Thermodynamic Work

P M V Subbarao
Professor
Mechanical Engineering Department
I I T Delhi

Development of Power for

Different Needs!!!
Displacement Work : Dangerous & Inhuman
Technologies
 A Need for More General Definition of Work
• As an English army officer, Thomas Savery was once ejected from
the Lord of the Admiralty's office as a lunatic because he proposed a
ship that could be propelled by side-mounted wheels rather than by
wind or oars.
• He exhibited great fondness for mechanics, and for mathematicians
natural philosophy and gave much time to experimenting, to the
contriving of various kinds of apparatus, and to invention.
 Definition of Thermodynamic Work

• Positive work is done by a system, during a given process,

when the sole effect external to the system could be
reduced to the rise of a weight.
• This definition may appear arbitrary.
• This is forced on the readers/users to identify all possible
work actions in engineering.
• Will it consider Mechanical work?
Mechanical Work Generating System
 Mechanical work

System

Before triggering
Surroundings

S
F After triggering
 Thermodynamic Work

S1

W
W

Mechanical Work is Thermodynamic work and vice

versa.
F.S = W*S1
 Broader Applications of the Thermodynamic Work

Convector

What Action is present at this

boundary?
Battery
Equivalence of Raising of A Weight

Rise

W
 Discussion of the Definition

• Positive work is done by a system, during a given process,

when the sole effect external to the system could be
reduced to the rise of a weight.
• Sole Effect: Entire effect (100 %)
• External: Only at the boundary or magnitude depends on
the boundary
• Could be reduced to: It need not be just rise of weight.
Any thing that can be translated into to rise of weight.
 An Unknown Action

Turbine Generator

Hot
copper

Convector
 Negative Work
• When a system does positive work, its surroundings do an
equal quantity of negative work.
• Conversely, when surroundings do positive work, the
system does and equal quantity of negative work.
 Types of Work Transfers

• Moving Boundary work (displacement work)

• Electrical work
• Shaft work
• Flowing fluid work
 Moving Boundary work (displacement work)
• Boundary work occurs when a change in the system causes
a force to act on the boundary and make it move.
Simple Processes for Displacement Work : Control Mass
Control Mass : Constant Volume & Pressure
Processes

RT a
p  2
 v  b v
Isothermal Process by A Control Mass
 Isothermal Process of Real Gases in a Control Mass

 a
 p  2  v  b   RT
• Van der Waals EOS

 v 

RT a
p  2
 v  b v

27 R 2Tc2 27 RTc
a b
64 pc 8 pc
Displacement Work done by Superheated Steam
During An Isothermal Process
Isothermal Expansion of Steam

16

14

12

10
8

2
0
0 0.05 0.1 0.15 0.2 0.25 0.3 0.35 0.4 0.45

Specifi c Volume m3 / kg