Thermodynamics For Dummies

by Mike Pauken

Overview

Take some heat off the complexity of thermodynamics

Does the mere thought of thermodynamics make you sweat? It doesn't have to! This hands-on guide helps you score your highest in a thermodynamics course by offering easily understood, plain-English explanations of how energy is used in things like automobiles, airplanes, air conditioners, and electric power plants.

• Thermodynamics 101 — take a look at some examples of both natural and man-made thermodynamic systems and get a handle on how energy can be used to perform work

• Turn up the heat — discover how to use the first and second laws of thermodynamics to determine (and improve upon) the efficiency of machines

• Oh, behave — get the 411 on how gases behave and relate to one another in different situations, from ideal-gas laws to real gases

• Burn with desire — find out everything you need to know about conserving mass and energy in combustion processes

Open the book and find:

• The laws of thermodynamics

• Important properties and their relationships

• The lowdown on solids, liquids, and gases

• How work and heat go handin hand

• The cycles that power thermodynamic processes

• Chemical mixtures and reactions

• Ten pioneers in thermodynamics

• Real-world applications of thermodynamic laws and concepts

Learn to:

• Master the concepts and principles of thermodynamics

• Develop the problem-solving skills used by professional engineers

• Ace your thermodynamics course

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781118002919
Publisher:	Wiley
Publication date:	08/09/2011
Series:	For Dummies Books
Pages:	384
Product dimensions:	7.30(w) x 9.10(h) x 0.90(d)

About the Author

Michael Pauken, PhD, is a senior mechanical engineer at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, an operating division of the California Institute of Technology, where he also teaches courses on thermodynamics and heat transfer.

Table of Contents

Introduction 1

Part I: Covering the Basics in Thermodynamics 7

Chapter 1: Thermodynamics in Everyday Life 9

Chapter 2: Laying the Foundation of Thermodynamics 15

Chapter 3: Working with Phases and Properties of Substances 39

Chapter 4: Work and Heat Go Together Like Macaroni and Cheese 57

Part II: Employing the Laws of Thermodynamics 75

Chapter 5: Using the First Law in Closed Systems 77

Chapter 6: Using the First Law in Open Systems 91

Chapter 7: Governing Heat Engines and Refrigerators with the Second Law 111

Chapter 8: Entropy Is the Demise of the Universe 123

Chapter 9: Analyzing Systems Using the Second Law of Thermodynamics 145

Part III: Planes, Trains, and Automobiles: Making Heat Work for You 165

Chapter 10: Working with Carnot and Brayton Cycles 167

Chapter 11: Working with Otto and Diesel Cycles 197

Chapter 12: Working with Rankine Cycles 221

Chapter 13: Cooling Off with Refrigeration Cycles 243

Part IV: Handling Thermodynamic Relationships, Reactions, and Mixtures 265

Chapter 14: Understanding the Behavior of Real Gases 267

Chapter 15: Mixing Gases That Don’t React with Each Other 277

Chapter 16: Burning Up with Combustion 303

Part V: The Part of Tens 325

Chapter 17: Ten Famous Names in Thermodynamics 327

Chapter 18: Ten More Cycles of Note 331

Appendix: Thermodynamic Property Tables 341

Index 351