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In a developing country such as South Africa, we require large amounts of energy to sustain our industries. Most of the energy required is generated in coal-fired power stations. In these power stations or power plants, available fuel (such as coal) is used to heat up large quantities of water to obtain steam. This steam is used to drive steam turbines connected to generators which supply our electricity. Thermodynamics is the study of the laws that govern heat and work. Engineering Thermodynamics deals with the application of these laws to power-generating plants, such as coal-fire power stations. It is an important and rewarding subject that has serious implications for our future industrial development.