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- Introduction to energy technologies
- Introduction to energy technologies
- Module 2: heat engines
This course introduces the energy technologies in use today, and those that are in the research stage as possible alternatives. This course is aligned with the textbook "Energy and the Environment" by Ristinen/Kraushaar. Instructor: Lee McMains
Introduction and instructions
In this module we will explore the concept of heat engines and look for common, everyday examples.
Objective and Big Questions
At the completion of this module you should be able to:
- Explain how a temperature difference can be used to do useful work.
- Explain how a heat engine works.
- Explain the differences between various internal combustion and external combustion engines.
As you work through this module please keep the following questions in mind:
- Can a heat engine be 100% efficient?
- What do these diverse engine designs have in common?
- How does each engine type exploit the temperature difference?
- What are the limitations of the engine types?
Timeframe
We will spend 1 week on this module.
Reading
For this module, please begin by reading pages 63-67, 72-79 of the textbook. Be sure to read the tables, look at the figures, and study the examples.
3 Minute Masteries
Please review (read the text and watch the associated video) the 3-Minute Masteries (3MMs) for this module which closely emulate in-class lectures (only much shorter!)
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Mechanical Equivalent of Heat I
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Mechanical Equivalent of Heat II
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How to Express 'Efficiency'
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Temperature Difference and Available Work
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Ways to Exploit a Temperature Difference
Assignment
PowerPoint: Heat Engine
Source:
OpenStax, Introduction to energy technologies. OpenStax CNX. Sep 27, 2013 Download for free at http://cnx.org/content/col11573/1.2
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