The First Law tells us that energy can neither be created nor destroyed, only transformed from one type into another. It turns out that the continuous transformation of heat into work is tightly restricted by the Second Law , but the reverse process is not constrained at all. Thermodynamics is closely allied to fluid mechanics and heat transfer , forming the area called the thermal sciences. In the UMD mechanical engineering program, students first learn the basic principles of thermodynamics in their sophomore year. In their junior year, they study many applications of thermodynamics, followed by principles and applications of fluid mechanics.
Heat transfer is studied in the senior year.