A concise treatment of the fundamentals of thermodynamics is presented in this book. In particular, emphasis is placed on discussions of the second law, a unique feature of thermodynamics, which states the limitations of converting thermal energy into mechanical energy. The entropy function that permits the loss in the potential of a real thermodynamic process to be assessed, the maximum possible work in a process, and irreversibility and equilibrium are deduced from the law through physical and intuitive considerations. They are applicable in mitigating waste heat and are useful for solving energy, power, propulsion and climate-related issues.
The treatment is not restricted to properties and functions of ideal gases. The ideal gas assumption is invoked as a limiting case. Reversible paths between equilibrium states are obtained using reversible heat engines and reversible heat pumps between environment and systems to determine the entropy changes and the maximum work. The conditions of thermodynamic equilibrium comprising mechanical, thermal, chemical and phase equilibrium are addressed and the species formed at equilibrium in a chemical reaction at a given temperature and pressure are obtained. The molecular basis for the laws of thermodynamics, temperature, internal energy changes, entropy, reversibility and equilibrium are briefly discussed.
The book serves as a reference for undergraduate and graduate students alongside thermodynamics textbooks.