It is with great pleasure that we present this book to the public. In principle it is about thermodynamics, especially the simulation of thermo?uid systems. In popular opinion, thermodynamics is considered to be highly abstract and di?cult to comprehend with its many symbols. We endeavor to show the reader how simple and beautiful thermodynamics really is. To achieve this simplicity we apply two innovations: Forus,entropyisasubstance-likeconcept,akindofthermalcharge,analogous to the well-known electric charge, and not the abstract and incomprehensible Clausius integral. This is by no means a new idea: apart from Sadi Carnot himself, people such as Callendar (1911), Job (1971), Falk (1976) and Fuchs (1996) all adopt the same point of view. We stress where thermal charge is analogous with electric charge and also point out the di?erences between them. To represent thermal systems we use Bondgraphs (BG), which are admirably suited to this purpose. They allow us to avoid many complex equations with numerous subscripts and superscripts. Of course, literature on BG abounds, including three books by present co-author Prof. Thoma and several other books published by Springer. We use BG more as a means to clarify the nature of physical variables and theiranalogiesinother?eldsratherthanfromtheviewpointofelectronicdata processing. For example, the di?erence between c (speci?c heat at constant v volume)andc (speci?cheatatconstantpressure)iscommontoallmultipo- p Cs; and BG make this very clear.
Students, academics and researchers will find this book an invaluable contribution to the understanding of thermodynamics. In this new treatment of the subject, the authors focus on the principles of thermodynamic variables and the practical simulation of thermodynamic systems, and endeavour to show how simple thermodynamics really is by applying two innovations:
- The use of entropy as thermal charge and not as the incomprehensible Clausius integral (an idea which applies only in special cases);
- The use of Bond Graphs to represent relations among variables. This tool from control and systems engineering has been treated extensively in other publications by Springer, including two books by Prof. Thoma, and is succinctly explained here in an appendix.
The book opens with thermodynamics as universal science and with entropy as carrier of thermal power, and goes on to consider the effects of friction, including the Carnot cycle. Next, it treats systems with variable mass and variable mass flow and extends the concepts to chemical reactions and osmosis. Finally, descending by some 20 orders of magnitude, it considers single atoms and degrees of freedom of atoms, with statistical aspects of information theory. There are also sections on biology (written in collaboration with Prof. Henri Atlan of Paris and Jerusalem) and on earth science (global warming).
A modern approach with a strong emphasis on interdisciplinary engineering, this book offers a unique view of modern complex systems engineering and its ramifications, and contributes to the advance of pluridisciplinarity among scientists.
The Authors
Prof. Jean U. Thoma: Ph. D. in Physics, Professor of Mechanical Engineering. Originally a physicist who journeyed from hydrostatic engineering to biology through Bond Graphing and author of many books and publications on thesesubjects.
Dr. Gianni Mocellin, Civil Engineer, Master in Business Administration, Master in Artificial Intelligence, Ph. D. in Economics, user of Bond Graphs, a pluridisciplinarian in the true sense and an accomplished practitioner in psychology, robotics and expert systems.
