Advanced Thermodynamics of Multiphase Systems

Catalog description

This course will provide a more advanced treatment of classical thermodynamics than is typically found in a first course on the subject. The emphasis will be on phase transitions of fluid systems. Topics include the following: stability of superheated liquids and supersaturated gases; second law limits of allowable fluid states; energetics and kinetics of nano-scale bubble formation in the bulk of a liquid and at a solid surface; transport equations for melting, solidification, bubble growth and droplet burning. Applications will include industrial considerations related to rapid evaporation relevant to vapor explosions, burning of fuel droplets, ink-jet printing, liquid natural gas spills, and nuclear reactor safety. Transport of two-phase flows will be summarized from a simplified perspective.