Ch# 17 SECOND LAW OF THERMODYNAMICS
ENGINE AND REFRIGERATOR
Reversible Processes
A process that can be retraced in exactly reverse order by reversing the conditions is called
reversible process.
Reversible process is idealised process that occurs slowly, maintaining equilibrium at all
stages and no energy losses due to friction and Radiation.
Examples: Isothermal expansion, Adiabatic expansion, Carnot cycle.
Irreversible Processes
A process that cannot be retraced in exactly reverse order by reversing the conditions is called
irreversible process.
Real-world processes with energy loss due to friction, heat transfer, are irreversible.
They Occur rapidly, with non-equilibrium states.
ENGINE is a thermodynamic device that converts thermal energy into mechanical energy.
PETROL ENGINE:
Petrol engine is an internal combustion engine designed to run on volatile fuel such as petrol
(gasoline) which has spark-ignition. It works on Otto cycle after the name of German engineer
Nicolaus Otto who first developed petrol engine in 1876. Although different engines are made
differ in their construction technology but they are based on the principle of Carnot cycle
MAIN COMPONENTS OF ENGINE:
1. Cylinders 2. Pistons 3. Crankshaft 4. Camshaft
5. Valves (Intake & Exhaust) 6. Spark Plugs 7. Fuel System
FOUR-STROKE CYCLE:
1. Intake Stroke (Isobaric)
Intake valve opens, Piston moves outward and air-fuel mixture enters into cylinder
Air-fuel mixture is drawn from carburettor/fuel injector at atmospheric pressure
By Muhammad. Masood Khan
Ch# 17 SECOND LAW OF THERMODYNAMICS
ENGINE AND REFRIGERATOR
2. Compression Stroke (Adiabatic)
Intake valve closes, Piston moves inward, compressing air-fuel mixture
Fuel mixture is compressed to one-tenth (1/10) of initial volume.
3. Power Stroke (Adiabatic)
Electric spark from spark plug ignites compressed air-fuel mixture
Piston moves outward, driven by explosive force
Crankshaft converts linear motion to rotary motion
4. Exhaust Stroke (Isobaric)
Exhaust valve opens, Piston moves inward, pushing exhaust gases out of cylinder and the
cycle then begins again.
Most motorbikes have one cylinder engine but cars usually have 4 cylinders on the same crank
shaft. The cylinders are timed on fire turn by turn in succession for a smooth running of the car.
Actual efficiency of properly tuned petrol engine is usually not more than 25% to 30% because of
friction and other heat losses.
DIESEL ENGINE:
Diesel engines are internal combustion engines that use compression-ignition to burn fuel and no
spark plug is needed, differing from petrol engines which use spark-ignition. It is named after
Rudolf Diesel (German investor and mechanical engineer). He patent his original design in 1892.
When the diesel fuel comes into contact with highly compressed air at high temperature it ignites
creating energy that derives the piston down transferring energy to the crankshaft. The efficiency
of diesel engine is about 35% to 40%.
FOUR-STROKE CYCLE
1. Intake Stroke: Air enters cylinder.
2. Compression Stroke: Air compressed (to 1/20) to high pressure and temperature.
3. Power Stroke: Fuel injected (Diesel sprayed), igniting and expanding gases.
By Muhammad. Masood Khan
Ch# 17 SECOND LAW OF THERMODYNAMICS
ENGINE AND REFRIGERATOR
4. Exhaust Stroke: Burnt gases are expelled.
ADVANTAGES DISADVANTAGES
1. Better Fuel Efficiency 1. Noisier Operation
2. Increased Torque therefore ideal for heavy- 2. Higher Emissions
duty applications. 3. More Complex Fuel System
3. Longer Engine Life 4. Higher Initial Cost
4. Lower Operating Costs
Refrigerator:
A device that causes heat to flow from cold body to hot body by doing work on the gas
(refrigerant), is called refrigerator.
Fridge, freezer and air conditioner are the examples of refrigerator.
Basic Components of Refrigerator:
1. Compressor 2. Condenser Coils 3. Expansion Valve 4. Evaporator Coils 5. Refrigerant
Refrigeration Cycle / Working of Refrigerator:
1. Compression: Compressor compresses the gas/ refrigerant, raising temperature and pressure.
2. Condensation: Hot refrigerant flows through condenser coils (located behind the refrigerator),
releasing heat to warm surrounding air.
3. Expansion: Refrigerant passes through expansion
valve, reducing pressure and temperature.
4. Evaporation: Cold refrigerant flows through
evaporator coils (located in the walls of refrigerator),
absorbing heat from interior. Cycle repeats,
maintaining cool temperature.
When work (∆W) is done on the refrigerant (gas)
by external means, QC amount of heat is taken from
cold body and expels QH amount of heat to the hot
body which can be written as, QH = QC + ∆W.
Efficiency of Refrigerator/Coefficient of
Performance
Efficiency of a refrigerator is determined by a
Coefficient of Performance (K) which is the ratio of output (heat taken by cold body QC) to the
input (Work done on the gas ∆W),
𝑄𝐶 𝑄𝐶
𝜅= ; 𝜅=
∆𝑊 𝑄𝐻 − 𝑄𝐶
By Muhammad. Masood Khan
