Thermodynamics refers to the science of heat, work, temperature, and energy. It is centered on the idea that heat is a form of energy that can be converted to mechanical work. The four laws of thermodynamics describe how heat is transferred and converted. Heat engines operate based on the first two laws, using heat to produce work. The theoretical Carnot cycle calculates the maximum efficiency of heat engines, and is also used to evaluate heat exchangers and ocean thermal energy conversion systems. Thermodynamics concepts continue to be applied to modern technologies.
Thermodynamics refers to the science of heat, work, temperature, and energy. It is centered on the idea that heat is a form of energy that can be converted to mechanical work. The four laws of thermodynamics describe how heat is transferred and converted. Heat engines operate based on the first two laws, using heat to produce work. The theoretical Carnot cycle calculates the maximum efficiency of heat engines, and is also used to evaluate heat exchangers and ocean thermal energy conversion systems. Thermodynamics concepts continue to be applied to modern technologies.
Thermodynamics refers to the science of heat, work, temperature, and energy. It is centered on the idea that heat is a form of energy that can be converted to mechanical work. The four laws of thermodynamics describe how heat is transferred and converted. Heat engines operate based on the first two laws, using heat to produce work. The theoretical Carnot cycle calculates the maximum efficiency of heat engines, and is also used to evaluate heat exchangers and ocean thermal energy conversion systems. Thermodynamics concepts continue to be applied to modern technologies.
Thermodynamics refers to the science of heat, work, temperature, and energy. It is centered on the idea that heat is a form of energy that can be converted to mechanical work. The four laws of thermodynamics describe how heat is transferred and converted. Heat engines operate based on the first two laws, using heat to produce work. The theoretical Carnot cycle calculates the maximum efficiency of heat engines, and is also used to evaluate heat exchangers and ocean thermal energy conversion systems. Thermodynamics concepts continue to be applied to modern technologies.
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Thermodynamics and Heat Engines
Heat and Thermodynamics
Perfecto Aaron Wayne A. Cagampang, 12A
The last several months have seen great upheaval in the world, including change
that is not directly related to the coronavirus pandemic currently ravaging many
countries. As such with any situation with change, adaptability is of utmost relevance.
Related to adaptability, is sustainability and efficiency, ideas that are heavily intertwined
with the concept of thermodynamics.
Thermodynamics refers to the science of the relationship between heat, work,
temperature, and energy. It is centered around the idea that heat (Q) is a form of energy
that corresponds to a definite amount of mechanical work (Drake, 2020). Heat in
thermodynamics is defined as the thermal energy transferred between two systems that
are in contact, and are at different temperatures (“Heat and temperature”, n.d.). How
heat changes from one form to another, across one medium to another, as well as how
much work the system does on its surroundings, is dictated by its four most important
laws (Drake, 2020).
The zeroth law of thermodynamics states that when two systems are each in
thermal equilibrium with a third system, the first two systems are in thermal equilibrium
with each other. This is why thermometers are used as a third system, in order to define
a temperature scale (Drake, 2020).
The first law of thermodynamics, or the law of conservation of energy, which
states that the change in a system’s internal energy (ΔU) is equal to the difference
between heat added to the system from its surroundings and work (W) done by the system on its surroundings (Drake, 2020). In other words, the total energy of a system
and its surroundings, or the total energy of the universe, is conserved (formula: ΔU= Q -
W) .
As for the second law of thermodynamics, it states that heat does not flow
spontaneously from a colder region to a hotter region, or, equivalently, it is impossible
for all of the heat at a given temperature to be transformed into work. Consequently, the
entropy, the measure of a system’s thermal energy per unit of temperature that cannot
be used for useful work, of a closed system, increases over time toward a maximum
value. Thus, all closed systems tend toward an equilibrium state in which entropy is at a
maximum and no energy is available to do useful work (Drake, 2020).
The third law of thermodynamics states that the entropy of a perfect crystal of an element
in its most stable form tends to approach zero as the temperature approaches absolute zero (0 K,
or −273.15 °C). This allows an absolute scale for entropy to be established that, from a statistical
point of view, determines the degree of randomness or disorder in a system (Drake, 2020).
An example of a thermodynamic system that is applicable in daily life are heat engines,
such as steam engines and their modern counterparts, that mainly function based on the first and
second laws of thermodynamics. They operate cyclically, with the piston moving up and down
once per cycle. Hot high-pressure steam from a fuel source, such as coal, is admitted to the
cylinder in the first half of each cycle, which is then released in the second half. Part of the heat
produced by this process, Q1 is converted into work (W), with the remaining heat, Q2, released to the environment at a lower temperature. The net heat energy absorbed is then Q = Q1 − Q2.
Since the engine returns to its initial state, its internal energy U does not change (ΔU = 0). So, by
the first law, the W done for each complete cycle is the difference between the Q1 absorbed by
the engine at a high temperature and the Q2 exhausted at a lower temperature (Drake, 2020).
As such, when designing engines to maximize efficiency (e), the aim is to
decrease the amount of wasted heat Q2 as much as possible, whilst also increasing the
amount of work produced as much as possible (as represented by the equation e =
W/Q2) (Crash Course, 2016). A theoretical cycle known as the Carnot Cycle, is used in
calculating the efficiency of real life heat engines, with heat engines that employ the
only use reversible isothermal (where gas is at a constant temperature) and adiabatic
(where there is no heat flow) processes, which implies a 100% efficiency, since
irreversible processes that involve dissipative factors such as friction, cause and
increase Q2 and so lower efficiency (OpenStax, n.d.). The equations e max = 1 - (Q2/Q1)
and the more commonly used emax = 1 - (lower operating temperature TL / higher
operating temperature TH) are true for a perfect, unrealistic Carnot Engine, hence why
they are used in order to calculate the efficiency of an actual engine, with the highest
theoretical efficiency being 70% (although in practice the efficiency is lower due to
factors such as friction, and a real life Carnot Engine, by its design, would have very
little power) (Crash Course, 2016; OpenStax, n.d.).
The Carnot Cycle is also useful in the selection of heat exchangers, which are
used to transfer heat between two or more fluids of different temperatures (Ronquillo, n.d.). Specifically, in a study by Fontaine, Yasunaga, and Ikegami (2019), the Carnot
Cycle was used to evaluate different heat exchangers (Feidt, 2020), as these devices
are a central component of Ocean Thermal Energy Conversion (OTEC), a method of
power generation that uses the natural thermal gradient in the sea (“Ocean thermal
energy conversion”, n.d.). The main relevance of such a study is its contribution to
improving current OTEC systems, which are currently competitive with conventional
power plants, and has much potential for steady year long energy production (Fontaine,
Ikunaga, Yasunagi, 2019).
In conclusion, while thermodynamic concepts were originally used for steam
engines in the 18th Century (OpenStax, n.d.), they form the basis for much of our
current modern technology. From car engines to ocean based energy production,
thermodynamics continues to have a profound effect on our ever changing world.
References Boundless. (n.d.). Boundless Chemistry. Retrieved December 16, 2020, from
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