ME25401 Thermal Engineering – I – Semester IV – Mech – R-2025

Subject Code & Name: ME25401 – Thermal Engineering – I

Regulation: R-2025

Semester: IV (Fourth Semester)

Branch: B.E. Mechanical Engineering (Mech)

Credits / L-T-P: 3 Credits | L-T-P: 3-0-0

Course Objectives

• The course focuses on applying thermodynamic laws to analyze thermodynamic and steam power cycles, while also providing an understanding of IC engines, their systems, and aircraft propulsion cycles.

Full Unit-wise Syllabus

Unit I – Air Standard Cycles

Carnot, Otto, Diesel, Dual – Cycle Analysis, Comparison of Otto, Diesel and Dual Cycle, Atkinson cycle.

Activities: Write a program to analyze Otto, Diesel, and Dual cycles for given inputs (compression ratio, heat addition, etc.) and compute efficiency, work output, and mean effective pressure. Generate P–V and T–S diagrams for different air standard cycles and compare their performance.

Unit II – Vapour Power Cycle

Carnot Cycle, Basic Rankine Cycle, Comparison, Rankine cycle Improvements - Reheat, Regenerative Cycle, Combined cycle power generation

Activities: Develop a program to analyze the Rankine cycle with and without reheat/regeneration, and compute efficiency, turbine work, and pump work. Plot T–S diagrams for basic and modified Rankine cycles and compare performance improvements.

Unit III – Internal Combustion Engines

IC engine – Classification, working, components and their functions. Ideal and actual: Valve and port timing diagrams, P-V diagrams. Two stroke & four stroke, and SI & CI engines – comparisons. Combustion in SI & CI Engines – Abnormal combustion, Knocking and detonation.

Activities: Prepare a comparative performance report of Petrol and Diesel Vehicles.

Unit IV – Internal Combustion Engine Testing

Measurement of Performance parameters and characteristics, Performance calculations. Morse and Heat Balance tests

Activities: Develop a simple program or spreadsheet to estimate engine performance parameters (thermal efficiency, BSFC, etc.) for given input conditions.

Unit V – Internal Combustion Engines Auxiliary System

Simple Carburettor, Fuel Injector, Multipoint Fuel Injection (MPFI), Gasoline Direct Injection (GDI) and Common Rail Direct lnjection (CRDI) systems, Electronic fuel Injection. Ignition system, Lubrication and Cooling systems. Concepts of Supercharging and Turbocharging.

Activities: Prepare a case study report on modern fuel injection systems (MPFI, GDI, CRDI) used in automobiles.

Unit VI – Gas Turbines Cycle

Gas turbine cycle analysis – open and closed cycle. Performance and its improvement - Regenerative, Intercooled, Reheated cycles and their combination

Activities: Write a program to analyze Brayton cycle and its modifications (intercooling, reheating, regeneration) and compute efficiency and work output. Plot T–S diagrams for different gas turbine cycles and compare their performance.

Unit VII – Jet Propulsion

Principle of Jet Propulsion, IC engine driven Propulsion, Gas turbine Propulsion, Turbojet, Turboprop, Turbofan engines.

Activities: Develop a basic computational model to calculate thrust, specific fuel consumption, and efficiency for turbojet or turbofan engines. Prepare a comparative analysis report on turbojet, turbofan, and turboprop engines based on real aircraft applications.

Course Outcomes (COs)

• CO1: Explain the basic principles of thermodynamics, air standard cycles, vapour power cycles, IC engines, gas turbines and jet propulsion systems.
• CO2: Apply thermodynamic laws to solve problems related to power cycles and performance of IC engines and gas turbines.
• CO3: Analyse and compare the performance of air standard cycles, vapour power cycles, IC engines and gas turbine cycles including improvement methods.
• CO4: Demonstrate testing and performance evaluation of IC engines and understand the working of engine auxiliary systems.

Assessment Pattern (Quick Note)

• Weightage: Continuous Assessment 40% | End Semester Examinations 60%
• Internal methodology: Quiz - 10%, Assignments - 20%, Review of GATE/ESE Questions - 20% and Internal Examinations - 50%

Source: Official Anna University – B.E. Mechanical Engineering R-2025 Syllabus
Last Updated: October 2026