Thermal-Fluids Engineering 1: Basics of Thermodynamics and Hydrostatics
This course synthesizes thermodynamics, heat transfer, and fluid mechanics, mirroring the complexities of real-life thermal-fluid systems. In this module, the emphasis will be on the fundamentals of thermodynamics and hydrostatics.
Course Information
Certificate Track
Learn for Free
About this Course
This course serves as an introduction to the field of thermal-fluids engineering, which primarily revolves around the conversion of energy between different forms. Thermal-fluid engineering applications encompass a wide range of fields, such as computer cooling, energy conversion plants, and transportation. Given that thermal-fluids systems inherently incorporate the principles of thermodynamics, heat transfer, and fluid mechanics, this course aims to provide an integrated understanding of these fundamental scientific disciplines. This synthesized approach enables a comprehensive understanding of the subject matter and enhances the capacity to design thermal-fluid systems more effectively.
In this initial module, the emphasis will be on the fundamentals of thermodynamics and an introduction to fluid mechanics, specifically focusing on hydrostatics. The course will cover the following topics: the first and second laws of thermodynamics, entropy, the ideal gas model, thermodynamic cycles, hydrostatics, and rigid body motion of a fluid.
This course is based on the first third of MIT’s class 2.005 Thermal-Fluids Engineering 1, a core course for MIT Mechanical and Nuclear Engineering undergraduates. As such, this course is of relevance to undergraduate engineering students (e.g. mechanical, nuclear, aerospace, chemical) around the world and engineering professionals who wish to refresh or update their domain knowledge.
What you'll learn
- First and second law of thermodynamics for closed systems
- Entropy and its impact on engineering systems
- Ideal gas model
- Thermodynamic cycles
- Hydrostatics and rigid body motion of a fluid
Prerequisites
A solid understanding of undergraduate physics (specifically, classical mechanics) and multivariable calculus, especially comfort with differentiation and integration.
Meet your instructors
John Liu
Lecturer, Mechanical Engineering
John Liu is the Principal Investigator of the MIT Learning Engineering and Practice (LEAP) Group, which applies design and systems principles to solving challenges in learning and develops learning experiences to better meet the increasing demand for STEM skills in tomorrow’s workforce. He is a Lecturer in MIT's Mechanical Engineering department and Scientist of the MITx Digital Learning Laboratory. As the former Director of the Principles of Manufacturing MicroMasters program, he facilitated a team of faculty and instructors to develop content and innovate manufacturing education at MIT using digital technology.
His work includes engineering education, mixed reality and haptic experiences, workforce solutions to address the nation-wide manufacturing skills gap, open-ended assessments for scalable education settings, and instructional design theory for massively open online courses. He earned his B.S. in Applied Physics from Caltech and S.M. and Ph.D. and S.M. in Mechanical Engineering from MIT, under an MIT-SUTD fellowship and NSF Graduate Research Fellowship.
