal equilibrium with a third body, they are also in
thermal equilibrium with each other.
• By replacing the third body with a thermometer, the zeroth
law can be restated as two bodies are in thermal
equilibrium if both have the same temperature, even if they
are not in contact.
Temperature Scales
• All temperature scales are based on some easily reproducible states
such as the freezing and boiling points of water: the ice point and the
steam point.
• Ice point: A mixture of ice and water that is in equilibrium with air
saturated with vapor at 1 atm pressure (0°C or 32°F).
• Steam point: A mixture of liquid water and water vapor (with no air) in
equilibrium at 1 atm pressure (100°C or 212°F).
• Celsius scale: in SI unit system
• Fahrenheit scale: in English unit system
• Thermodynamic temperature scale:
A temperature scale that is independent of
the properties of any substance.
 Kelvin scale (SI)
 Rankine scale (E)
A constant-volume gas thermometer would
read -273.15°C, or 0 K, at absolute zero
pressure
1-9 PRESSURE
• Pressure: A normal force exerted by a fluid per unit area

Some basic pressure gages

• Absolute pressure: The actual pressure (relative to
absolute vacuum)
• Gage pressure: The difference between the
absolute pressure and the local atmospheric
pressure.
Most pressure-measuring devices are calibrated to read
zero in the atmosphere, and so they indicate gage
pressure.
• Vacuum pressures: Pressures below atmospheric
pressure.
THE BAROMETER AND ATMOSPHERIC PRESSURE
• Atmospheric pressure is measured by a device called a barometer; thus,
the atmospheric pressure is often referred to as the barometric
pressure.
• standard atmosphere: Pressure produced by a column of mercury 760
mm (= h) in height at 0°C ( rHg = 13,595 kg/m3) under standard
gravitational acceleration (g = 9.807 m/s2).

Barometer
PROBLEM-SOLVING TECHNIQUE

• Step 1: Problem Statement

• Step 2: Schematic
• Step 3: Assumptions and Approximations
• Step 4: Physical Laws
• Step 5: Properties
• Step 6: Calculations
• Step 7: Reasoning, Verification, and Discussion
Summary
• Define thermodynamics
• Define system (closed and open system)
• Define property
• Define state
• Define process and path
• What does a state postulate say?
• What is thermodynamics cycle?
• When is a system is in thermodynamic equilibrium?
• Define steady state.