School of Mechanical and Chemical Engineering

University of Western Australia

Applied Engineering Thermodynamics MECH4429
Semester 1 2013
Unit co-ordinator and lecturer: Dr Angus Tavner, e-mail: angus.tavner@uwa.edu.au , Tel 6488 3115

Contact summary:
26 Lectures, 26 tutorials, 3 x 2hr laboratory classes.
Assessment summary:
15% Tutorial assignments (3 x 5%)
15% Laboratory classes (3 x 5%)
70% Final Exam, Open notes, 2 hours. NB: A minimum mark of 35% in the final exam is
required to pass this unit.
Unit Content:
Revision of fundamental thermodynamics, 1st law, 2nd law, open/closed systems, steady flow
energy equation, behaviour of gases.
Techniques for predicting the behaviour of gas mixtures with particular application to
air-conditioning systems, evaporative cooling, and combustion of fuels in internal combustion
engines;
Operation of diesel engines and gas turbines;
Evaporation, Humidity, and Psychrometry;
Refrigeration and Heat pump systems;
Generic skills:
This unit has been designed to reinforce and extend the following generic skills:
Ability to think logically;
Ability to synthesise solutions to new problems; [tutorials, exam]
Ability to question accepted wisdom; [lectures, assignments]
Ability to work as part of a team; [laboratory classes]
Ability to communicate effectively in writing; [assignments]
Recognition of the social and environmental context of the core subject material; [lectures,
assignments]
Ability to understand the consequences of assumptions made during analysis.
Contact Hours:
Lectures:
Monday 1400, Ross; Tuesday 1000, Wilsmore
Tutorials:
See the timetable. You should attend one tutorial per week minimum.
Consultation times: By appointment please.
Laboratory classes:
Air conditioning,
Ricardo Engine test,
Gas turbine.
See OLCR for timetabling.

Assessment:
Exam
The final course exam is open note: candidates may bring any unit-related material they wish to
the exam. The exam will not test memory, but will require candidates to apply the techniques and
knowledge developed during this unit to types of problem that they might not have encountered
previously.
Assignments
The assignments require independent research on topics associated with the unit subject material.
Students will have the opportunity to demonstrate their skills in assimilating information from
different sources to produce a short, coherent, and logically structured argument in written form.
They will also involve providing solutions to problems and short explanatory notes to
demonstrate full understanding. There will be three assignments, distributed throughout the
semester.
Laboratory Classes
There are no formal reports required, students must carry out the experiments, complete the
analysis of results, and draw appropriate conclusions to the satisfaction of the laboratory
supervisor.
Textbooks:
Haywood Thermodynamic Tables in SI units, CUP
Recommended Reading:
Rogers and Mayhew Engineering Thermodynamics 4th Edition, Longman
Cengel and Boles Thermodynamics: an Engineering Approach, McGraw Hill
Cengel and Turner Fundamentals of Thermal-Fluid sciences, McGraw Hill
Notes and tutorial solutions:
Summarised unit notes, tutorial questions and solutions, and past exam questions will be
available on the unit web page.
Penalties:
Non-attendance at laboratory classes will result in a zero mark for that class.
Late assignments will not be marked unless there are extenuating circumstances.
Assumed prior knowledge:
Content of Thermofluids 2 (MECH2403), or Fluid Mechanics ENSC3003, or equivalents.
Unit Web page:
See the link in LMS
Details of the Faculty's policies on mark adjustment, Plagiarism, and Appeals can be found at:
http://www.ecm.uwa.edu.au/students/exams
acrt Feb 2013