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2021　Thermodynamics of Nonequilibrium Systems

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Academic unit or major
Graduate major in Mechanical Engineering
Instructor(s)
Murakami Yoichi  Okuno Yoshihiro 
Class Format
Lecture     
Media-enhanced courses
Day/Period(Room No.)
Thr7-8()  
Group
-
Course number
MEC.E431
Credits
1
Academic year
2021
Offered quarter
1Q
Syllabus updated
2021/4/14
Lecture notes updated
-
Language used
English
Access Index

Course description and aims

The importance of non-equilibrium thermodynamics is accelerating in the field of mechanical engineering recently. Non-equilibrium thermodynamics provides useful theoretical framework toward various transport phenomena in advanced technologies such as fuel cells, secondary batteries, thermos-electric conversion, and plasma technologies. Specifically, this theoretical framework provides a set of equations used to systematically treat multiple transport processes (e.g., transport of heat, mass, and electrical charge) that proceed simultaneously in the same space and interactions among them.
The aim of this lecture is to have students effectively learn the contents of this course first by introducing the theoretical framework and equations employing basic engineering problems as examples and then by applying them to specific engineering problems.

Student learning outcomes

By completing this course, student will:
- Understand the concept and theory of thermodynamics for nonequilibrium systems
- Recognize the usefulness of the theoretical framework for treating broad engineering problems related to transport phenomena
- Become able to use/apply it to specific engineering problems

Keywords

Transport phenomena, Batteries, Thermo-electric effects, Soret effect, Thermodynamics, Plasma phenomena

Competencies that will be developed

✔ Specialist skills Intercultural skills Communication skills Critical thinking skills Practical and/or problem-solving skills
✔ Higher level of expertise relevant to the area of energy-related technologies in the field of mechanical engineering.

Class flow

In AY2021, this course is held online via Zoom.
Each student has to take his/her own hand-written notes during the class. Doing a review after each class is strongly recommended to deepen one’s understandings on the lectured topic.
In some classes, supplementary materials will be provided online prior to the class; printing them out on papers before the class is strongly recommended for the ease of reading during the class.

Course schedule/Required learning

  Course schedule Required learning
Class 1 Outline and fundamental concept of non-equilibrium thermodynamics Learn fundamental concept of non-equilibrium thermodynamics and become able to explain the contents.
Class 2 Entropy generation, dissipation function, transport of heat/mass/charge Learn entropy generation, dissipation function, transports of heat/mass/charge, and flux equations, and become able to explain the contents.
Class 3 Flux equation (continued), phenomenological coefficients, Onsager reciprocal relations Learn flux equation, phenomenological coefficients, Onsager reciprocal relations, and become able to explain the contents.
Class 4 Application of flux equation (1): Transport processes in concentration cells Application of flux equation (2): Transport processes in systems under temperature gradient Learn transport processes in concentration cells and those in systems under temperature gradient as applications of flux equation, and become able to explain the contents.
Class 5 Application of flux equation (2): Transport processes in systems under temperature gradient (continued) Learn transport processes in systems under temperature gradient and an introduction to transport processes in ion-exchange membranes as applications of flux equation, and become able to explain the contents.
Class 6 Application of flux equation (3): Introduction to transport processes in ion-exchange membranes Application (1): Production process and energy transfer in plasmas Learn an introduction to transport processes in ion-exchange membranes as applications of flux equation and become able to explain the contents. Learn the production process and energy transfer in plasmas as an advanced topic relevant to nonequilibrium thermodynamics, and become able to explain the contents.
Class 7 Application (2): Applications of nonequilibrium plasmas Learn the applications of nonequilibrium plasmas as an advanced topic relevant to nonequilibrium thermodynamics, and become able to explain the contents.

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

To enhance effective learning, students are encouraged to spend approximately 100 minutes for reviewing the class content after each class by referring to one’s notes and supplementary course materials.

Textbook(s)

K. S. Forland, T. Forland, S. K. Ratkje, "Irreversible Thermodynamics: Theory and Applications" John Wiley & Sons

Reference books, course materials, etc.

S. Wisniewski, B. Staniszewski, R. Szymanic, "Thermodynamics of nonequilibrium processes", PWN-Polish Scientific.
S. R. de Groot, P. Mazur, "Non-equillibrium thermodynamics", North-Holland Publishing Co. or Dover Publications.

Assessment criteria and methods

Students are planned to be given exam questions to measure understandings of the course contents taught with the answer sheet to which answers are filled by handwriting; by deadline one has to scan it to a PDF file and submit to OCW (details will be announced later). [Note] In this exam, working with other people, showing your answer to other people, and seeing another people’s answer are strictly prohibited. All problems have to be worked with by yourself.

All the right answers and their derivation methods should be sought in the contents of the course taught and materials given in this course. Information obtained from the internet often differs considerably from the intentions and assumptions of the problem, and thus one should not rely on such information. One should prepare answers to the questions based on the knowledge learnt through the study of the contents of this course.

Related courses

  • Other mechanical engineering and energy related courses
  • MEC.E531 ： Plasma Physics

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

For graduate students:
None.

For undergraduate students:
Because this is a graduate level course, the enrollment is not permitted for undergraduate students except cases when the subject of this course is highly related to his/her graduate thesis research. If one is an undergraduate student and wishes to be enrolled in this course, one first need to contact the lecturer of this course for an interview. The enrollment permission may be given based on the reasons explained in the interview.

Other

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

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