Team-BHP - Introduction to Thermodynamics

Warm greetings to fellow Bhpians and to those aspiring to become one and to the millions of readers of Team-Bhp. I am grateful to the moderators for including me in this amazing group. I have been here for quite some time and was thinking how to put an introduction. I know that username sounds a bit "orthodox". In order to explain the story behind it, I feel obliged to introduce Otto-Von-Guericke and that takes us to 1602.

The History of Thermodynamics
1650: Otto-Von-Guericke, Disproved Aristotle's supposition by vacuum experiments using Magdeburg hemispheres.
1656: The Magdeburg experiments became famous all-over Europe, they inspired Robert Boyle to derive first ever Gas law, the Boyle's law.
1679: Invention of steam digester and the idea of Piston and Cylinder was concepted
1697-1712: First Engines by Thomas Savery and Thomas Newcomen
1790-1950: Foundations were set. James Watt(steam engine), Sadi Carnot (Carnot cycle), James Joule, William Thomson (Lord Kelvin), Rudolf Clausius, William Rankine, James Maxwell, Ludwig Boltzmann, Willard Gibbs, Max Planck, Pierre Duhem, Gilbert Lewis, Merie Randall, E. A. Guggenheim ..... the list is huge pardon me for missing many, but these are the people who set the stage for all what we enjoy today every time we rev up.

There was another disruption that happened in 1970s by Nobel laureate Ilya Prigogine. This is a reverse of second law of thermodynamics. It is about formation of orderly systems from disordered ones, the reverse of the concept of maximization of entropy. It is observed in irreversible processes far from equilibrium. In nature, for example the biological systems generate amazingly structured states from disordered ones, in fact these structures can even replicate. This is non-equilibrium thermodynamics of irreversible processes, a field that inspired a part of my PhD.

Introduction to Thermodynamics-summa.jpg

Me and my loyal friends :D at Graduation day.

The person sitting behind me is the great Otto-Von-Guericke. The father of thermodynamics. Reason behind the username is in honor of this great personlaity. He was not just a scientist but also a mayor of Magdeburg. Interestingly most of the elected mayors of Magdeburg (till date) are scientists, they hold a PhD. There is another interesting custom, whoever graduates from this university, will be given a grand procession in traditional attire. The graduate will be sitting on a wooden horse facing horse's butt and will be dragged from university all the way to the statue of Otto-Von-Guericke in the middle of city. Then there is a ceremony of garlanding the degree and a statement (a satire of everything you did) will be read aloud to all public to hear and laugh at you :D.

Here is my introduction. I am Rayees (36), a chemical engineer. My life with machines and tools started during school days as an assistant in electrical workshop, re-winding electric motors. Well my job was not rewinding but unwinding them i.e. pluck the copper out of charred motors and clean them. But fate changed as soon as schooling was done. I did a diploma in chemical engineering and wanted to work as an operator, but could not find Job and had to resort to education, a step that engulfed me in a torrent of Bachelors, Masters and PhD. Now I work for a petrochemical company in Bangalore.

Things have changed a lot, but the nostalgia of my beginning makes me long. When a totally charred motor is fixed strand by strand and assembled with due care, the moment you switch it on, that satisfaction on hearing the sound of spinning rotor is pure bliss. Someday I wish I have a workshop of my own.

My vehicles: Did not own a vehicle until September 2016, but drove the following extensively.

1. Lambretta (uncle's)
2. Bajaj Chetak (uncle's)
3. Royal Enfield (uncle's)
4. Apache RTR 160 - 2007 (Met with Accident after 110,000 km, Sold it)
5. Honda Activa 3G 3016 (present, 5000 km)
6. Dadimaa aka Blue diamond (Santro Zip Drive 2000)- our family car. We brought her pre-worshipped in 2007. She served 9 more years and made 8 drivers in my big extended family (120,000 km). She played a prime role in introducing me to Team-Bhp - to keep her healthy.
7. White diamond: Swift Diesel 2012 (300,000 km, In Law's).
8. Night fury - Brezza 2017 - first buy (5000 km).
Some day I wish to own a pre-worshipped, affordable, fun to drive gem, perhaps accord seventh or sixth generation V6.

Thanks for reading, excited to interact with this wonderful Team.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Samurai (Post 4308154)

Welcome to TeamBHP, Rayees...

Very interesting story about your University, and I love how it dovetails with engine technology (otto cycle). Do checkout our thread on PhD.

Thanks Samurai, the thread is interesting, it appears many people are not clear whether to pursue a PhD, in my opinion, the doubt will continue throughout and even after PhD :Frustrati

Quote:

Originally Posted by ampere (Post 4308157)

Welcome to the forum!

Nice introduction and back ground ! And also its great to know, about active research being pursued in different fields.

As Samurai said, nice background about the university. Hope to see your hunger continue and not diminish with time.

Welcome once again.

Thanks Ampere, I like your username sounds orthodox too :)

Active research has come to a halt since I work for an industry. The research is more like applied, I am happy though to have stuck to the core.