Nonequilibrium applications of statistical thermodynamics

Course 5, Statistical Thermodynamics, examines three different applications of nonequilibrium statistical thermodynamics. The first is the transport behaviour of ideal gases, with some discussion of transport in dense gases and liquids. It begins with simple estimates of the ideal gas transport properties. It then introduces the Boltzmann equation and describes the Chapman-Enskog solution of this equation to obtain the transport properties. It concludes with a discussion of practical sources of transport properties. Spectroscopic techniques are becoming an increasingly common way to determine the thermodynamic state of a system. Here we introduce the basic concepts of this subject and consider how spectroscopy can be used to determine thermodynamic and flow properties. Chemical kinetics is important in a variety of fluid/thermal applications including combustion, air quality, fuel cells, and materials processing. Here we review the fundamentals of chemical kinetics, with a particular focus on combustion. Some definitions are first given, including the reaction rate and reaction rate constant. Methods for determining reaction rate constants are then considered. Next, reaction systems, or reaction mechanisms, are considered, including the oxidation of hydrogen and hydrocarbon fuels. Finally, computational tools for performing kinetic calculations are considered.