MFGE 4315/5315 Energy and Thermofluids Engineering

Lecture 1

Introduction and Overview

Namwon Kim, Ph.D.

Ingram School of Engineering

Introduction to Thermal-Fluid Sciences

• Thermo-fluid engineering deals with energy and the transfer,

transport, and conversion of energy.
• Thermo-fluid engineering is studied under the subcategories of
₋ Thermodynamics.
₋ Heat transfer.
₋ Fluid mechanics.

The design of many engineering systems,

such as this solar hot-water system,
involves thermo-fluid engineering.
 Application Areas of Thermo-Fluid Engineering

Thermodynamics

Thermodynamics: The science of energy (the ability

to cause changes) dealing with all aspects of energy,
energy transformation, and relationships among the
properties of matter.

- Fundamental laws of thermodynamics

1. Conservation of energy (The first law of
thermodynamics): During an interaction, energy can
change from one form to another, but the total amount
of energy remains constant. That is, Energy cannot be
created or destroyed; it can only change forms. Energy cannot be created or
destroyed; it can only change
forms (the first law).
 Thermodynamics

2. The second law of thermodynamics: It asserts that energy has

quality as well as quantity, and actual processes occur in the
direction of decreasing quality of energy.

 A Cup of hot coffee cools, but a cup of cool coffee never gets hot
by itself.

Heat flows in the direction of

decreasing temperature.

Thermodynamics

Classical thermodynamics: A macroscopic approach to the study of

thermodynamics that does not require a knowledge of the behavior of individual
particles.
It provides a direct and easy way to the solution of engineering problems, and it is
used in this text.

Statistical thermodynamics: A microscopic approach, based on the average

behavior of large groups of individual particles.
It is used in this text only in the supporting role.
 Heat Transfer

In heat transfer, we are interested in Heat, which is the form of energy that can
be transferred from one system to another as a result of temperature difference.
Heat Transfer: The science that deals with the determination of the rates of
such energy (heat) transfers from one system to another.
Thermodynamics is concerned with the amount of heat transfer as a system
undergoes a process from one equilibrium state to another, and it gives no
indication about how long the process will take. But in engineering, we are
often interested in the rate of heat transfer, which is the topic of the science of
heat transfer.

We are normally interested in how long it

takes for the hot coffee in a thermos bottle to
cool to a certain temperature, which cannot
be determined from a thermodynamic
analysis alone.

Fluid Mechanics

Fluid mechanics: The science that deals

with the behavior of fluids at rest (fluid
statics) or in motion (fluid dynamics),
and the interaction of fluids with solids
or other fluids at the boundaries.
Fluid: A substance in the liquid or gas
phase.
A solid can resist an applied shear stress
by deforming, whereas a fluid deforms
continuously under the influence of
shear stress, no matter how small.

Fluid mechanics deals with liquids

and gases in motion or at rest.
 Importance Of Dimensions And Units

• Any physical quantity can be characterized by dimensions.

• The magnitudes assigned to the dimensions are called units.
• Some basic dimensions such as mass m, length L, time t, and temperature T
are selected as primary or fundamental dimensions, while others such as
velocity V, energy E, and volume V are expressed in terms of the primary
dimensions and are called secondary dimensions, or derived dimensions.
• Metric SI system: A simple and logical system based on a decimal
relationship between the various units.
• English system: It has no apparent systematic numerical base, and various
units in this system are related to each other rather arbitrarily.

Dimensions And Units

The seven fundamental (or Standard prefixes in SI units

primary) dimensions and their
units in SI Multiple Prefix Multiple Prefix
10 24
yotta, Y 10 1
deci, d
Dimension Unit
10 21 zetta, Z 10 2 centi, c
Length meter (m) 1018 exa, E
10 3 milli, m
Mass kilogram (kg) 1015 peta, P
10 6
micro, µ
Time second (s) 1012 tera, T
109 nano, n
Temperature kelvin (K) 109 giga, G
10 12 pico, p
106 mega, M
Electric current (A) ampere
kilo, k 10 15 femto, f
103
Amount of light (cd) candela
10 2 hecto, h 1018 atto, a
Amount of matter mole (mol)
10 1
deka, da 10 21
zepto, z

10 24 yocto, y
 The International System of Units (SI)

o In any technical work, the units in which physical properties

are measured must be stated.
o SI Units (mks system)
Length = meter (m)
Mass = kilogram (kg)
Time = second (s)

o The relation between force and mass

F = ma = kg⋅m/s2 = N (newton)

SI Units
 The U.S. Customary System

○ English Units (fps system)

Length = foot (ft)

Mass = pound-mass (lbm)
Time = second (s)
Force = pound-force (lbf)

The U.S. Customary System

 Dimensions And Units

The weight of a unit mass at sea level. A typical match yields about one Btu (or
one kJ) of energy if completely burned.

Dimensional homogeneity

• All equations must be dimensionally homogeneous.

Every unity conversion ratio (as well as

its inverse) is exactly equal to 1. Shown
here are a few commonly used unity
Always check the units in your conversion ratios, each within its own set
calculations. of parentheses.
 Problem-Solving Technique
Step 1: Problem Statement
Step 2: Schematic
Step 3: Assumptions and Approximations
Step 4: Physical Laws
Step 5: Properties
Step 6: Calculations
Step 7: Reasoning, Verification, and Discussion

The results obtained from an engineering

analysis must be checked for reasonableness.

Significant Digits

• In engineering calculations, the information given is not known

to more than a certain number of significant digits, usually three
digits.

A result with more significant digits than that

of given data falsely implies more precision.