ME3324

Essay 1
1.1 Introduction

ME3324 combines the subjects of thermodynamics and heat transfer. This combination is
very natural because the laws of thermodynamics are used widely in heat transfer
analysis. It is also natural to introduce these laws first and apply them later. For this
reason, thermodynamics will be the first focus of ME3324.

The heart of thermodynamics consists of two laws: the First Law of Thermodynamics
and the Second Law of Thermodynamics. The most useful of these is the First Law. The
essence of the First Law is that energy cannot be created or destroyed. However, energy
can be transformed from one form to another as long as the quantity of energy is
preserved. There are many energy forms to be considered. These include: (a) thermal
energy (internal energy), (b) kinetic energy, (c) potential energy, (d) chemical energy, (e)
heat, (f) work, and many others. The aforementioned energies are those that are most
often encountered in engineering thermodynamics.

There are two forms of the First Law of Thermodynamics that will be featured in this
course. One of these applies to systems that are characterized by a fixed mass. The other
form involves a flowing fluid which passes through a given volume in space called a
control volume.

1.2 The First Law of Thermodynamics

The fixed-mass form of the First Law of Thermodynamics will now be set forth with the
aid of Fig. 1.2. The figure shows a fixed mass represented by the pink-shaded region
undergoing a change of state between a time t1 and a later time t2. Although the mass
remains constant, the volume may change. The mass is depicted as moving with a
changing velocity and a change in elevation. Let the mass have properties at state 1
1.1

1
V1

V2

z
Fig. 1.2 A fixed mass experiencing a change of state during a time interval (t2 t1)

including pressure p1, temperature T1, mass m1, and volume V1. During the time interval
(t2 t1), heat Q may flow into or out of the system. Also, if the system deforms as
suggested in the figure, work W will have to be done to change its shape. These events
give rise to a new set of properties at state 2: p2, T2, m2, and V2. The mass m2 is equal to
m1.

The change of temperature will affect the velocity of the molecules, atoms, and electrons
that constitute the mass m. It is well known from physics that increasing temperature
causes an increase of the velocity of these elementary particles. Correspondingly, the
temperature change will also give rise to a change of kinetic energy of these particles.
The internal energy of an object is the sum of the kinetic energies of the elementary
particles that constitute the mass of the object. Therefore, the internal energy of the object
will also increase with temperature.

Let the internal energy of the mass m be denoted by U. The internal energies at states 1
and 2 will be denoted as U1 and U2, respectively. The other energies possessed by the
mass are the kinetic energy mV2 and the potential energy mgz.

At state 1, the energy E possessed by the mass m is

1 = 1 + 1 2 + 1

(1.1)

1.2

and similarly for state 2,

2 = 2 + 2 2 + 2

(1.2)

The change of energy content (E2 E1) may be caused by a number of different processes
that occur between times t1 and t2. In this exposition, two of the many possible processes
will be taken into account: heat transfer and work transfer. Heat transfer occurs when the
mass is situated in an environment whose temperature is different from that of the mass
m. With regard to work transfer, the change of volume of the mass indicates that work
has been done to effectuate the volume change. If these processes are taken into account,
it follows that
2 1 = 12 12

(1.3)

This equation is the form of the First Law of Thermodynamics for a fixed mass system.
All of the terms that appear there have units of energy, either joules or Btus. There is a
sign convention with regard to the direction of heat flow, either flowing from the
environment to the mass or vice versa. The heat flow is said to be positive if the direction
of flow is from the environment to the mass. There is also a sign convention with respect
to work. If the system is performing work on the environment, that work is regarded as
positive. On the other hand, if the environment is performing work on the system, the
work is said to be negative. In the case of Fig. 1.2, where the volume is decreased
between states 1 and 2, it is clear that the environment is squeezing the system, so that
negative work is being performed.
The heat transfer Q is subscripted by the symbol 1 2. That symbol is intended to
convey the idea that heat transfer is occurring between states 1 and 2. Heat is not a
property of either state 1 or state 2. Similarly, work occurs between states 1 and 2, so that
work is not a property of the states.

1.3