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Mechanical Engineering vocabulary · Thermodynamics and Heat Transfer

Thermodynamics

Meaning in mechanical engineering, with examples

/ˌθɜːrmoʊdaɪˈnæmɪks/nounCore term

In mechanical engineering, thermodynamics means: The branch of physics and engineering that studies heat, work and energy and how they change from one form to another, for example in engines, turbines and refrigerators.

In Turkish: termodinamik

How it is used

A core course for every mechanical engineer and the basis of power plants, engines, HVAC and refrigeration. People refer to the first law (energy is conserved) and the second law (heat flows from hot to cold; entropy). It takes a singular verb: thermodynamics is.

Example sentences

  1. According to the first law of thermodynamics, the energy entering the system equals the energy leaving it plus the change in stored energy.

  2. Thermodynamics was the hardest course in my second year.

Common collocations

  • first law of thermodynamics
  • second law of thermodynamics
  • engineering thermodynamics
  • thermodynamic cycle
  • heat transferThe movement of thermal energy from a hotter place to a colder one. It happens in three ways: conduction, convection and radiation.
  • efficiencyThe ratio of useful output to input, usually given as a percentage. A pump with 75% efficiency turns three quarters of its input power into useful work.
  • specific heatThe amount of heat needed to raise the temperature of 1 kg of a material by 1 °C (1 K). Water has a high value, about 4.18 kJ/(kg·K).
  • heat pumpA device that uses a refrigeration cycle to move heat from a cooler place, such as outdoor air or the ground, to a warmer place for heating, or the other way round for cooling.
  • boilerA closed vessel in which water is heated by burning fuel or by electricity, to produce hot water or steam for heating buildings or for industrial processes.

More terms: Thermodynamics and Heat Transfer

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