TOKYO INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY

Course description and aims

Thermodynamics is a science that provides guidelines and formulations on any kinds of changes, and thus has been one of the most important disciplines regardless of academic fields. In engineering field, thermodynamics is a basic discipline when energy conversions, global energy and environmental problems, resource problems, and changes of the materials are described. Therefore, this course is a required subject that students in mechanical engineering field should learn at first. In this course, students will learn various phenomena including those related to heat, work, and chemical energy, as well as physical laws governing these phenomena.

In particular, lectures will be given mainly on the following points:
1. Fundamental ideas used in thermodynamics (system, energy, temperature, heat, work, property, process, phase change, efficiency, entropy, exergy, etc.)
2. Laws of thermodynamics (the first law, the second law, etc.)
3. Thermodynamics related to chemical reactions (heat of reaction, rate of reaction, enthalpy of formation, Gibbs energy of formation, etc.)
4. Thermodynamics related to power cycles and refrigeration cycles (engines, turbines, refrigerators, air conditioners, etc.)

Student learning outcomes

The aim of this course is to accomplish the following two points:
＃1)
To understand and become able to explain the ideas and contents of thermodynamics, especially
1. Fundamental ideas used in thermodynamics
2. Laws of thermodynamics
3. Thermodynamics related to chemical reactions
4. Thermodynamics related to power cycles and refrigeration cycles
#2)
To become able to apply them to specific engineering problems.

This course corresponds to
“1. Technical expertise (fundamental technical expertise)”
of the learning target.

This course will be useful for later courses of “Heat Transfer”, “Energy Conversion”, etc.

Keywords

Heat, Work, Energy, Exergy, Heat engines, Power cycles, Refrigeration cycles

Competencies that will be developed

Class flow

In this course, students will learn the fundamentals of thermodynamics such as the concepts of temperature, state quantities and related laws first, and then learn the concept of thermodynamic cycle and feature of heat engines. Through the study, students train the fundamental abilities applicable for utilization of thermal energy in the engineering field.

Please do a review after each class so that you can understand the contents taught well.

Course schedule/Required learning

Out-of-Class Study Time (Preparation and Review)

To enhance effective learning, students are encouraged to spend approximately 100 minutes preparing for class and another 100 minutes reviewing class content afterwards (including assignments) for each class.
They should do so by referring to textbooks and other course material.

Textbook(s)

JSME Text Series "Thermodynamics", Japan Society of Mechanical Engineers (Japanese)
Each student has to buy this text book and bring it to every classes.

Reference books, course materials, etc.

Y. Mori, N. Isshiki, H. Kawata, "Introduction of Thermodynamics, Revised Edition", Yokendo Co. (Japanese).
Y. A. Cengel, M. A. Boles, “Thermodynamics: An Engineering Approach”, McGraw-Hill.
Other course materials may be provided during the course whenever needed.

Assessment criteria and methods

Grade evaluation will be conducted via a final examination (60-70%) and drills assigned during the classes (30-40%).
The final exam will take place on Aug. 7th in a lecture room. Please take this exam because this occupies the major part of the grade evaluation.

Notes for the exam:
*Please place your student ID card on the desk during the exam so that examiners can see it.
*What you can see during the exam is limited only to your hand-written summary written on both sides of one sheet of A4 paper. Reduced copies, that made by other people, and printed-out one, are not allowed for this.

Details will be announced such as by e-mail.

Related courses

• MEC.E311 ： Heat Transfer
• MEC.E331 ： Energy Conversion

Prerequisites (i.e., required knowledge, skills, courses, etc.)

Having basic knowledge of the differential and integral calculus is desirable.

Contact information (e-mail and phone)    Notice : Please replace from "[at]" to "@"(half-width character).

Kazuyoshi Fushinobu：fushinobu.k.aa[at]m.titech.ac.jp
Takashi Sasabe: sasabe.t.ab[at]m.titech.ac.jp
Manabu Kodama: tanaka.m.ay[at]m.titech.ac.jp

Office hours

You can ask questions regarding the contents taught during the class to the lecture by e-mail. The e-mail addresses are given above. Because you are supposed to do a review after each class, it would be a good timing for you to make questions on that timing. Asking questions just before the final exam (except questions on the class contents of 13th and 14th sessions of the class) may be difficult to be answered by us because of very large numbers students enrolled in this course.

Other

Actual correspondences between "Course schedule" and "Class ＃" (see above) may be different from those given above depending on the situation of progression, but the order of the contents taught will basically be kept as given above.