ABSTRACT
This chapter discusses certain basic concepts which are essential for carrying out a thermodynamic analysis of devices. A clear understanding of these basic concepts will form a strong foundation for the material developed later. The thermodynamic system initially comprises the air already present inside the cylinder and 100 cc of the air from the atmosphere that is going to be drawn in. A control volume suitable for a thermodynamic analysis may be defined quite simply in most cases as the device under consideration itself. Mass, energy, heat and work may cross the boundary of the control volume, usually referred to as the control surface. The choice of adopting a system or control volume approach is, in general, determined by whether the device under consideration is a flow or non-flow device.
