Elements of Physics

THE LANGUAGE OF PHYSISC Dimensions and units. Dimensional analysis. TRANSPORT PHENOMENA FUNDAMENTALS Flux concept. The temperature. Internal energy and heat: Joule experiment Heat transfer mechanisms. Heat conduction: the Fourier law, thermal conductivity, steady heat conduction and transient heat conduction, monodimensional steady heat conduction upon simple and complex walls. Convection: forced and natural convection, Newton's law of convection, Nusselt, Reynolds, Prandtl and Grashoff numbers and correlations. Combined conduction-convection heat transfer and applications (fins, heat exchangers). Heat exchangers: types, energy and mass balances, heat tranfer surface determination. Radiation heat transfer: electromagnetic waves, radiation laws (Plank, Stefan-Boltzmann, Wien), the blackbodies, radiation heat transfer upon simple geometries. FLUID MECHANICS The viscosity and Newton's viscosity law, rheology. Fluid statics: Pascal, Stevino, Archimede laws, manometers. Fluid dynamics: laminar and turbulent flows, Reynolds number. Bernoulli's equation for ideal and real fluids. Head losses. VAPOR-AIR MIXTURES Perfect gas laws; properties of moist air: water content, relative humidity, enthalpy, temperature. Principal state changes: Heating, cooling, mixing, drying, admixture of water (saturation) or water vapor.

Fundamentals of electromagnetism. Electric charge, coulomb law, electric field, electric potential. Magnetic fields, motion of charged particles in magnetic fields, Lorentz force. Electric circuits, potential difference, electric current, resistance, capacitance, inductance. Electro-magnetic waves, basic of optics (reflection, refraction, polarization, interference, diffraction). Fundamentals of transport phenomena. Basic concept, definitions of flux, temperature, heat, volume, density, pressure. Heat transport phenomena. Conduction: Fourier law, thermal conductivity, steady and transient regimes, conduction through simple and composite walls. Convection: definition, natural and forced convection, Reynolds, Nusselt, Prandtl and Grasshof numbers, heat exchange by conduction and convection. Radiation: main radiation transport laws (Planck's law, Stefan Boltzmann law, Wien approximation), heat exchange between bodies with simple geometry. Gas-vapour mixtures. Brief introduction on perfect gases and definition of main quantities. Saturation pressure, gas vapour mixtures. Gas and vapour mixtures, some examples. Absolute and relative humidity, dew point, frost point, adiabatic saturation temperature. Psychometric diagrams.