Conversion Processes: 1st and 2nd Law of Thermodynamics

Online units conversion site.

Figures from text (Fundamentals of Environmental Physics, Forinash): Chapter 2; Chapter 3.

Overheads, tables, web pages, instructor notes:

• Instructor notes on the First and Second laws of thermodynamics.
• More detailed notes on the Second Law and some statistical mechanics.
• A review of the 1st and 2nd laws and some notes about power (MIT web site).
• Table of heads and tails.
• Transmission efficency.
• Second law loss in electricity generation.
• Table of energy conversion efficiencies. Another.
• Cogeneration:
  • University of Wisconsin cogeneration project
  • Midwest CHP Application Center.
• Power chart for various processes.
• Heat Engines (P-V and S-T diagrams):
  • Heat engines and refrigerators.
  • Diesel (Hyperphysics web site); diagram.
  • Otto (Hyperphysics web site); diagram.
  • Comparison of Otto vs Diesel.
  • Rankine (Hyperphysics web site).
  • Brayton (Hyperphysics web site); diagram.
  • Stirling.
  • Steam engine efficiencies.
  • Maximum efficiency of other engines.
  • Heat pump schematic.
• Fuel cells and batteries, fuel cell reactions.
• Sonoluminescence.
• Home energy:
  • Home Energy Saver.
  • Home electricity calculator (how much appliances use).
  Project for monitoring your electric use.
• Cow.
• Effects of home improvement: 1, 2, 3.
• Ways to improve home energy use.
• Energy cost of building materials.
• R-Values.
• Self heating building in Canada.
• Lighting:
  • Bulb efficiencies/efficacies, cost over time.
  • LEDs, organic LED, cost.
• EIA report on home electric use; table, FAQ.
• Refrigerators versus electronics.
• Autodesk (programs for designing energy efficient buildings).
• Video game efficiency report from NRDC.
• Scaling (Philip Morrison).
• Perpetual Motion!
  • Unworkable devices.
  • History.

Articles:

• 'The Power of Sound' by S.L. Garrett and S. Backhaus, American Scientist vol. 88 No. 6 November-December (2000) p516. .
• 'A Low Pollution Engine Solution' by S. Ashely, Scientific American vol. 284 No. 6 June (2001) p90.
• 'The Promise and Challenge of Solid-State Lighting' by A Bergh, G. Craford A. Duggal and R. Haitz, Physics Today vol. 54 No. 12 December (2001) p42.
• �‘White LEDs poised for global impact’, J. Ouellette, Physics Today vol. 60 No. 12 December (2007) p25.
• 'Energy efficiency in the built environment' by L. R. Glicksman, Physics Today vol. 61 No. 7 July (2008) p35.
• 'Home photovoltaic systems for physicists', T. W. Murphy Physics Today vol. 61 No. 7 December (2008) p42.
• 'Getting the most from Energy', T. Casten, P. Schewe, Mielke, American Scientist, vol. 97 No. 1 January-February (2009) p 26.