thermodynamics

Notes and slides for a course on engineering thermodynamics.  I used the Dover edition of Carnot's book.

CSIRO division of Earth Science and Resource Engineering is seeking a Postdoctoral Fellow to develop a coupled Thermo-Hydro-Chemo-Mechanical (THCM) reservoir model for application to Engineered Geothermal Systems. To read the position details and to apply please visit this link: http://csiro.nga.net.au/?jobID=2aac9739-a118-8730-e510-64c65b15c683&audienceTypeCode=INT&appJobAd=1

For the third time I am teaching the graduate course on soft active materials.  This course is called Advanced Elasticity in the Catalog of Courses.  In the last several years, I have dropped several traditional topics, and focused on thermodynamics and finite deformation.  I have added several topics where both thermodynamics and finite deformation play significant roles, such as elastomeric gels and dielectric elastomers.

I have just volunteered to teach engineering thermodynamics to undergraduates in the Fall semester of 2011.  The students will be from all fields of engineering, primarily mechanical engineering, environmental engineering, and bioengineering.  I have never taught this course before, and would love to hear from you about your experience, either as a student or as a teacher. 

Here is what I have found from the website about the course.

Engineering Science 181 Engineering Thermodynamics

(Journal of Elasticity, Carlson memorial Volume)

A methodology is devised to utilize the statistical mechanical entropy of an isolated, constrained atomistic system to define the dissipative driving-force and energetic fields in continuum thermomechanics. A thermodynamic model of dislocation mechanics is discussed. One outcome is a definition for the mesoscale back-stress tensor and the symmetric, polar dislocation density-dependent, Cauchy stress tensor from atomistic ingredients.

Physical gels are characterized by dynamic cross-linksthat are constantly created and broken, changing its state between solid andliquid under influence of environmental factors.

In the study of thermoelastic actuation of dielectric elastomer, we can write the Helmholtz free-energy as a function of stretch ratio, nominal electric displacement and temperature (T).

The entropy (S) is the negative partial differential coefficient of W with respect of temperature (T). And we can see the change of S is due to three components: deformation, heat conduction and polarization. In an isothermal state, the deformation part has been fully investigated by Arruda and Boyce in 1993, but the polarization-induced entropy (Sp) has not been clearly stated.

Since my research touches on the basics of QM, I have developed this habit of visiting arXiv.org every now and then. Last week or so, at arXiv.org, I found a couple of interesting articles on physics in general. I would like to share these with you.

Series on Advances in Mathematics for Applied Sciences - Vol. 80

INELASTICITY OF MATERIALS- An Engineering Approach and a Practical Guide

by 

Please allow me to note that I have recently published in Philosophical Magazine a paper that presents a general approach to Gibbsian surface thermodynamics that includes a treatment of solid surfaces.  It can be accessed through the following link: 

http://www.informaworld.com/smpp/content~db=all~content=a792987191

This position is located in Lancaster, California.

Does anyone knows where I can find any paper discuss the existence of potential functinoal for materials that violate the maximum plastic dissipation principle (due to non-convex yield function and/or non-associately fluw rule)?

I have updated sections of my notes on thermodynamics.  A few thoughts on learning are collected here.  Of our world the following facts are known:

Lecturers - University of Michigan-Shanghai Jiao Tong University Joint Institute

For a system in thermal contact with the rest of the world, we have described three quantities: entropy, energy, and temperature. We have also described the idea of a constraint internal to the system, and associated this constraint to an internal variable.

A recent paper on JMPS has seriously questioned the foundation of the SGP theory of Fleck and Hutchinson.  The matter is not simple, but is it a good bench test for imechanica to discuss?

doi:10.1016/j.jmps.2008.12.002    

For a nanosystem,the total number of atoms(say less than 100),I want to knom In such a system the second law of thermodynamics is still effective ?

How to measure the temperature of a nanotube?