Syllabus for EGM-321
THERMODYNAMICS
This course investigates the basic properties and behavior of thermodynamic systems. Topics include temperature, pressure, work and heat, and heat transfer. The laws of thermodynamics ideal with gas equation, calorimetric, thermal processes, and entropy will be covered. Fundamental thermodynamic principles are applied to the analysis of heat engines, generation facilities, and refrigeration cycles.
Thermodynamics is a study of the science of energy. Thermodynamics deals with equilibrium states and changes from one equilibrium state to another. Words like equilibrium, states, phases, thermodynamic intensive/extrinsic properties, systems, control volumes, processes, and cycles will be defined and used to show all aspects of energy and energy transformations. From the fundamental concept of conservation of energy, comes the First Law of Thermodynamics (attributed to Lord Kelvin and others back around 1850) where energy is shown to be a thermodynamic property. The fundamental concept of conservation of mass is used in conjunction with the conservation of energy to solve thermodynamic problems involving mass flowing across system boundaries along with various energy transport mechanisms (heat, mechanical work, non-mechanical work) that can occur.
The Second Law of Thermodynamics asserts that energy has quality as well as quantity where actual processes occur in the direction of decreasing quality of energy. The second law is used to develop the absolute thermodynamic temperature scale. Its application to cycles and cyclic devices, such as the Carnot heat engines, refrigerators, and heat pumps, will be studied. Expressions for thermal efficiencies and coefficients of performance for reversible heat engines, heat pumps, and refrigerators are included.
The thermodynamic property called entropy is explained by studying its uses in commonly encountered engineering processes. Unlike energy, entropy is a non-conserved property. A special class of idealized processes, called isentropic processes, is examined for entropy changes that take place during processes involving pure substances, incompressible substances, and ideal gases.
The application of thermodynamics to power cycles and refrigeration cycles concludes the material in this course. Of particular interest is the vapor power cycle in which the working fluid is alternately vaporized (steam) and condensed (liquid). Ways to modify the basic Rankine cycle to increase the cycle thermal efficiency will be discussed.
After completing this course, students will be able to:
You will need the following materials to complete your coursework. Some course materials may be free, open source, or available from other providers. You can access free or open-source materials by clicking the links provided below or in the module details documents. To purchase course materials, please visit the University's textbook supplier.
ISBN: 9780078027680
[Note: This course will cover Part I of this book.]
ISBN-10: 9780071830829
For those students who have not applied their Calculus I knowledge recently, the following web-linked math tutorials are recommended for refresher.
Thermodynamics is a three-credit online course, consisting of eight modules. Modules include an overview, topics, study materials, and activities. Module titles are listed below.
Course objectives covered in this module include objectives 1, 2
Course objectives covered in this module include objective 3
Course objectives covered in this module include objective 4
Course objectives covered in this module include objective 5
Course objectives covered in this module include objective 6
Course objectives covered in this module include objective 7, 8
Course objectives covered in this module include objective 9
Course objectives covered in this module include objective 10
For your formal work in the course, you are required to participate in online discussion forums, complete application exercises, and complete a midterm and a final exam. See below for more details.
Consult the Course Calendar for assignment due dates.
You are required to complete eight discussion forum assignments. Discussion forums are on a variety of topics associated with the course modules.
For posting guidelines and help with discussion forums, please see the Student Handbook located within the General Information page of the course Web site.
You are required to complete eight application exercises. Each of these application exercises presents a series of problems that will require you to apply the learning from each module to properly solve them.
For help regarding preparing and submitting assignments, see the Student Handbook located within the General Information page of the course Web site.
You are required to take two proctored online examinations. The exams require that you use the University's Online Proctor Service (OPS). Please refer to the Examinations and Proctors section of the Online Student Handbook (see General Information area of the course website) for further information about scheduling and taking online exams and for all exam policies and procedures. You are strongly advised to schedule your exams within the first week of the semester.
Online exams are administered through the course website. Consult the Course Calendar for the official dates of exam weeks.
Ungraded and untimed practice exams for the midterm and final exam are available. Since these practice exams contain questions that are similar to those that you will see on the graded exams, they should serve as an effective way to prepare for the exams. In the Examinations section of the course Web site, click on the Practice Midterm Exam link or the Practice Final Exam link to begin. Practice item keys are available in the assessment feedback immediately after completion of the practice exam.
Note: For a list of key concepts that may appear on your exam, refer to the study guide available in the Examinations section of the course website.
The midterm examination is a open-book, three hour exam worth 20 percent of your course grade. It will consist of 8 problems to solve and cover all topics and material from Module 1 through 4 of the course.
Note: For a list of key concepts that may appear on your exam, refer to the study guide available in the Examinations section of the course website.
The final examination is a open-book, three hour exam worth 20 percent of your course grade. It will consist of 8 problems to solve and cover all topics and material from Module 5 through 8 of the course.
You are on your honor not to cheat during the exam. Cheating means:
If there is evidence that you have cheated or plagiarized in your exam, the exam will be declared invalid, and you will fail the course.
Your grade in the course will be determined as follows:
All activities will receive a numerical grade of 0–100. You will receive a score of 0 for any work not submitted. Your final grade in the course will be a letter grade. Letter grade equivalents for numerical grades are as follows:
A | = | 93–100 | C+ | = | 78–79 | |
A– | = | 90–92 | C | = | 73–77 | |
B+ | = | 88–89 | C– | = | 70–72 | |
B | = | 83–87 | D | = | 60–69 | |
B– | = | 80–82 | F | = | Below 60 |
To receive credit for the course, you must earn a letter grade of C or better (for an area of study course) or D or better (for a course not in your area of study), based on the weighted average of all assigned course work (e.g., exams, assignments, discussion postings, etc.).
To succeed in this course, take the following first steps:
Consider the following study tips for success:
To ensure success in all your academic endeavors and coursework at Thomas Edison State University, familiarize yourself with all administrative and academic policies including those related to academic integrity, course late submissions, course extensions, and grading policies.
For more, see:
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