ME 312
THERMODYNAMICS

*crosslisted as NE 312, available spring term

Course Description

This course focuses on availability and reversible work, machine, and cycle processes; real gas behavior; nonreactive gas mixtures; reactive mixtures; and thermodynamics of compressible fluid flow.

Topics

• Availability and reversible work
• Vapor power and gas power cycles
• Vapor compression refrigeration cycle
• Compressible flowand isentropic flow through nozzles and diffusers
• Mixture rules
• Nonreactive ideal gas mixtures and psychrometrics
• Reactive ideal gas mixtures and combustion
• Real substance behavior

Learning Outcomes

The student, upon completion of this course, will be able to:

• Use the laws of thermodynamics to analyze basic power and refrigeration cycles.
• Calculate characteristics of subsonic and supersonic flows through nozzles and diffusers.
• Apply the fundamentals of thermodynamics to inert gas mixtures (psychrometry), reactive gas mixtures, and real substances.
• Apply both fundamental and practical knowledge of thermodynamics to the design of basic power and cooling cycles.