MEC E 340 Applied Thermodynamics topic map and practice

Study ideal Otto, Diesel, Brayton and Rankine cycles, then reheat, regeneration and combined cycles.

Trace vapour-compression states and calculate COP without confusing heat absorbed with heat delivered.

Use given property data consistently for gas mixtures, real gases and moist air.

Balance combustion and apply reaction-energy assumptions within the course scope.

Review the property, energy-balance, and diagram tools needed for applied cycles.

• 1.1 · Define the system, working fluid, state, and process (written lesson not published)
• 1.2 · Read property tables and identify phase regions (written lesson not published)
• 1.3 · Apply steady-flow mass and energy balances to cycle devices (written lesson not published)
• 1.4 · Interpret schematic P–v and T–s process diagrams (written lesson not published)
• 1.5 · Distinguish thermal efficiency, coefficient of performance, and net work (written lesson not published)

Analyze idealized internal-combustion and gas-turbine cycles with explicit assumptions.

• 2.1 · State air-standard and cold-air-standard assumptions (written lesson not published)
• 2.2 · Analyze the ideal Otto cycle and compression ratio (written lesson not published)
• 2.3 · Analyze the ideal Diesel cycle and cutoff ratio (written lesson not published)
• 2.4 · Analyze the ideal Brayton gas-turbine cycle (written lesson not published)
• 2.5 · Compare regeneration, intercooling, and reheat in gas turbines (written lesson not published)

Track steam states and energy transfers through Rankine-cycle components.

• 3.1 · Analyze a simple ideal Rankine cycle (written lesson not published)
• 3.2 · Account for turbine and pump isentropic efficiencies (written lesson not published)
• 3.3 · Calculate boiler heat input and condenser heat rejection (written lesson not published)
• 3.4 · Analyze a reheat Rankine cycle (written lesson not published)
• 3.5 · Analyze regenerative feedwater heating (written lesson not published)

Connect gas and vapour cycles and account for useful heat and power outputs.

• 4.1 · Trace energy through a combined gas–vapour cycle (written lesson not published)
• 4.2 · Balance a heat-recovery steam generator (written lesson not published)
• 4.3 · Calculate combined-cycle thermal efficiency (written lesson not published)
• 4.4 · Distinguish cogeneration from electricity-only generation (written lesson not published)
• 4.5 · Calculate useful-energy utilization in cogeneration (written lesson not published)

Analyze heat-transfer direction, device work, and performance for reversed cycles.

• 5.1 · Distinguish refrigeration and heat-pump objectives (written lesson not published)
• 5.2 · Identify the four states of a vapour-compression cycle (written lesson not published)
• 5.3 · Calculate refrigerator COP from enthalpy differences (written lesson not published)
• 5.4 · Calculate heat-pump COP and relate it to refrigerator COP (written lesson not published)
• 5.5 · Explain compressor efficiency and non-ideal cycle effects (written lesson not published)

Use consistent composition and property models for ideal mixtures and real-gas departures.

• 6.1 · Convert between mole and mass fractions (written lesson not published)
• 6.2 · Apply Dalton’s law to ideal-gas mixtures (written lesson not published)
• 6.3 · Estimate mixture gas constant and specific heat (written lesson not published)
• 6.4 · Use the compressibility factor for real gases (written lesson not published)
• 6.5 · Select ideal-gas or real-gas data without mixing models (written lesson not published)

Describe moist-air properties and common heating, cooling, and mixing processes.

• 7.1 · Calculate humidity ratio and relative humidity (written lesson not published)
• 7.2 · Relate dew-point and saturation states (written lesson not published)
• 7.3 · Read a psychrometric chart with stated pressure (written lesson not published)
• 7.4 · Analyze sensible heating, cooling, and dehumidification (written lesson not published)
• 7.5 · Balance mass and energy for mixing moist-air streams (written lesson not published)

Apply stoichiometry and energy balances to introductory thermodynamic reactions.

• 8.1 · Balance complete combustion with air (written lesson not published)
• 8.2 · Calculate theoretical air and excess-air fractions (written lesson not published)
• 8.3 · Use formation enthalpies in reaction energy balances (written lesson not published)
• 8.4 · Distinguish higher and lower heating values (written lesson not published)
• 8.5 · Estimate adiabatic flame temperature under stated assumptions (written lesson not published)

University of Calgary

Overlaps in gas and vapour cycles, refrigeration, psychrometry, and combustion; its syllabus also includes compressors and equilibrium.

University of Ottawa

Overlaps in mixtures, psychrometry, real gases, reactions, and power and refrigeration cycles; requires MCG 2130.

UBC Vancouver

Overlaps in air-standard and vapour cycles, gas mixtures, equilibrium, and reacting systems; also covers exergy.

University of Toronto

Overlaps in power generation, gas cycles, refrigeration, psychrometry, and combustion; its energy-conversion emphasis is not identical to MEC E 340.

An ideal Brayton cycle has air temperatures T₁ = 300 K, T₂ = 520 K, T₃ = 1200 K, and T₄ = 690 K. Find the thermal efficiency using constant specific heat.

Worked method: q_in/cp = 1200 − 520 = 680 K and q_out/cp = 690 − 300 = 390 K. Thus η_th = 1 − 390/680 = 0.426, or 42.6%. This is below 100% and the heat transfers have consistent signs.

A simple Rankine cycle has specific enthalpies h₁ = 200, h₂ = 210, h₃ = 3200, and h₄ = 2400 kJ/kg at pump inlet, pump outlet, turbine inlet, and turbine outlet. Find thermal efficiency.

Worked method: w_t = h₃ − h₄ = 800 kJ/kg, w_p = h₂ − h₁ = 10 kJ/kg, and q_in = h₃ − h₂ = 2990 kJ/kg. η_th = (800 − 10)/2990 = 0.264, or 26.4%.

A refrigerator has h₁ = 395, h₂ = 430, and h₃ = h₄ = 250 kJ/kg. State 1 is the compressor inlet, 2 its outlet, 3 the condenser outlet, and 4 the evaporator inlet. Find COP_R.

Worked method: The evaporator absorbs q_L = h₁ − h₄ = 145 kJ/kg, while the compressor uses w_in = h₂ − h₁ = 35 kJ/kg. COP_R = 145/35 = 4.14. The throttling step uses h₃ = h₄.

A heat pump delivers 9.0 kW to a room while consuming 2.0 kW of electric power. Find COP_HP and heat absorbed outdoors.

Dry air at 100 kPa contains water-vapour partial pressure 2.0 kPa. Estimate humidity ratio with 0.622 p_v/(p − p_v).