COMPUTER SIMULATION OF THERMODYNAMIC PROCESSES FOR EDUCATIONAL PURPOSES

Abstract

The paper describes simulation model of the ideal gas, constructed according to the laws of mechanics, applied to numerous simple objects. Objects of the study are perfectly elastic balls, having certain mass and size. Balls collide with each other and with the walls of the vessel elastically, i. e., without energy losses for plastic deformation. Calculation of the collisions follows from the laws of conservation of energy and momentum, this is necessary condition of model physicality.

Balls move in the discrete time, i. e., their coordinates and pulses change by jumps, that is actually numerical solution of differential equations of motion. Relation between the discrete time and real is determined by the frequency of the program mover and is within 10 to 100 cycles per second. Frequency of mover operation depends on the power of the processor and on the complexity of the investigated model. Gas model is 2D, this reduces the number of the necessary calculations to the acceptable value and enables to use model for creation of the interactive study guide.

On the base of the model the computer program is developed, it enables to simulate the laboratory installations and carry out the experiments. Installations consist of vessels, vessels with the pistons, heating and measuring devices. Experiments may cover wide spectrum of the phenomena, such as diffusion, Brownian motion, various kinds of heat capacity of gas, division of particles velocity, conversion of the thermal energy into mechanical, different thermodynamic cycles, etc.

Although computer simulation is not viable substitute of physical experiments, it is flexible and able to reproduce far more experiments than any school or institute laboratory. Computer model promotes the development of the experimental skills of the students and makes educational process more interesting and efficient.