Entalpiapyörä

Entalpiapyörä, also known as an enthalpy diagram or heat balance diagram, is a graphical representation used to illustrate the changes in enthalpy of a system during a process. It typically depicts a cycle of operations where a working fluid undergoes transformations, such as phase changes or chemical reactions. The vertical axis of the diagram usually represents enthalpy, while the horizontal axis may represent other thermodynamic properties like temperature, pressure, or entropy, depending on the specific application.

The diagram visually shows the energy input and output at different stages of the cycle. By tracing the path of the working fluid on the entalpiapyörä, one can determine the amount of heat absorbed or released, and the work done by or on the system. This makes it a valuable tool for analyzing the efficiency of thermodynamic cycles, such as those found in refrigeration systems, power plants, and chemical processing.

Key points illustrated by an entalpiapyörä include the state of the working fluid at various points in the cycle, the specific enthalpy at each state, and the net change in enthalpy over the entire cycle. For example, in a refrigeration cycle, the entalpiapyörä can show the evaporation and condensation processes, highlighting the heat absorbed from the refrigerated space and the heat rejected to the surroundings. Similarly, in a power cycle, it can illustrate the heat addition and rejection stages, as well as the net work output. Understanding the entalpiapyörä is crucial for engineers and scientists involved in the design and optimization of thermal systems.