Single-component systems overview

This chapter introduces additional central concepts of thermodynamics and gives an overview of the formal methods that are used to describe single-component systems. The thermodynamic relationships between different phases of a single-component system are described and the basics of phase transitions and phase diagrams are discussed. Formal mathematical descriptions of the properties of ideal and real gases are given in the second part of the chapter, while the last part is devoted to the thermodynamic description of condensed phases. 

At level three, we have a management system for the entire project. This is conventionally broken down into three or four components, namely management of scope, quality, cost, and schedule. (Scope and quality may be regarded as a single issue, a practice not recommended by the author.) Health and safety considerations may properly also be managed at this overview level, and must be included in any such text. 

Fig. 1 shows a schematic representation of a single cell, which is typically a three layer structure consisting of porous anode and cathode electrodes separated by a dense ceramic electrolyte. Single cells are connected together in series into stacks to create useful systems for applications using interconnects. These components will now be quickly overviewed in order to highlight some of the most pressing issues related to each. 

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