Thermodynamic Concepts in Civil Engineering

Abstract

Thermodynamics is not always done well or usefully brought to bear in civil engineering. This paper addresses historical aspects of misunderstandings of thermodynamic concepts; applies the Second Law of Thermodynamics to applications including shock waves in compressible fluid flow, the tidal bore, spillway flow , and junction flow. Additional applications of thermodynamics in civil engineering are discussed. These include deriving hydraulic transient wave celerities for waterhammer analyses; the First Law of Thermodynamics for a closed system and for a control volume; one-dimensional flow, energy loss due to friction; parallel incompressible flow; application of the control volume to a pressure conduit; the modified Bernoulli equation; tees with small inflow and outflow branches; isentropic flow of a perfect gas and its application to flow metering, determination of choked flow conditions, and determination of the shaft power required to drive a blower.