Work of Carnot Engine integral

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SUMMARY

The discussion focuses on the mathematical derivation of the work done by an ideal Carnot engine, emphasizing the integration of areas enclosed by isotherms and adiabatic curves on a P-V graph. The transformation variables u and v are chosen to simplify the integration process, and the integral calculation is clarified through the use of specific equations. The participants explore the implications of integrating to infinity and the challenges of convergence, while also considering the relationship between pressure and volume in the context of the Carnot cycle.

PREREQUISITES
  • Understanding of thermodynamics, specifically the Carnot engine cycle.
  • Familiarity with calculus, particularly double integrals and area calculations.
  • Knowledge of adiabatic and isothermal processes in ideal gases.
  • Proficiency in mathematical transformations and Jacobian determinants.
NEXT STEPS
  • Study the derivation of the Carnot engine work formula using P-V diagrams.
  • Learn about Jacobian transformations in multivariable calculus.
  • Research perturbation methods in thermodynamics for analyzing non-converging integrals.
  • Examine the implications of the 3rd Law of Thermodynamics in relation to ideal gas behavior.
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Students and professionals in physics and engineering, particularly those specializing in thermodynamics and mathematical modeling of physical systems.

mathnerd15
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I'm curious how do you choose the u and v transformations here to be equal to the constants and why is the f(u,v)=1 for the area- because you are summing infinitesimal x's and y's? I see that the area in xy is difficult to integrate because the sides are curved. is the transformation proven somewhere?
problem statement: the work done by an ideal Carnot engine is equal to the area enclosed by two isotherms and adiabatic curves. xy=a, xy=b, xy^{1.4}=c, xy^{1.4}=d\begin{bmatrix}\frac{\partial x}{\partial u}\ & \frac{\partial x}{\partial v}\\ \frac{\partial y}{\partial u} &\frac{\partial y}{\partial v}\\ \end{bmatrix}=\frac{5}{2v}, \int_{c}^{d}\int_{a}^{b}\frac{5}{2v}dudv=\frac{5}{2}(b-a)ln\frac{d}{c}

by the way, how long does it take people to do these?
 
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You don't do it as a double integral, but rather as a difference between integrals. You have a total of four curves, which you can integrate to get the area under the curve (down to the x axis), then you take the sum of the upper isotherm and adiabat, and you substract the lower isotherm and adiabat, and what is left is the area enclosed by the curves.

The reason you can do that is that the extreme points along x are the same for the upper curves and the lower curves.
 
thanks very much! do you mean this derivation/equation isn't correct?

[\int_{0}^{\infty}\frac{a-b}{x}dx+\int_{0}^{\infty }\frac{c^{5/7}-d^{5/7}}{x^{5/7}}dx]... \int_{0}^{1000}(\frac{1}{x})^{\frac{5}{7}}dx\approx25.189
but then the integrals don't converge if you integrate to infinity though you can get numerical approximations...in some cases the adiabatic curves will be between the 2 hyperbolae
 
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I don't understand what ##x## represents.
 
as you know the isotherms seem to be represented by T(P,V)=xy=k graphs of constant temperature so I'd guess x is volume, y is pressure and on the P-V graph the adiabats asymptotically approach both the V and P axes so perhaps perturbation methods could be useful?
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adiabatic_process
here it says for an ideal gas the work done is the integral of one adiabatic curve between 2 isotherms on a P-V graph
 
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mathnerd15 said:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adiabatic_process
here it says for an ideal gas the work done is the integral of one adiabatic curve between 2 isotherms on a P-V graph
Exactly. So why are you integrating from ##0## to ##\infty##?
 
I was just curious about the integral calculation
 
can you construct a proof of the 3rd Law of Thermodynamics in this way since the integral doesn't converge at infinity it takes infinite work to transform a system into absolute zero state?
 
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