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Unit of study_
MECH8260: Thermal Engineering and Environment
2025 unit information
This unit aims to develop an understanding of the principles of thermodynamics - energy, entropy and exergy balances, and the principles of heat transfer - conductive, convective and radiative heat transfer, and the application of these principles to analysis of engineering and environmental systems. Course content includes: 1) Thermodynamics - energy, entropy and exergy balances for closed and steady flow systems involving pure substances and mixtures, mixing and separation, psychrometry and air-conditioning, and chemically reacting systems, 2) Heat Transfer - thermal circuits, steady state and transient conduction, heat exchangers, forced and natural convection, boiling and radiation. At the end of this unit students will have the ability to apply the principles of thermodynamics and heat transfer to solve a wide range of problems that commonly occur in thermal engineering practice. This will include: 1) thermodynamic analysis of devices such as compressors, turbines, heat exchangers, nozzles and combustors, engines and fuel cells, mixing and separation of gaseous and liquid mixtures and heating, air conditioning and ventilation, and 2) heat transfer analysis of devices such as heat exchangers, fins and solar collectors, industrial processes such as quenching and annealing, buildings and Earth's energy budget. Students will also gain an appreciation for the importance of designing with an aim to reduce energy intensity and minimise emissions of greenhouse gases and other pollutants, in order reduce the impact of engineering projects on the environment.
Unit details and rules
Managing faculty or University school:
Engineering
| Study level | Postgraduate |
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| Academic unit | Aerospace, Mechanical and Mechatronic |
| Credit points | 6 |
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Prerequisites:
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None |
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Corequisites:
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None |
| Prohibitions:
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MECH9260 |
| Assumed knowledge:
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Fundamentals of thermodynamics are needed to begin this more advanced course |
At the completion of this unit, you should be able to:
- LO1. Develop an understanding of the principles of thermodynamics including properties of matter, energy, entropy, exergy, 1st and 2nd law analysis, mixtures, chemically reacting systems.
- LO2. Apply the principles of thermodynamics to real engineering situations including thermodynamic cycles, air conditioning, combustion and mixing and separation of mixtures.
- LO3. Develop an understanding of the principles of heat transfer including steady and transient conduction, forced and natural convection, and radiation.
- LO4. Apply the principles of heat transfer to a variety of real engineering situations.
- LO5. Predict heat transfer rates and be able to design and size heat transfer equipment such as heat exchangers in order to achieve required heat transfer rates.
Unit availability
This section lists the session, attendance modes and locations the unit is available in. There is a unit outline for each of the unit availabilities, which gives you information about the unit including assessment details and a schedule of weekly activities.
The outline is published 2 weeks before the first day of teaching. You can look at previous outlines for a guide to the details of a unit.
| Session | MoA ? | Location | Outline ? |
|---|---|---|---|
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Semester 2 2025
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Normal day | Camperdown/Darlington, Sydney |
Outline unavailable
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Modes of attendance (MoA)
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