Times
of London Higher Education Supplement review
of Thermodynamics by Stephen R. Turns
- The following review of Thermodynamics,
is by Henrik Jeldtoft Jensen, professor of
mathematical physics, Imperial College London.
The review appeared in Times of London
Higher Education Supplement which can
be viewed at http://www.thes.co.uk/ (note:
may be required to register on-line to access
review).
Title: Thermodynamics: Concepts and Applications.
First Edition
Author: Stephen R. Turns
"Thermodynamics can, perhaps, sometimes appear
a bit of an old, somewhat involved and not very
lively subject. This book demonstrates magnificently
that it is a hot topic of great relevance to all
aspects of technology. In a truly Herculean effort,
Stephen Turns has produced a book that seems to
make it impossible not to become first curious
and then very well versed in the applications of
thermodynamics to engineering. I think the book
is ideal for any undergraduate course. It can be
studied at various levels and will be an excellent
source of motivation and inspiration for students.
Moreover, it is an endless resource for individual
study and exam preparation.
The book makes good use of pedagogical devices.
Each chapter starts with a list of learning objectives
and a chapter overview, and each chapter is followed
by a key concepts section and a definitions checklist,
a list of references and a handy overview of notation,
a long list of qualitative questions, and each
chapter ends with a phenomenal list of quantitative
problems. The list of 100-150 problems is conveniently
ordered in subject areas. The book is richly illustrated
throughout and plenty of diagrams make following
the explanations straightforward. Very little mathematics
is assumed, of which the most advanced consist
of the simplest forms of differential equations
and integrals. To help the reader to gradually
become familiar with the material, each chapter
contains many worked examples. Most of these are
typical engineering problems, involving things
such as pistons or turbines. But some of the examples
and problems are more imaginative and stimulating.
I stumbled over the following example, which I
find particularly good: "Consider a 6cm-diameter
orange growing on a tree. A cold front causes the
ambient temperature to drop rapidly from 50F to
30F. Estimate the initial rate of temperature change
(dT/dt) of the orange if the convective heat-transfer
coefficient is approximately 1.5W/m2K." The
author has also taken care to put material in historical
context, which adds to the book's appeal.
The book covers traditional introductory material
for engineers. Fundamental ideas are described
in a "Beginnings" chapter followed by
an explanation of how thermodynamics and processes
are related in general. The importance of mass
and energy conservation is described, and the first
and second laws of thermodynamics are explained.
These concepts are then specifically applied to
steady-flow devices and power production, propulsion
and thermal engines in the final two chapters.
The pages are colour coded to make it easy to navigate
the book at one of the three levels: basic, intermediate
or advanced. A comprehensive index makes it straightforward
to find the relevant sections in a book so big
that few will ever read it cover to cover. A CD
is included with the software from the National
Institute of Standards and Technology on "Thermophysical
properties of pure fluids" (NIST12 version
5.2), which should be very useful when solving
many of the problems. Solutions, images and PowerPoint
presentations are available from a password-protected
Cambridge University Press website". (11/06)
Fall
2006 Undergraduate Commencement will
be Friday, December 22, 2006 at 10:00
a.m., at the Bryce
Jordan Center, University Park, PA.
The
Department of Mechanical and Nuclear Engineering
is hosting a continental breakfast reception
in honor of our 2006 B.S. degree candidates. Invitations
have been mailed to Fall 2006 Graduates home
addresses. All Fall 2006 B.S. degree candidates
and their families/guests are welcome to join
us to celebrate their accomplishments. RSVP's
are due to the Undergrad Office by 12/1. The
reception is Friday, December 22nd from
8:00 a.m. to 9:30 a.m. Graduates must
be in their seats for the ceremony by 9:30 a.m.
If you have any questions, please contact Erin
Swanger at 814-863-1503 or enf1@engr.psu.edu. (11/06)
Annual ANS
Meeting - The Penn State Nuclear Engineering
Program and the Penn State Nuclear Engineering
Society (PSNES) recently hosted a reception for
Nuclear Engineering alumni and friends at the
2006 American Nuclear Society Meeting that was
held on Monday, November 13th, 2006, at the DoubleTree
Hotel in Albuquerque, NM. The reception
was attended by approximately 150 guests. For more
information on PSNES and other upcoming
events, visit our website at: http://www.mne.psu.edu/Alumni&Friends/PSNES.htm, Click
here to see photos highlighting the 2006 ANS/PSU reception. (11/06)
The Pennsylvania Transportation Institute
(PTI) has announced the program directors
for its three principal research areas, according
to John Mason, Jr., the Institute’s director
and associate dean for graduate studies, research
and outreach for the College of Engineering at
Penn State. Read
full story here. (pdf) (11/06)
Professor
Vigor Yang has been appointed the John L. and
Genevieve H. McCain Chair in Mechanical Engineering. The
John L. and Genevieve H. McCain Chair in Engineering
was established by John L. McCain, in memory
of his wife Genevieve, to enhance the University’s
commitment to the Commonwealth by providing
a distinguished faculty member in the College
of Engineering the opportunity to continue
and further scholarly excellence through contributions
to instruction, research, and public service. Yang's
research interests include combustion instabilities
in propulsion systems, chemically reacting
flows in air-breathing and rocket engines,
combustion of energetic materials, and high-pressure
thermodynamics and transport. He has
supervised 41 Ph.D. and 15 M.S. theses, and
collaborated with 21 post-doctoral fellows
and visiting professors. Read
full story here. (11/06)
