Fundamental Concepts and Definitions

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Thus, a system can be said to be in thermodynamic equilibrium if it is in mechanical, thermal, chemical and electrical equilibrium.

1.8 REVERSIBILITY AND IRREVERSIBILITY

Thermodynamic processes may have the change of state occuring in two ways. One is the change of state occuring so that if the system is to restore its original state, it can be had by reversing the factors responsible for occurrence of the process. Other change of state may occur such that the above restoration of original state is not possible. Thermodynamic system that is capable of restoring its original state by reversing the factors responsible for occurrence of the process is called reversible system and the thermodynamic process involved is called reversible process. Thus, upon reversal of a process there shall be no trace of the process being ocurred, i.e. state changes during the forward direction of occurrence of a process are exactly similar to the states passed through by the system during the reversed direction of the process. It is quite obvious that the such reversibility can be realised only if the system maintains its thermodynamic equilibrium throughout the occurrence of process.

Fig. 1.3 Reversible and Irreversible processes

The irreversibility is the characteristics of the system which forbids system from retracing the same path upon reversal of the factors causing the state change. Thus, irreversible systems are those which do not maintain equilibrium during the occurrence of a process. Various factors responsible for the nonattainment of equilibrium are generally the reasons responsible for irreversibility. Presence of friction, dissipative effects etc. have been identified as a few of the prominent reasons for irreversibility. The reversible and irreversible processes are shown on p-v diagram in Fig. 1.3 by 12 and 21 and 34 and 43 respectively.

1.9 QUASI-STATIC PROCESS

Thermodynamic equilibrium of a system is very difficult to be realised during the occurrence of a thermodynamic process. It may be understood that this kind of equilibrium is rather practically impossible. In case such equilibrium could not be attained then the thermodynamic analysis cannot be done, as the exact analysis of a system not in equilibrium is impossible. Quasi-static consideration is one of the ways to consider the real system as if it is behaving in thermodynamic equilibrium and thus permitting the thermodynamic study. Actually, system does not attain thermodynamic equilibrium only certain assumptions make it akin to a system in equilibrium, for the sake of study and analysis. Quasi-static literally refers to almost static and the infinite slowness of the occurrence of a process is considered as the basic premise for attaining near equilibrium in the system. Here it is considered that the change in state of a system occurs at infinitely slow pace, thus consuming very large time for completion of the process. During the dead slow rate of state change the magnitude of change in a state