Thermodynamics, entropy and waterwheels

TL;DR

This paper develops a detailed analogy between thermal engines and waterwheels, illustrating the flow of entropy and analyzing thermal engine concepts through hydraulic parallels, including microscopic and statistical perspectives.

Contribution

It introduces a comprehensive analogy between thermal and hydraulic engines, enhancing understanding of entropy and heat at microscopic and informational levels.

Findings

Entropy flow parallels water flow in hydraulic engines

Microscopic analysis clarifies heat and work concepts

Discussion of non-ideal engine behaviors

Abstract

In this paper the analogy between a thermal engine and a waterwheel is developed in details, showing that the analogous of the flow of water in an hydraulic engine is the flow of entropy in a thermal one. This analogy mat serve to analyse in details the aspects of a thermal engine that are quite distant from pupils' intuition. The discussion is complemented by an illustration of the working of thermal and hydraulic engines at the microscopic level, thus furnishing a view of what heat and work are at this level, and introducing the statistical and information aspects of entropy. Both hydraulic and thermal non-ideal engines are also discussed.