E134: Advanced Thermodynamics

E134 will cover the application of classical thermodynamics to engineering systems, including power and refrigeration cycles, with greater focus on energy and process efficiency, real gases and non-ideal phases, and chemical reaction equilibria.

Statistical thermodynamics will also be introduced as a microscopic method to predict the macroscopic transport property values that are changed by chemical and thermal processes.

To supplement these technical topics, we will bring in critical historical discourse, ethical frameworks, and creative texts that challenge us to more deeply engage with the value systems that inform the dominant energy conversions of our modern lives, with particular attention to our cultural obsession with “useful work” and collective fear of “waste”.

The objectives of this course are:

• to provide a thorough fundamental background and develop greater intuition for concepts of classical and statistical thermodynamics.

• to strengthen critical thinking skills and analytical toolkit to understand and thoughtfully engage with local to global-scale energy issues.

• to foreground the sociopolitical and ecological impact of scientific advances in historical and modern industry and engineering practice.

• to build a framework for connecting ethical responsibility to your personal / professional duties as a member of an interconnected world.

• to cultivate a desire for challenging the curated set of “knowledge” that perpetuates systems of injustice and enforces dominant hierarchies.