CHAPTER 1

Basic Concepts of
Thermodynamics

(KIL1001 Chemical Engineering Thermodynamics I)

Chapter Objectives
• Applications of thermodynamics.
• Basic concepts of system, energy,
properties, state, process and cycles.
• Units and dimensions in SI (System
International).
• 2 important thermodynamic properties:
temperature (T) and pressure (P) and how
to measure them
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(KIL1001 Chemical Engineering Thermodynamics I)

 INTRODUCTION
“Thermo Dynamics”

Heat Power

• Scientific Definition: the ability to covert/transform heat to

power.
• Thermodynamics includes all aspects of energy and energy
transfer applications (power production/generation,
refrigeration and property relation of substances. 3

(KIL1001 Chemical Engineering Thermodynamics I)

Basic Laws of Thermodynamics
1st Law of 2nd Law of
Thermodynamics Thermodynamics

Energy can change from Energy has its quality : a

one form to another real process occurs in
form with the amount the decreasing quality of
of the energy kept energy.
constant

Energy Balance Entropy Balance 4

(Conservation of Energy)
Problem 1 (1st Law)
A truck diesel engine receive energy from fuel for 100 unit of
energy per hour. By considering all the energy conversion done
by the engine, calculate the amount of energy unit per hour
that was successfully converted to work for truck to move?
What is the efficiency of engine?
Heat radiated to surrounding
(4 Unit)
Engine Sound
Heat out to (1 Unit)
Engine oil
(5 Unit)

Heat out to
cooling water
(22 Unit) Work Out to move
the Truck
(? Unit)
Thermal out to
Exhaust gas 5
(20 Unit)

(KIL1001 Chemical Engineering Thermodynamics I)

 Example 1 (2 Law)
nd

Cool
Environment
(25 oC)

2nd Law:
Hot Coffee a real process
(70 oC) occurs in the
decreasing quality
of energy.

A cup of hot coffee left on the table will eventually

cools. The high temperature of energy in the coffee
is degraded (transform into less useful form at a 6
lower temperature) once it is transferred into cool
environment.
(KIL1001 Chemical Engineering Thermodynamics I)
Examples of Thermodynamics
Application

Heat exchanger

Power Plant Turbin

3 applied
thermodynamic Transportation Refrigerator

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Green Technology Food industry

(KIL1001 Chemical Engineering Thermodynamics I)

Dimension & Units
Dimension
(=measure physical
quantity)

Primary Dimension Secondary dimension

Velocity (v), Energy (E),

Mass (m), Length/Distance
Volume (V), Force (F),
(L), Time (t), Temperature
Power (P), etc.
(T), Current (I) &
Amount of matter (mol)

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Secondary dimensions = combination of a few primary dimensions
Example,
Velocity (v) = Distance (L) /Time (t) = L/t
Dimension & Units
Units
(= magnitudes assigned
to the dimension)

Primary Units Secondary Units

Accompany
Accompany primary secondary
dimension dimension

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2 types of unit systems widely used:
i) Metric System, SI (International System)
ii) English System / United States Customary Systems (USCS)
Difference Between SI and
English Unit
Force (F)
Force = Mass X Acceleration
∴ F = m.a (unit: kg.m.s-2)
SI unit : Newton (N), where 1 N = 1 kg.m.s-2
Eng. unit : pound-force (lbf). 1 lbf = 32.174 lbm .ft/s2.

Weight (W)
Weight is a type of force ⇒ W=mg (N)
∴Weight (W) ≠ Mass (m)

Mass of a body is constant, but its weight can change depending on gravitational
acceleration (g) that varies with the placement.

Work (W)
Work = Force x Distance
∴ 1 N.m = 1 Joule (J) ⇒ SI unit
Eng. unit: Btu (British Thermal Unit). 1 Btu = energy required to increase the
temperature of 1 lbm of water at 68oF by 1oF. 10
Other unit : calorie (cal). 1 cal = energy required to increase the temperature of 1
kg of water at 15oC by 1oC.
∴ 1 cal = 4.1868 J ; 1 Btu = 1.055 kJ
Exercise 1
1. A school is paying RM0.12/kWh for electrical power. To
reduce its power bill, the school install a solar panel with
rated power of 30 kW. If the solar panel operates 365 days
per year at similar rated power, determine the amount of
electrical power generated by the solar panel and how much
money that the school have save annually? Convert the
annual energy save in kJ (hint: 1 kJ/s = 1kW) (ans: RM7920)
2. A pool of volume V (in m3) is to be filled with water using a
hose of diameter D (in m). If the average velocity, v (in m/s)
of discharge water with the filling time period, t (in s),
obtain a relation (formula) for the volume of the pool based
on the consideration of dimensions/quantities involved.
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(KIL1001 Chemical Engineering Thermodynamics I)

Basic Concept of
Thermodynamics System
1. System
2. Boundary
3. Surroundings
4. Universe

UNIVERSE 12

(KIL1001 Chemical Engineering Thermodynamics I)

Basic Concepts Definition
• System: a define quantity of a specific substance under the
study of energy transfer and energy conversion is made.
• Example: liquid in the vessel, cylinder fitted with piston
• In life example: Reactor, distillation column, thermal power plant
• Boundary: the system and surrounding are separated by
boundary. It may be fixed/movable.
• Surroundings: Anything outside the system which affects the
behavior of the system.
• Universe: a space comprise of a system, boundary and
surroundings placed together.

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(KIL1001 Chemical Engineering Thermodynamics I)

Type of System
1. Open
2. Closed
3. Adiabatic
4. Isolated

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(KIL1001 Chemical Engineering Thermodynamics I)

Open System
• A system in which both matter
(mass) and energy can cross/transfer
with its surroundings.
• Usually called as control volume
system.
• Example in daily life: open cup of
coffee, our solar system.
• Example in chemical industry:
tubular reactor, air compressor,
valves, heat exchanger, turbines.

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(KIL1001 Chemical Engineering Thermodynamics I)

Closed System Fixed boundary

cannot have mass ,

so do not have channel

• A system in which only energy can

cross/transfer with its surroundings.
• Usually called as control mass
system.
that

• Example in daily life: a vehicle

means the volume is not constant

braking system, balloon, a water

bottle and egg.
• Example in chemical industry: batch
reactor, piston cylinder device.

-
the mass is still constant

because the number of mole

is still the same

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(KIL1001 Chemical Engineering Thermodynamics I)

Adiabatic System
• A system in which energy cannot cross/transfer with its
surroundings as heat.
• Energy can be transfer only in work form of energy.
• The system will have constant heat energy.
• Example in chemical industry: adiabatic turbines, adiabatic
expansion and compression of gas.

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Isolated System
the system that has a perfect boundary

• A system in which both energy and

mass cannot cross/transfer with its
surroundings.
• It is fixed mass and energy
• Will not effected/influence by the
change in its surrounding
• Ideal concept: a perfectly isolated
system cannot be observed in real
life.

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(KIL1001 Chemical Engineering Thermodynamics I)

Which system?
• Handphone
• Battery
• Pipe
• Tire
• Vacuum cleaner
• Aerosol spray
• Car radiator
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• Earth
System Properties
• Any characteristic of a system is called
property.
• Can be divided into two types;
• Intensive properties (the properties
the mass/size
remain the same

changes)
although

• Independent to the mass/size of the

system.
• Example: Density, color, boiling point.
• Extensive properties
• Dependable to the mass/size of the
system
• Example: Total mass, total volume, total
energy, etc.
• Extensive properties per unit mass are
called specific properties (Specific 20
mass

volume, v = V/m).
volume

(KIL1001 Chemical Engineering Thermodynamics I)

State & Equilibrium
• State: defined as the description of a system condition by
all the properties involved throughout that system.
• At a given state (State 1), all the properties of a system
have fixed values.
• If the value of even one property change, the state will
change to a different one (State 2).

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State & Equilibrium

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Process

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(KIL1001 Chemical Engineering Thermodynamics I)

Example of a Process

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Cycle

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(KIL1001 Chemical Engineering Thermodynamics I)

Temperature

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Zeroth Law of Thermodynamic
Temperature Scales

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(KIL1001 Chemical Engineering Thermodynamics I)

Convert..
• During heating process, the temperature of a
system rises by 10 oC. Express the rise in
temperature in K, oF and R.

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(KIL1001 Chemical Engineering Thermodynamics I)

Pressure

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(KIL1001 Chemical Engineering Thermodynamics I)

Pressure at various terms

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(KIL1001 Chemical Engineering Thermodynamics I)

Pressure term relationship

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Pressure and Depth

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Pressure Measuring
Device
•Barometer
•Manometer
•Bourdon Tube

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(KIL1001 Chemical Engineering Thermodynamics I)

Barometer

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Exercise 2
Determine the atmospheric pressure (in kPa)
at a location where the barometric reading is
740 mmHg and the gravitational acceleration
is 9.805 m/s2. Assume the temperature of
mercury to be 10 oC, which its density is
13,570 kg/m3.
(1 kPa = 1000 N/m2) (Ans: 98.5 kPa)

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(KIL1001 Chemical Engineering Thermodynamics I)

Manometer

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(KIL1001 Chemical Engineering Thermodynamics I)

Exercise 3
A monometer is used to measure the
pressure of gas in tank. The measuring fluid
has a density of 850 kg/m3, and the
manometer height is 55 cm. If the local
atmospheric pressure is 96 kPa, determine
the pressure gage and absolute pressure
within the tank.
(1 kPa = 1000 N/m2) (Ans: 100.6 KPa)
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(KIL1001 Chemical Engineering Thermodynamics I)

Bourdon Tubes

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(KIL1001 Chemical Engineering Thermodynamics I)

Bourdon Tubes
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uBdTxTp_qLI

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Thank You

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