The adiabatic system plays an important role in industry, particularly in the complex field of technical thermodynamics. It is characterized by processes in which the system modifies its internal energy without exchanging heat with the environment. This article explores the fundamental principles and key equations underlying these adiabatic transformations, offering a precise and in-depth definition of its mechanics. What’s more, it highlights many practical applications of this concept in our daily lives and in various business sectors, providing a better understanding of the subject. In particular, this article describes the central role of the adiabatic system in air conditioning and evaporative water cooling, a technique that can be effectively applied in an industrial building.
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What is an adiabatic system?
Definition
An adiabatic system is a thermodynamic concept in which the system does not exchange heat with its environment. In other words, it neither gains nor loses heat energy. The term adiabatic comes from the Greek “adiabatos”, meaning impassable, reflecting the idea of a barrier impossible for heat to cross.
The importance of adiabatic systems, particularly for cooling and air-conditioning buildings
The adiabatic system is crucial for theorizing and improving industrial processes. It contributes to deepening our understanding of the fundamental principles of thermodynamics and physics. It is used in a wide variety of fields, from power plants and car engines to quantum mechanics and astrophysics.
The adiabatic system is also widely used in the space cooling and air-conditioning sector. Evaporative cooling is an effective method of cooling a building. This cooling process uses special heat exchangers in which water evaporates to absorb heat from the ambient air, bringing about a drop in temperature without the need for energy-hungry compressors or refrigerant.
Fundamental concepts in thermodynamics
The adiabatic process equation
Theadiabatic equation is derived from the laws of thermodynamics and the specific properties of ideal gases. This is how it is obtained:
1. First principle of thermodynamics applied to an adiabatic system
The first principle of thermodynamics is written: U=Q-W where U is the internal energy of the thermodynamic system, Q is the heat exchanged between the system and its environment, and W is the mechanical work done by the system on its environment, or vice versa.
In the case of an adiabatic process, there is no heat transfer (Q=0): U= -W
2. Ideal gas and adiabatic system
The work W done by an ideal gas during expansion or compression is given by :
W = P dV
Using the equation of state for the ideal gas (PV= nRT), this allows P to be substituted by P= nRTV
In addition, the variation in internal energy can be written as: U= nCvT
where n is the number of moles, R is the universal gas constant, Cv is the molar heat capacity at constant volume, and T is the temperature change.
3. Combining equations
Combining all these equations, we obtain :
n Cv dT = -nRT dVV
To simplify:
dTT = -RCvdVV
Let’s integrate both sides of this equation:
dTT=-RCv dVV
The integrals give :
ln T + RCv lnV = constant
Using the relationship = CpCv and R = Cp-Cvwe can express RCv= -1.
We obtain, TV-1 = constant
4. Equation for adiabatic transformation
Using the equation of state for the ideal gas and substituting for T, we obtain the fundamental equation for an adiabatic system: PV = constant
where : P and V are gas pressure and volume respectively, is the ratio of heat capacities, also known as the adiabatic index.
The adiabatic equation describes the relationship between pressure, volume and temperature in an adiabatic process.
How an adiabatic transformation works
Internal transformations in an adiabatic system are governed by the adiabatic equation , which means :
Thermal insulation in the adiabatic system
One of the conditions of the adiabatic equation is that Q=0 according to the first law of thermodynamics, meaning that no exchange of heat energy takes place with the external environment. An adiabatic system is therefore perfectly thermally insulated.
Internal energy of adiabatic system
In an adiabatic system, the internal energy (U) varies only in response to the transfer of mechanical energy by the work of forces (W) performed by the gas on its environment. Thus, any variation in temperature or pressure within the adiabatic system results mainly from internal transformations, such as changes in volume and changes in the energy distribution of particles.
Compression and adiabatic expansion
Internal transformations in an adiabatic system, such as compression and expansion, are governed by the equation PV = constant. When the system undergoes adiabatic compression, for example, the volume decreases and the pressure increases to maintain the adiabatic constant. These internal changes in pressure and volume do not involve any exchange of heat with the outside world, demonstrating how thermal insulation allows the system to undergo internal transformations in temperature, volume or pressure without external influence.
Examples of how an adiabatic process works
To facilitate understanding, here are three simple examples encountered in everyday life resulting from the adiabatic process:
- Air pump for filling a bicycle tire: by compressing the air in the pump, the volume decreases and the pressure increases, without any exchange of heat energy with the outside world. The heated air then enters the tire, where it expands and cools.
- Thermal throttling of processors: in processors, the intense activity of transistors causes adiabatic compression and expansion cycles, generating heat that must be dissipated to prevent overheating.
- Cloud formation: rising moist air undergoes adiabatic expansion due to the drop in atmospheric pressure. This expansion cools the air, causing water vapour to condense into clouds.
Practical applications of the adiabatic system in various fields
Adiabatic quantum computing
Adiabatic quantum computing is a specific approach to quantum computing – using qubits – and is based on the adiabatic principle, according to which a system evolves slowly without disruptive exchange with the external environment. This principle is based on quantum annealing, in which a quantum system is gradually transformed from a simple initial Hamiltonian state to a complex final state corresponding to the desired solution. During this slow transformation, the system remains in its fundamental state, ensuring that it finds the minimum-energy solution, i.e. the optimum solution to the problem.
Adiabatic quantum computing makes it possible to efficiently solve complex optimization problems inaccessible to classical computers. For example, it can be used for climate modeling, drug discovery, financial modeling, artificial intelligence, cybersecurity and energy management.
Engineering thermodynamics
Adiabatic processes are fundamental to thermodynamic engineering, particularly for the design and optimization of high-performance systems handling gases and liquids under extreme conditions. These systems include compressors, turbines, nozzles and internal combustion engines.
By modeling the compression and expansion phases of gases as adiabatic operations, engineers can simplify and clarify thermodynamic analyses. This enables a better understanding of the transformation and use of energy within these systems, with the aim of improving the efficiency and performance of thermodynamic equipment.
Adiabatic building cooling and air-conditioning
The adiabatic system is at the heart of the cooling and air-conditioning by evaporation of water. In an adiabatic cooling system, the water is in an environment where the partial pressure and temperature conditions allow it to evaporate. When water passes from the liquid to the gaseous state on the adiabatic exchanger, it absorbs sensible heat from the ambient air. The surrounding air, now more humid after evaporation, undergoes adiabatic expansion. This means that the air expands without any net exchange of heat with the outside.
During this expansion, the volume of the gas increases and its pressure decreases, leading to a drop in temperature. This adiabatic cooling is caused by the conversion of the gas’s internal energy into mechanical work as it expands.
These adiabatic systems provide long-lasting, cost-effective cooling, particularly in industrial and commercial buildings. By integrating this type of air conditioning, the building benefits from constant, environmentally-friendly cooling, simply using water to optimize thermal comfort. The efficiency of these cooling and air-conditioning systems lies in their ability to provide continuous cooling using a minimum of resources, while improving air quality inside the building.
In conclusion, the adiabatic system plays an essential role in various industrial sectors. By exploiting the principle of adiabatic transformations, these systems provide a better understanding of the complex mechanisms of thermodynamics and optimize the energy efficiency of industrial processes. Adiabatic systems are particularly well-suited to the air-conditioning and cooling of large industrial and public spaces, providing efficient, cost-effective building cooling. Adiabatic cooling by water evaporation is clearly an effective solution for maintaining employee comfort in industrial buildings, while reducing energy consumption and the building’s environmental impact. All these adiabatic technologies represent promising solutions to modern challenges, not only in terms of air conditioning and space cooling, but also in terms of sustainability and resource conservation.