Engineering thermodynamics is a classical subject that studies the conversion of thermal energy and mechanical energy and the effective utilization of thermal energy. It is not only an important professional basic course for energy engineering, power engineering, mechanical engineering, aerospace, engineering thermophysics, building environment and equipment engineering, chemical engineering, and nuclear engineering, but also the theoretical basis of energy saving and the basis of heat utilization, heat design, heat management, and heat control foundation.
This is an edX course of "engineering thermodynamics" (National Excellent Course, 64 class hours) of Tsinghua University. Considering the differences in the basic knowledge of the learners outside the university, the edX course is divided into two parts: Engineering Thermodynamics (I) mainly includes basic concepts, the First Law of Thermodynamics, the Second Law of Thermodynamics, the properties and process of ideal gas and gas power cycle, etc; Engineering Thermodynamics (Ⅱ) mainly includes the properties and processes of real gas, steam power cycle, refrigeration cycle, wet air, the differential equation of thermodynamics, fundamentals of chemical thermodynamics, as well as some brief introductions of the research frontier and research application (as an extension of the course, marked with *, not included in grades), etc.
《工程热力学》是研究热能与机械能互相转换以及热能有效利用的科学，是能源工程、动力工程、机械工程、航空航天、工程热物理、建筑环境与设备工程、化工及核工程等专业的重要的专业基础课，是节能的理论基础，是热利用、热设计、热管理及热控制等的基础。
本课程为清华大学“工程热力学”(国家精品课)实体课(64学时)的edX课程，考虑到校外学员的基础等差异较大，工程热力学edX课程分上下两部分：《工程热力学(上)》主要有基本概念、热力学第一定律、热力学第二定律、理想气体的性质与过程以及气体动力循环等；而《工程热力学(下)》则主要有实际气体的性质与过程、蒸汽动力循环、制冷循环、湿空气、热力学微分关系式、化学热力学基础，以及学科研究前沿及研究应用简介等拓展内容(以*标注，不作考核要求)等。
