Compressor Technology Advances

Beyond 2020

Hurlel Elliott, Heinz Bloch

• Publisher: De Gruyter
• Year: 2021
• ISBN:
  9783110678833
• Edition: 1
• Topic: Physical Sciences
• Subtopic: Chemistry
• Index: Chemistry

Chapter 1 Thermodynamics refresher

1.1 Applicable laws

The intent of this chapter is not to rehash the fundamentals of classical thermodynamics but to use those fundamental principles and processes. All are well known in the academic arena as they apply to compression technology. Our assumption is that the reader has studied classical thermodynamics and can understand, and use, these fundamental laws and equations as we apply them in designing gas compression machinery.

Fluids can exist in any of the three states, namely solid, liquid, or gas (superheated vapor). Figure 1.1 illustrates the states of a typical fluid as the fluid changes state, say from solid A to liquid B, then vapor C, and finally, beyond C it becomes gas making D a superheated vapor. B to C is the latent heat of vaporization where temperature as a property remains constant.

Figure 1.1: Changes in the state of typical fluids as a function of change in properties.

Point E is regarded as the critical point of the fluid where the liquid and vapor phases are indistinguishable and conflate into a single identical density with no latent heat of vaporization. The pressure and temperature associated with this point in a fluid are described as critical pressure and critical temperature.

As shown in Figure...