The Essence of Engineering Thermodynamics (The Essence of Engineering)

By Jason A. McGovern and James A. McGovern

This introductory text for engineering students of all disciplines looks at the properties of substances and the first, second and zeroth laws of thermodynamics. The non-flow energy equation and the... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0135181925
• ISBN13: 9780135181928
• Release Date: January 1996
• Publisher: Pearson P T R
• Length: 251 Pages
• Weight: 0.78 lbs.
• Dimensions: 9.5" x 1.0" x 6.3"

Customer Reviews

Excellent

This review will not be from the standpoint of an engineering professional but from that of a general reader. From this vantage point the book is excellent. The work provides a lucid, clear, and well written exposition of the basic concepts and applications of engineering thermodynamics. The author uses mathematics sufficiently to clarify and quantify the concepts without overwhelming the reader. Particularly helpful was the detailed description of the Carnot and Rankine themodynamic cycles. This book is well worth the attention anyone bestows upon it.

Meticulous, concise and to the point.

Typical of McGovern's style, this book is written in a very concise and meticulous manner. Despite the very many excellent publications available addressing the subject area of thermodynamics, a lot of the language and terminology adopted tends to be outdated. McGovern is consistent, unambiguous and up-to-date in his choice of language. His case studies are well chosen, well worked and serve to reinforce the subject matter. The summaries and practical tips are most useful. The author argues in favour of adopting the new convention of taking work inputs as positive. Whilst people familiar with the old convention might find this a good enough reason for not using the book, they shouldn't be deterred. Personally, I feel that the use of a formal sign convention (old or new) for heat and work should be de-emphasised. Instead, students might benefit more if they were encouraged to adopt a more intuitive approach to assessing energy interactions. The introduction of "exergy analysis" as a topic in current thermodynamics textbooks is most welcome. McGovern rightly devotes a section of his book to the treatment of this important topic. To reinforce the idea that exergy is destroyed during an actual process however, I feel that the author might have incorporated the "exergy balance" concept to conclude his treatment of this subject. Nevertheless, the book is very easy to read and certainly achieves its stated objectives in providing a rigorous treatment of the subject matter with limited material. Anyone reading this book will definitely gain something from it.