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Engineering Online

MAE 201 Thermal-Fluid Sciences

3 Credit Hours

An integrated introduction to the concept of energy and the laws governing the transfers and transformations of energy and momentum. Emphasis on thermodynamic properties and the First and Second Law analysis of systems and control volumes, internal flows and heat transfer in simple geometries.

Prerequisites

MA 242, PY 208 or 202.

Course Objectives

The objective of this course is to introduce students to the importance of fluid mechanics and thermodynamics, its relevance in the practical world, and teach them the principles and techniques which are used to solve real world problems. Upon completing the course, students will be able to:

  1. Understand and apply the principles/laws of thermodynamics to calculate various parameters of interest such as pressure (P), temperature (T), volume (V), energy transfer, etc.
  2. Determine property data from thermodynamic tables.
  3. Sketch P-V, T-V, and P-T plots, which will them visualize the behavior of pure substances.
  4. Carry out energy analysis in open and closed systems involving ideal gases and real gases as working fluids.
  5. Understand the second law of thermodynamics and the working of heat engines, heat pumps and refrigerators; Calculate efficiency and coefficient of performance.
  6. Understand the working of a few important power and refrigeration cycles.
  7. Understand the basics of different types of fluid flow.
  8. Understand the basic principles of fluid statics, buoyancy and stability.
  9. Apply Bernoulli’s equation for practical flow problems.
  10. Carry out pressure drop and head loss analysis in internal flows.
  11. Understand the different modes of heat transfer such as conduction, convection and radiation, and carry out heat transfer analysis in simple systems.

Course Outline

  • Introduction to thermal and fluid sciences; Relevance and applications.
  • Basic concepts of thermodynamics and thermodynamic laws
  • Properties of pure substances
  • Forms of energy, energy transfer and analysis
  • Energy analysis of open and closed system
  • Second law of thermodynamics; Introduction to Entropy
  • Power and refrigeration cycles
  • Basic concepts of fluid mechanics
  • Introduction to fluid statics and dynamics
  • Internal flow
  • Modes of heat transfer
  • Heat transfer analysis in simple systems

Course Requirements

• Number of assignments: 4; 50 points each; Lowest grade will be dropped
• Number of Quizzes: 5; 10 points Each; Lowest grade will be dropped
• Test 1: 50 points
• Test 2 (Final exam): 100 points

Course Total: 340 points

Textbook

  • Y.A. Cengel, J.M. Cimbala and R.H. Turner, Fundamentals of Thermal-Fluid Sciences, 5th Edition, The McGraw Hill Companies, New York, 2017. E-book will be provided by the instructor.
  • Y. A. Çengel, M. A. Boles and Mehmet Kanoglu, Thermodynamics: an Engineering Approach, 10th Ed, The McGraw Hill Companies, New York, 2023. Earlier available editions will also work. Property tables booklet to accompany Thermodynamics, an engineering approach if borrowed from the library.
  • Y.A. Cengel and J.M. Cimbala, Fluid Mechanics: Fundamentals and Applications, 4th Edition, The McGraw Hill Companies, New York, 2018. Earlier available editions will also work.

Software Requirements

Moodle will be used for this course. Other than that, no other software will be needed.

Created: 04/17/2025