Although the basic theories of thermodynamics are adequately covered by anumber of existing texts there is little literature that addresses moreadvanced topics.... » 

Although the basic theories of thermodynamics are adequately covered by anumber of existing texts there is little literature that addresses moreadvanced topics. In this comprehensive work the author redresses this balancedrawing on his twentyfive years of experience of teaching thermodynamics atundergraduate and postgraduate level to produce a definitive text to coverthoroughly advanced syllabuses.The book introduces the basic concepts which apply over the whole range of newtechnologies considering a new approach to cycles enabling theirirreversibility to be taken into account a detailed study of combustion toshow how the chemical energy in a fuel is converted into thermal energy andemissions an analysis of fuel cells to give an understanding of the directconversion of chemical energy to electrical power a detailed study of propertyrelationships to enable more sophisticated analyses to be made of both high andlow temperature plant and irreversible thermodynamics whose principles mighthold a key to new ways of efficiently covering energy to power e.g. solarenergy fuel cells. Worked examples are included in most of the chaptersfollowed by exercises with solutions. By developing thermodynamics from anexplicitly equilibrium perspective showing how all systems attempt to reach astate of equilibrium and the effects of these systems when they cannot theresult is an unparalleled insight into the more advanced considerations whenconverting any form of energy into power that will prove invaluable tostudents and professional engineers of all disciplines. «