Qualifier Applications open for Sep 2026 term , Last date to Apply : Sep 27, 2026

Course

Thermodynamics for Aerospace Engineers

The course has the following objectives: (i) To understand the concepts & laws of energy conversion involving heat and work interactions (ii) To learn about the property changes occurring in substances during energy conversion processes (iii) To be able to understand the working principles of energy conversion devices (iv) To appreciate the limitations for energy conversion and estimate the maximum performance attainable in practical devices

Course ID: BSAS2000
Course Credits: 4
Course Type: Diploma
Pre-requisites: None

What you'll learn

The student should be able to formulate a system or control volume type analysis in practical energy conversion problems and apply energy/ mass balances correctly.
The student should be able to represent various energy conversion processes using thermodynamic state diagrams.
The student should be able to estimate property changes in substances through appropriate property relationships or property tables.
The student should be able to evaluate the ideal and actual performance characteristics for various devices/ processes, by applying I and II laws of Thermodynamics.

Course structure & Assessments

4 credit course, weekly online assignments, 2 in-person invigilated quizzes, 1 in-person invigilated end term exam. For details, visit Academics.

Week 1 Fundamentals: System & Control volume; Property, State & Process; Exact & Inexact differentials; Measurement of absolute pressure & Δp
Week 2 Work: Thermodynamic definition of work; examples; Displacement work; Path dependence of displacement work and illustrations for simple processes; Fully resisted, partially resisted and unresisted process; Other forms of work - gravitational, electrical, magnetic, spring and shaft
Week 3 Temperature & Heat: Definition of thermal equilibrium; Zeroth law; Definition of temperature and temperature scales; Various Thermometers; Definition of heat; Examples of heat/work interaction in systems
Week 4 & 5 First Law for System : I Law for Cyclic & Non-cyclic processes; Concept of total energy E; Demonstration that E is a property; Various modes of energy
Week 5,6,7 First Law for Flow Processes: Derivation of general energy equation for a control volume; Steady state steady flow processes; Examples of steady flow devices; Unsteady processes
Week 8 Pure substance: Two property rule; Enthalpy and internal energy; Properties of Ideal Gases and Mixtures of Ideal Gases; Properties of water-steam system; Const. temperature and Const. pressure heating of water; Definitions of saturated states; P-v-T surface; Use of steam tables- Saturation tables; Superheated tables, Identification of states & determination of properties
Week 8 , 9 Second law: Definitions of direct and reverse heat engines; Definitions of thermal efficiency and COP; Kelvin-Planck and Clausius statements; Definition of reversible process; Internal and external irreversibilities; Carnot cycle; Absolute temperature scale
Week 9,10 Entropy: Clausius inequality; Definition of entropy S ; Demonstration that entropy S is a property; Evaluation of ΔS for solids, liquids, and ideal gases undergoing various processes ; Determination of s from steam tables; Examples - Turbine, compressor, pump, nozzle, diffuser; Definition of Isentropic efficiency; Available and Unavailable energy; Concept of Irreversibility and Lost work
Week 11,12 Thermodynamic cycles: Otto, Diesel and basic Brayton cycles

Prescribed Books

The following are the suggested books:

Nag, P.K, 2018, 6th Edition, Engineering Thermodynamics, Tata McGraw-Hill Publishing Co, Ltd. Reference Books:

Spalding, D. B. and Cole, E. H., 1976, Engineering Thermodynamics, Edward Arnold Publishers Ltd., London.

Sonntag, R. E, Borgnakke, C. and Van Wylen, G. J., 2003, 6th Edition, Fundamentals of Thermodynamics, John Wiley and Sons

Jones, J. B. and Duggan, R. E., 1996, Engineering Thermodynamics, Prentice-Hall of India

Moran, M. J. and Shapiro, H. N., 1999, Fundamentals of Engineering Thermodynamics, John Wiley and Sons.

Venkatesh, A. Basic Engineering Thermodynamics, Universities Press (India) Limited, 2007.