Reversible Processes

 The second law of thermodynamics state that no

heat engine can have an efficiency of 100%.

 Then one may ask, what is the highest efficiency

that a heat engine can possibly have.

 Before we answer this question, we need to

define an idealized process first, which is called
the reversible process.

 The processes discussed earlier occurred in a

certain direction. They can not reverse
themselves irreversible processes.

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 Reversible Processes
 A reversible process is defined as a process that
can be reversed without leaving any trace on
either system or surroundings.

 This is possible if the net of heat and net work

exchange between the system and the
surrounding is zero for the combined process
(original and reverse).

Quasi-
equilibrium
expansion or
compression
of a gas
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 Reversible processes actually do not occur
in nature.

 They are simply idealization of actual

processes.

 Reversible processes can never be

achieved.

 You may be wondering, then, why we are

bothering with such fictitious processes:

1. Easy to analyze

2. Serve as idealized model

3
 Engineers are interested in reversible processes
because:

when Reversible processes are approximated

instead of the Actual ones

1. Work-producing devices such as car engine and

gas or steam turbine deliver the most work
output, and

2. Work-consuming devices such as compressors,

fans, and pumps consume the least work.
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 Reversible processes can be viewed as
theoretical limits for the corresponding not
reversible ones.

 We may never be able to have a reversible

process, but we may certainly approach it.

 The more closely we approximate a reversible

process, the more work delivered by a work-
producing device or the less work required by
a work-consuming device.

 Processes that are not reversible are called

Irreversible processes.
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 Reversible processes

 Ideal processes

 Irreversible processes

 Actual processes

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 Irreversible Process
 Ifthe process leaves any trace on
either system or surroundings,
then it is an irreversible.

 The factors that cause a process

to be irreversible are called
irreversibilities. They include:

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 1- Friction

 Work is done to raise the block and overcome

friction.
 Block is getting hotter due to friction.
 In the reverse process, the block is getting even
hotter due to friction.
 Heat should be rejected to the surrounding to bring it
back to its initial position.
 Hence, irreversible process.
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2- Unrestrained expansion

 Unrestrained expansion means W=0

 To bring the gas back to its initial pressure and Temperature,

work must be supplied by surrounding.

 Hence irreversible process.

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,Mixing of two gases -3

 Work should be supplied from the

surrounding to separate the two gases.
 Hence, irreversible process.
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 Heat transfer through a -4
finite temperature difference
1. A system at a high temperature body and
a low temperature body, let heat be High Temperature
transferred from TH to TL .

2. The only way to bring the system back to

TL is to cool it by refrigerator. Q Q
3. The refrigerator requires work from the
surrounding Winput. Low Temperature

4. The net effect is extra heat rejected to the

surrounding equal in magnitude to the
work.

5. Hence it is an irreversible process.

Ref W
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6. Since the surrounding is permanently affected,
heat transfer through a finite temperature
difference is an irreversible process.

7. The smaller the temp difference the smaller the

irreversibility.

8. As T approaches zero, the process can be

reversed in direction (at least theoretically)
without requiring any refrigeration.

9. This is a conceptual process and can not be

done in real world.

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Internally and Externally
Reversible Process
• A process is called internally reversible
if no irreversibility occur within the
boundaries of the system during the
process.

• A process is called externally

reversible if no irreversibility occur
outside the system boundaries during
the process.

• A process is called totally reversible or

simply reversible if it involves no
irreversibility within the system or its 13

surroundings during the process.

Heat transfer process and finite
temperature difference process
1. For a Heat transfer process Q 0
to be revisable process it
has to be an Isothermal
process.
T  0

2. For a finite temperature

difference process to be T  0
revisable process it has to
be an adiabatic process. Q 0

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 Cycles that are composed of reversible
processes will give the maximum net work
and consumes the minimum work.
 One of these cycles is the

Carnot Cycle.
 Named for French engineer Nicolas Sadi
Carnot (1769-1832)
 It is composed of four processes as
follows:

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Process 1-2: A reversible
isothermal expansion
 The gas is allowed
to expand
isothermally by
receiving heat ( QH)
from a hot
reservoir.

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Process 2-3: A reversible adiabatic
expansion
The cylinder now is
insulated and the gas
is allowed to expand
adiabatically and thus
doing work on the
surrounding.
The gas temperature
decreases from TH to
TL.
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Process 3-4: A reversible
isothermal compression
The insulation is
removed and the
gas is compressed
isothermally by
rejecting heat (QL)
to a cold reservoir.

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Process 4-1: A reversible
adiabatic compression
 The cylinder is
insulated again
and the gas is
compressed
adiabatically to
state 1, raising its
temperature from
TL to TH

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 Net work done by Carnot cycle is the
area enclosed by all process

The Carnot
cycle is the
most efficient
cycle
operation
between two
specified
temperatures
limits.
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Carnot cycle can be executed in many
different ways

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Reversed Carnot Cycle
Process 1-2: The gas expands adiabatically (throttling
valve) reducing its temp from TH to TL.
Process 2-3: The gas
expands isothermally at
TL while receiving QL
from the cold reservoir.
Process 3-4: The gas is
compressed
adiabatically raising its
temperature to TH.
Process 4-1: The gas is
compressed
isothermally by
rejecting QH to the hot
reservoir.
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Reversed Carnot Cycle

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Carnot principles
1. No heat engine is more
efficient than a reversible
one operating between
the same two reservoirs.

2. The thermal efficiencies

of all reversible heat
engines operating
between the same two
reservoirs are the same.
Low temperature reservoir at TL

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The Thermodynamic Temperature Scale
The second Carnot principle state For reversible cycles
that the thermal efficiencies of all  QH  T
reversible heat engines operating    H
 QL  rev TL
between the same two reservoirs
are the same.
hth, rev = f (TH,TL)
A temperature scale that is
independent of the properties of the
substances that are used to measure
temperature is called a
thermodynamic temperature scale.
That is the Kelvin scale, and the
temperatures on this scale are called
absolute temperatures. 25
Efficiency of a Carnot Engine
 For a reversible cycle the amount of heat
transferred is proportional to the temperature
of the reservoir.

QL TL
rev  1  1
QH TH
Only true for the
reversible case
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COP of a Reversible Heat Pump and a
Reversible Refrigerator

1 1
COPHP ,rev   Only true
1  QL QH 1  TL TH for the
reversible
1 1 case
COPR ,rev  
QH QL  1 TH TL  1

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How do Reversible Carnot Heat Engine
compare with real engines?

thermal  th
 th ,rev irreversib le heat engine

th   th ,rev reversible heat engine
 
 th ,rev impossible heat engine

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How do Carnot Refrigerator compare with
real Refrigerator?

COP of Refrigerator COP of Carnot Refrigerator

1 1
COPR  COPR ,rev ,
QH TH
1 1
QL TL

 COPR ,rev irreversib le refrigerator


COPR   COPR ,rev reversible refrigerator
  COP impossible refrigerator
 R ,rev

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How do Carnot Heat Pump compare with
real one?

COP of real Heat Pump COP of Carnot Heat Pump

1 1
COPHP  COPHP ,rev 
Q T
1 L 1 L
QH TH

 COPHP ,rev irreversib le Heat Pump


COPHP   COPHP ,rev reversible Heat Pump
  COP impossible Heat Pump
 HP ,rev

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How to increase the efficiency of a real heat
engine?

QL
th  1 
QH
TL
 th ,rev 1
TH
1- Increase TH but you are limited with melting
temperature of the engine material.
2- Decrease TL but you are limited with your
environment.
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Example (5-8): Heating a House
by a Carnot Heat Pump
A heat pump is to be used to heat
a house during the winter, as
shown in the figure at right. The
house is to be maintained at 21oC
at all times. The house is
estimated to be losing heat at a
rate of 135,000 kJ/h when the
outside temperature drops to -
5oC. Determine the minimum
power required to drive this heat
pump.
Sol:

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Example (1)

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Example (2)

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Example (3)

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