UNIT I: Work and

Heat
Dr. Suryanarayana Pakalapati
 Work and Heat Transfer

▪ Energy transfer to and from the system is an important

consideration in thermodynamic analysis
▪ Energy transfer can happen in two forms
– Work Transfer
– Heat Transfer

▪ Work and heat transfer need to be quantified carefully

 Work

▪ In mechanics work is defined as dot product of force and

displacement
▪ For small incremental displacement
𝛿𝛿𝑤𝑤 = 𝐹𝐹 ∙ 𝑑𝑑𝑑𝑑

▪ For a finite displacement

𝟐𝟐
𝒘𝒘𝟏𝟏𝟐𝟐 = � 𝑭𝑭 ∙ 𝒅𝒅𝒅𝒅
𝟏𝟏
▪ If the force is known as a function of x, work can be determined
▪ In thermodynamics work is treated as energy transfer
▪ Work transfer should be identified across the system boundaries
▪ Different types of work transfer is possible: shaft work, electricity,
expansion work, etc.
 Work

▪ For shaft work

𝜹𝜹𝜹𝜹 = 𝑻𝑻 ∙ 𝒅𝒅𝜽𝜽
𝟐𝟐
𝒘𝒘𝟏𝟏𝟐𝟐 = � 𝑻𝑻 ∙ 𝒅𝒅𝜽𝜽
𝟏𝟏

– Units: N-m or Joule

▪ Rate of work transfer

𝒅𝒅𝒅𝒅
𝒘𝒘̇ = 𝑭𝑭 ∙
𝒅𝒅𝒅𝒅
𝒅𝒅𝒅𝒅
𝒘𝒘̇ = 𝑻𝑻 ∙
𝒅𝒅𝒅𝒅
– Units: J/s or Watt

▪ Sign convention: Work done by system is positive work done on

system is negative
 Work Done at Moving Boundary

▪ The work done during a differential

change in the volume of gas is

𝜹𝜹𝜹𝜹 = 𝑭𝑭 ∙ 𝒅𝒅𝒅𝒅 = 𝑷𝑷 × 𝑨𝑨 ∙ 𝒅𝒅𝒅𝒅 = 𝑷𝑷𝑷𝑷𝑷𝑷

𝟐𝟐 𝟐𝟐
𝒘𝒘𝟏𝟏𝟐𝟐 = � 𝜹𝜹𝒘𝒘 = � 𝑷𝑷𝑷𝑷𝑷𝑷
𝟏𝟏 𝟏𝟏
 Work a Path Function

▪ Work done during a process depends on the path.

▪ Different work transfers are possible for
same end states.
▪ Work is thus known as a path function
▪ Alternatively functions whose change
during a process only depends on the
end states are called point functions
▪ All thermodynamic properties are point functions
▪ The differentials of point functions are exact differentials
▪ The differentials of path functions are inexact differentials
𝟐𝟐 𝟐𝟐
� 𝒅𝒅𝒅𝒅 = 𝑽𝑽𝟐𝟐 − 𝑽𝑽𝟏𝟏 � 𝜹𝜹𝒘𝒘 ≠ 𝒘𝒘𝟐𝟐 − 𝒘𝒘𝟏𝟏
𝟏𝟏 𝟏𝟏
 Work for Specific Processes

▪ For an amount of gas undergoing isothermal process

𝑷𝑷𝟏𝟏 𝑽𝑽𝟏𝟏
𝑷𝑷𝑷𝑷 = 𝑪𝑪 ⟹ 𝑷𝑷 =
𝑽𝑽
𝟐𝟐 𝟐𝟐
𝟐𝟐 𝑷𝑷𝟏𝟏 𝑽𝑽𝟏𝟏
𝒘𝒘𝟏𝟏 = � 𝑷𝑷𝑷𝑷𝑷𝑷 = � 𝒅𝒅𝒅𝒅 = 𝑷𝑷𝟏𝟏 𝑽𝑽𝟏𝟏 [𝒍𝒍𝒍𝒍(𝑽𝑽)]𝟐𝟐𝟏𝟏
𝟏𝟏 𝟏𝟏 𝑽𝑽
𝟐𝟐 𝑽𝑽𝟐𝟐
𝒘𝒘𝟏𝟏 = 𝑷𝑷𝟏𝟏 𝑽𝑽𝟏𝟏 𝒍𝒍𝒍𝒍 � �
𝑽𝑽𝟏𝟏
▪ For polytropic process
𝒏𝒏
𝑷𝑷 𝑽𝑽
𝟏𝟏 𝟏𝟏
𝑷𝑷𝑽𝑽𝒏𝒏 = 𝑪𝑪 ⟹ 𝑷𝑷 =
𝑽𝑽𝒏𝒏
𝟐𝟐 𝟐𝟐 𝒏𝒏 𝟏𝟏−𝒏𝒏 𝟐𝟐
𝑷𝑷 𝑽𝑽
𝟏𝟏 𝟏𝟏 𝑽𝑽
𝒘𝒘𝟐𝟐𝟏𝟏 = � 𝑷𝑷𝑷𝑷𝑷𝑷 = � 𝒏𝒏
𝒅𝒅𝒅𝒅 = 𝑷𝑷 𝑽𝑽 𝒏𝒏
𝟏𝟏 𝟏𝟏 � �
𝟏𝟏 𝟏𝟏 𝑽𝑽 𝟏𝟏 − 𝒏𝒏 𝟏𝟏
𝟐𝟐 𝑷𝑷𝟏𝟏 𝑽𝑽𝟏𝟏 𝟏𝟏−𝒏𝒏 𝟏𝟏−𝒏𝒏 𝑷𝑷𝟏𝟏 𝑽𝑽𝟏𝟏 − 𝑷𝑷𝟐𝟐 𝑽𝑽𝟐𝟐
𝒘𝒘𝟏𝟏 = �𝑽𝑽𝟐𝟐 − 𝑽𝑽𝟏𝟏 � =
(𝟏𝟏 − 𝒏𝒏) (𝒏𝒏 − 𝟏𝟏)
 Work for Specific Processes

▪ For constant pressure process

𝑷𝑷 = 𝑪𝑪
𝟐𝟐 𝟐𝟐
𝒘𝒘𝟐𝟐𝟏𝟏 = � 𝑷𝑷𝑷𝑷𝑷𝑷 = 𝑷𝑷 � 𝒅𝒅𝒅𝒅 = 𝑷𝑷[𝑽𝑽]𝟐𝟐𝟏𝟏
𝟏𝟏 𝟏𝟏
𝑷𝑷(𝑽𝑽𝟐𝟐 − 𝑽𝑽𝟏𝟏 )

▪ For constant volume process

𝑽𝑽 = 𝑪𝑪 ⟹ 𝒅𝒅𝒅𝒅 = 𝟎𝟎
𝟐𝟐
𝒘𝒘𝟐𝟐𝟏𝟏 = � 𝑷𝑷𝑷𝑷𝑷𝑷 = 𝟎𝟎
𝟏𝟏
Problems
Problems
Problems
 Heat

▪ Heat is the form of energy transfer that

is caused by temperature difference.
▪ Heat like work is also energy in transit.
▪ Heat has same units as that for work
transfer
▪ Heat like work is also a boundary
phenomenon.
▪ Heat like work is a path function.
▪ For same end points the heat transfer during a process may
have different values depending on the path taken.
▪ Sign Convention: Heat transfer system to the system is positive
and heat transfer for the system is negative
 Modes of Heat Transfer

▪ Conduction:
– Heat transfer due to random motion
of molecules
– Applicable to heat transfer in Solids

▪ Convection
– Heat transfer due to bulk motion of fluids
– Applicable to heat transfer between solids and fluids

▪ Radiation
– Heat transfer due to electromagnetic radiation
– Important for systems at high temperature
 Work and Heat

▪ Both are forms of energy in transit (energy interactions).

▪ Both are boundary phenomena (there is no such thing as heat in
the system or work in the system).
▪ Heat is the energy transfer due to temperature difference and
all other energy interactions are work interactions.
▪ Both work and heat are path functions and their differentials are
inexact differentials