
4. Heat, Work, and Thermodynamic Processes 57
Lumped parameter volume is a term applied to a system to emphasize the
fact that there is only one temperature and pressure describing the entire system.
Distributed parameter volume, also known as subdivided volume, implies
that a system is subdivided into several lumped volumes to increase the amount of
detail we seek about the system while undergoing a process.
Adiabatic process refers to a thermodynamic process where there is no heat
transfer to or from the system.
Reversible is an ideal process which, at the conclusion of the process, can be
reversed to bring the system and its surroundings to the same exact condition as it
was prior to the original process. Reversible processes are further discussed in
Section 9 of this chapter.
Work, W is a form of energy transfer between a system and its surroundings if
its net effect results in lifting a weight in a gravitational field. Various types of
work are described in Section 4.3. The relation between heat (defined later in this
section), work, and total energy is described in Section 6. This relation is gener-
ally referred to as the energy equation or energy balance. We assign a plus sign to
the term representing work in the energy equation if work is delivered from the
system to its surroundings. Otherwise we assign a minus sign. Work is not prop-
erty of a system and must cross the boundary of the system. Work is expressed in
J, kJ, or m
·kgf in the SI system. In British units, work is given in Btu or less fre-
quently used units of ft
·lbf.
Power,
W
is defined as the rate of energy transfer by work, W
= dW/dt.
Since W = F × L where F is force and L is distance, then
W
= F × V = (∆P × A) ×
V =
∆P × V
= (∆P/
ρ
) × m
. As described in Section 5, V
and m
are the volu-
metric flow rate and the mass flow rate, respectively.
Power is expressed in units of J/s, Watt (W, being the same as J/s), kilowatt
(kW), megawatt (MW), gigawatt (GW), Btu/s, Btu/h, or horsepower (hp).
Heat,
Q as a form of energy in transition is transferred due to a temperature
gradient between two systems or a system and its surroundings, in the direction of
decreasing temperature. The fact that heat flows solely due to temperature differ-
ence resembles the flow of water from a reservoir due to elevation difference or
the flow of electricity from a capacitor (or from a battery) in an electric circuit due
to potential difference. As shown in the left figure, when the valve is opened, wa-
ter flows. The middle figure also shows that when the switch is turned on, electric
current would be established in the circuit. Similarly, if we drop a hot block of
copper into a bucket of colder water, heat flows from the copper to the water. By
convention, if heat is delivered to a system we assign a plus sign to the term repre-
senting it in the energy equation. Conversely, if heat is transferred from the sys-
tem to its surroundings, the sign is negative. Like work, heat is not a property of a
system and it must cross the boundary of the system. Heat is expressed in J, kJ, or
m
·kgf in the SI system. In British units, heat is given in Btu or less frequently
used units of ft
·lbf.