ME2121 / ME2121E – Thermodynamics
Engineering and Chemical
Chapter 1 Introduction
by
Professor KC Ng (EA-07-22)
ME Dept., FoE, NUS.
Email: mpengkc@nus.edu.sg
(July 2012)
This course is meant as an introduction for
those who aspire to become practicing
Mechanical Engineers. The course gives you a
first taste to the functions or principles of
machines. Thermodynamics is one of the key
subjects of the mechanical engineering course.
On the on-set, let me elaborate on the topics
that will be covered under the first-section of
the lectures:
• Review of fundamentals, definitions etc.
• Properties of pure substances, state
diagrams, how to use steam tables,
temperature measurements and scale.
(Tutorial #1)
• First Law of thermodynamics, steady
flow energy equations, applications
(Tutorial #2).
• Second Law of Thermodynamics,
statements of 2nd Law, Clausius
inequality, Clausius Clapeyron equation,
entropy, entropy increase. (Tutorial #3)
Text and reference books
1. Cengel YA and MA Boles,
Thermodynamics: an engineering
approach, 4th edition, McGraw
Hill,2002
2. van Wylen GJ and RE Sonntag,
Fundamentals of Classical
Thermodynamics, John Wiley &
Sons, 1993
3. Rogers GFC & YR Mayhew,
Engineering Thermodynamics,
Longmann, 1992
4.
Thermodynamics by M.D. Koretsky,
Wiley, 2004. (advanced reading)
(After the lecture, you are encouraged to go to
the Central Library of NUS and pick-up one or
two thermodynamics text books for reading.
Remember - reading with understanding is the
key to real learning.)
What is Thermodynamics?
It can de defined as one of the following:
• It is a science that deals with the
properties of matter (working fluid) and
their relationship between key variables
such as energy, heat, work, temperature,
enthalpy, entropy, etc.
• Classical thermodynamics treats all
matters behaving in a continuum
manner,
• It is based on simple postulates or laws
that describe the behaviour of matters
• It allows engineers to quantify
efficiency, useful effects (work), etc.
• It is a tool that assists engineers to
evaluate the viability of a machine or
system, and to make major investment
decision on the thermo-economics of
projects such as the power plants,
central cooling or heating plants, etc.
Historical Background:
The study of thermodynamics (with proper
archival records) began about 250 years ago.
Let us now look at the background of some of
the pioneers in the field of thermodynamics –
they can be either a physicist, chemist, or an
engineer, etc.
1. Joseph Black (1728-1799)-Noted for
his fundamental work on latent and
specific heats (Cp) and for his discovery
of carbon dioxide (CO2).

http://www.chem.gla.ac.uk/~alanc/dept/
black.htm
2. Benjamin Thomson (1753-1814) –
noted for his early statement on the 1st
Law, and he disproved the “caloric
theory” of heat.
http://www.english.upenn.edu/Projects/kna
rf/People/rumford.html
3. Robert Mayer (1814-1878) – reported
the conversion between heat and work.
http://www.mhtl.uwaterloo.ca/courses/me3
54/mayer.html
4. James P Joule (1818-1889) – noted for
his experiments in heat, formulated the
amount of heat to produce a unit of
work- the Joule Law.
http://www.mhtl.uwaterloo.ca/courses/me3
54/joule.html
 5. Sadi Carnot(1796-1832) – noted for the 7. Lord Kelvin (1824-1907) – noted for
heat input to steam engine and the work the absolute temperature scale.
derived from it, laid the foundation to
2nd Law (1824) in the thesis, “the
motive of fire”.

http://www-groups.dcs.st-
and.ac.uk/~history/Mathematicians/Tho
mson.html

http://www.mhtl.uwaterloo.ca/courses/me354/c 8. JW Gibbs (1839-1903) – noted for the

arnot.html Gibbs’s law. First person to obtain PhD
in USA (Yale).
6. Rudolf Clausius (1822-1888) – unified
the statements of 2nd Law.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Josiah_Willard
_Gibbs

http://www.mhtl.uwaterloo.ca/courses/me354/c
lausius.html
Applications of Thermodynamics
Inventions of thermodynamic machines bring
much comfort and lifestyle to our daily lives.
The following examples are some of the major
machines we encounter daily:

1. Power plants – electricity production at

average 45% efficiency,
2. Internal Combustion engines – work
horse of our mode of transportation,
3. Gas turbines – air transportation, ships,
etc.
http://www.geae.com/engines/comme
rcial/genx/2b_fett.html
4. Compressors – for air conditioning
chillers, high pressurized air, etc.
5. Desalination plants – multi-stage, etc.
6. Biological processes – oxygenation in
blood streams, heart of animals,
humans, etc.
7. Heat exchangers – chillers, heaters,
processes, reactors, Another “toy” for you to think about
8. Separation reactors- chemical plants thermodynamics, that is, the drinking bird – Is
it a perpetual motion machine (PPM) and does
it violate the laws of thermodynamics? Do you
know- even Eisenstein could not solve it.

(Do check out this drinking bird on youtube

site- This is a public website, enter at your
risk!)

http://www.dula.tv/watch.php?file=how-the-
drinking-bird-works.flv

--- End of Chapter 1 ---

(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:4-Stroke-
(No tutorial for this Chapter. But please get one
Engine.gif)
or two books from library to read. Reading is
the key to understanding and doing well in
examination).