TOPIC 8: ENERGY,

POWER AND
CLIMATE CHANGE
8.1 Energy degradation power generation
8.1.1 State that thermal energy may
be completely converted to work in
a single process, but that
continuous conversion of this
energy into work requires a cyclical
process and the transfer of some
energy from the system.
 2 Law of
nd

Thermodynamics
 Thermal energy cycle
 Definiton: It is not possible to transfer heat
continuously without at the same time
transferring some heat from a warmer body to
colder body.
 No heat engine that works in a cycle
completely converts into work
 When a cold body and a hot body are brought
into contact with each other, heat always flow
from hot body to the cold body
Thermal Energy In Cyclical Process
 What is thermodynamic engine?
 A device that transform thermal energy to
mechanical energy or mechanical energy to thermal
energy.
 Boyle’s Law
 When volume of gas increase, the pressure decrease
 Two crucial features for engine:
 It must work in cycle to be useful
 The cyclic engine must have more than one heat
resevoir
 Terms
 Isothermal process
 Is a state change when there is no temperature
change occurs.
 Adiabatic process
 Is a state change when there is no transfer of heat to
or from the system during the process
Nikolaus Otto
 The Otto Cycle
 Otto invented the gasoline engine in 1876
 The gasoline engine works on 4 principle
 The four-stroke principles of the gasoline
engine are
 The intake stroke
 The compression stroke
 The power stroke (combustion stroke)
 The exhaust stroke
OTTO 4-STROKE CYCLE
OPERATION
Intake stroke
Compression Stroke
Combustion Stroke/ Spark Ignition
Creating Power stroke
Exhaust stroke
 Video taken from:
http://phys23p.sl.psu.edu/phys_anim/thermo/indexer_thermo.html
 Isothermal process
 Is a state change when there is no temperature
change occurs.
 Adiabatic process
 Is a state change when there is no transfer of heat to
or from the system during the process
How petrol a.k.a otto cycle works?
1. The inlet valve open. The exhaust valve clossed.
2. Intake stroke: a mixture is drawn into the cylinder
(through the inlet valve as the piston moves down
3. Compression stroke: the piston moves up,
compressing the gas adiabatically. The temperature
increases to about 300 degree celcius
4. Spark ignites the petrol
5. Exhaust stroke: the rest of the burnt gas is expelled
as the piston moves up.
Rudolf Diesel
 How the diesel engine work?

Diesel engine works on two stroke:

i. Power stroke
ii. Compression stroke
How the diesel engine work:
1. The highly charged compressed air filled the
piston which is at the top of its travel. Then,
diesel fuel is sprayed in and it is quickly
ignites. This is because of the pressure and heat
contained in the cylinder.
2. The pressure (created by the combustion of
fuel) resulted the piston to move downward
and this is called the Power stroke.
3. The exhaust gas is drawn out as the exhaust
valve open when the piston nears the bottom
relieving the pressure.
4. The piston moves further down, it uncover
another intake ports. This allow the intake of of
gases into the cylinder .
. The piston moves up and pressurize
the air inside the cylinder and force the
exhaust gases that remains out of the
cylinder through the exhaust port. This
is called the compression stroke
6. As the piston nears the top of the
cylinder, the cycle repeats with step 1.
8.1.2 Explain what is meant by
degraded energy