Welcome to Jay’s Video Library. Most of these videos have been created to illustrate questions that Mechanical Engineering students ask when they are working on fundamental engineering problems. SCROLL DOWN to browse the topics that may help you answer some of your own questions.
Check out Jay’s Toolbox YouTube Channel for playlists.
LINK HERE for the full video library listing and descriptions (PPT file to download).
Getting Started with Thermodynamics
Pressure Property Intro Video
Volume Property Intro Video
Working With Units (33 min) Tips for using “conversion factors”. Guidance for “multiplying anything by ‘unity’ in order to cancel-out units”. Link to download static slides.
Gauge Pressure Demo (21 min) Absolute pressure vs. gauge pressure. Pressure gauge background.
Propane Tank Demo 01 (23 min) Determine mass, volume, and specific volume for a small propane tank.
Propane Tank Demo 02 (43 min) Pinpoint the state of a liquid/vapor mixture of propane in a small tank. How to determine the quality of a saturated mixture.
Propane Tank Demo 03 (20 min) Intro to combustion reaction equation for propane.
Prepare for Test 1(30 min) “Things We All Know About Thermodynamics” [up to Test 1]. This video is dedicated to Dr. J. B. Jones, engineer, educator, mentor, and inspirational leader-of-people. Dr. Jones had the ability to summarize classical thermodynamics fundamentals on the chalkboard in just a few minutes and showed students how to achieve more than they ever thought they could achieve on their own.
Pendulum Demo (19 min) Demonstration of pendulum period-of-oscillation, potential energy, kinetic energy, energy conervation.
Phase-Change Property Evaluation
Property Evaluation Demo (30 min) How to identify the phase, followed by property determination (“using steam tables” and other phase-change property tables)
How to Interpolate (24 min) Step-by-step demo of linear interpolation. Background on understanding the interpolation technique.
How to Boil Water (30 min) You already know how to boil water, but this video helps you link your skill with your growing thermodynamics knowledge. Demonstrates “what you already know.”
Ideal Gases
Ideal Gas 01 (19 min) Ideal Gas Equation of State. Gas Constant, R. Using Molecular Weight.
Ideal Gas 02 (15 min) Simple Process 1-2 Examples for Ideal Gas Computations
Ideal Gas 03 (49 min) Working with “Specific Heats”. What is Cv? What is Cp? When is specific heat variable? When is specific heat constant?
Compressibility Factor, Z (35 min) What is Z? Pv=ZRT. How to determine Z and make decisions for ideal gas modeling.
Thermodynamic Analyses
Continuity Equation Demo (27 min) Demo of a transient open-system process: filling and draining a tank. Illustration of transient continuity equation.
Intro to Cycle Analysis (42 min) Worked-out analysis of a simple closed-system Rankine steam cycle. Works through each of 4 closed-system processes. Determine heat transfer and work for each process. Determine net work and thermal efficiency.
Open Systems vs. Closed Systems (24 min) Figure out which-is-which. Applying the continuity equation and the first law for both closed systems and for a SSSF 1-in and 1-out open system.
Nozzles and Diffusers (27 min) Physical examples of nozzles and diffusers. Dealing with kinetic energy changes. Continuity equation and first law for SSSF 1-in and 1-out nozzle or diffuser.
Intro to Heat Exchangers (40 min) What is a heat exchanger? Methods for analyzing heat exchangers. Examples of actual heat exchangers and categories.
Transient Process Demo (32 min) Physical demonstration of a transient open-system situation: filling a compressed air tank. Worked-out example problem illustrating continuity equation and transient first law analysis.
Irreversible Processes (29 min) Illustrations for the seven factors that make a process irreversible. A MUST-SEE for getting ready for learning about the Second Law of Thermodynamics.
Second Law Statements (39 min) There are THREE statements of the Second Law of Thermodynamics. Each are introduced. Tips for quantifying “entropy production” for a cycle or a process.
Carnot Cycle 101 (55 min) Start with a CRASH COURSE for cycles. How to quantify the performance for any cycle. Who was Sadi Carnot? Carnot Cycle definition and real-world applications. Download the static PPT slides in the link below.
Thermal System Analysis Decision Tree Tips: Is it an open system or closed system? What are the fundamental governing equations? Is the substance an ideal gas or a phase-change substance? How do I make property-evaluation decisions?
Heat Exchanger Effectiveness: What is the definition of “effectiveness”? How is it different than efficiency? How do you determine the effectiveness for a heat exchanger?