Engineering thermodynamics

Abstract

Although various aspects of what is now known as thermodynamics have been of interest since antiquity, formal study began only in the early nineteenth century through consideration of the motive power of heat: the capacity of hot bodies to produce work. Today the scope is larger, dealing generally with energy and entropy, and with relationships among the properties of matter. Moreover, in the past 25 years engineering thermodynamics has undergone a revolution, both in terms of the presentation of fundamentals and in the manner that it is applied. In particular, the second law of thermodynamics has emerged as an effective tool for engineering analysis and design.