College of Engineering and Computer Science

Mechanical Engineering Department

Mechanical Engineering 370
Thermodynamics
Fall 2010 Number: 14319
Instructor: Larry Caretto

Solutions to Midterm Examination

1. Four pounds (4 lbm) of an ideal gas with cp = 0.25 Btu/lbm·R, cv = 0.15 Btu/lbm·R and R =
0.1 Btu/lbm·R, initially at T1 = 200oF and P1 = 10 psia, undergoes the following overall three-step
process: (i) constant volume heating to T2 = 850oF, (ii) isothermal (constant temperature)
expansion to the initial pressure of P3 = 10 psia, (iii) constant pressure cooling to the initial
temperature of 200oF.
a. Find the heat transfer for the overall process?
For this closed system the first law is Q = U + W = m(ufinal – uiniital) + W, where W = pathPdV. In
this case the final temperature is the same as the initial temperature, and the final pressure (from
the constant pressure path at 10 psia) is the same as the initial temperature. Thus the initial and
final states are the same. For the same initial and final states u final – uiniital = 0 and the first law
becomes Q = W. The total work is the sum of the work along each part of the path: W = W a + Wb
+ Wc.
For the constant volume path the work, Wa, is zero. For the isothermal process in an ideal gas
the path equation is P = mRT/V. This gives the following result for the isothermal work.
V3
mRT V
W   PdV  
path V2
V
dV  mRT ln 3
V2
We find the volumes from the ideal gas law after converting temperatures to Rankine by adding
459.67):

mRT1
 4 lb  0lb.1 Btu
m
R
 669.67 R 
V2  V1   m
 142.6 ft 3
P1 Btu
10 psia 
5.40395 psia  ft 3

mRT3
 4 lb  0lb.1 Btu
m
R
1309.67 R 
V3   m
 283.1 ft 3
P3 Btu
10 psia 
5.40395 psia  ft 3
We can now compute the work along the constant temperature path, b. (T b is the constant
temperature.)

  4 lbm 
3
V3 0.1 Btu
Wb  mRTb ln 1309.67 R  ln 283.1 ft 3  359.3 Btu
V2 lbm  R 142.6 ft
For the constant pressure path, the work is simply PV. This gives the path-c work as follows.

 
Wc  P1 V1  V3   10 psia  142.6 ft 3  281.3 ft 3  260.0 Btu

We can now compute Q = Wa + Wb + Wc = 0 + 359.3 Btu + (-260.0 Btu). Q = 99.3 Btu

Jacaranda (Engineering) 3519 Mail Code Phone: 818.677.6448

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 b. What would the heat transfer be if the substance were water? (You can use the value 2190.39
psia·ft3/lbm for the work along the isothermal part of the path; this was found by numerical
integration.)
In this case, as in the previous part, the initial and final states are the same so u = 0 and Q = W
= Wa + Wb + Wc. For the initial, constant-volume, step the work, Wa = 0 and we are given Wb =
2190.39 psia·ft3/lbm by our friendly numerical integrator. Multiplying by the mass of 4 lb mDividing
this value by the unit conversion factor of 5.40395 psia ·ft 3/Btu gives Wb = 405.3 Btu.

2190.39 psia  ft 3 Btu

Wb   4 lbm   1621.3 Btu
lbm 5.40395 psia  ft 3
We still have to find the work along the constant pressure path, which is still given by the equation
W = P1(V1 – V3). Here we have to find the volumes by using the specific volumes from the tables
for water. At the initial state, P1 = 10 psia and T1 = 200oF, we find v1 = 38.848 ft3/lbm. So, V1 = v1 =
(4 lbm) (38.848 ft3/lbm ) = 155.4 ft3. State 3 is defined by P3 = 10 psia and T3 = T2 = 850oF. At this
point we find v3 = 77.962 ft3/lbm. So, V3 = v3 = (4 lbm)· (77.962 ft3/lbm ) = 311.8 ft3. This gives the
work for the constant pressure path as follows.


Wc  P1  V1  V3   10 psia  155.4 ft 3  311.8 ft 3  5.40395Btu  289.5 Btu
psia  ft 3

We can now compute Q = Wa + Wb + Wc = 0 + 1621.3 Btu + (-289.5 Btu). Q = 1332 Btu

2. A rigid-compressed-air (R = 0.287 kJ/kg·K) tank with a volume of 0.5 m3 has an initial pressure of 4
MPa and an initial temperature of 300 K. Air is released from the tank until the pressure is 2 MPa.
For parts a – c assume that air has a constant heat capacity (c p =1.005 kJ/kg·K and cv = 0.718
kJ/kg·K)
a. Find the heat transfer if the temperature of the air in the tank is constant during the
process.
This is a transient open system with one outlet and no inlets. We start with the general first law
for such a system.
 
  V2   V2  

m 2 u  
 gz  m1 u    gz    Q  Wu
  2 
2

 2  
1  system
 
 V2   V2 
  mi  hi  i  gz i    mi  hi  i  gz i 
outlet  2  inlet  2 
We see that there is no mechanism for useful work in this system so we set W u = 0 and make the
usual assumption that kinetic and potential energy terms are zero. This gives the following
expression for the first law for our system with no inlets and one outlet.
 m2 u 2  m1u1  system  m 2 u 2  m1u1  Q  mout hout

Solving this equation for the heat transfer gives: Q  m 2 u 2  m1u1  mout hout . We can simplify
the general the mass balance equation for this problem where there is only one outlet and one
inlet. This gives the following result.

 m2  m1  system   mi   mi   mout  m2  m1
inlet outlet

Combining the first law and mass balance gives Q  m 2 u 2  m1u1   m 2  m1  hout .

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For the ideal gas we have m = PV/RT, and with arbitrary reference temperature, T 0 = we have u =
cv(T - T0) and h = u + RT = cv(T - T0) + RT. Choosing T0 = 0 gives u = cvT and h = (cv + R)T = cpT.
Substituting these equations for the mass and energy properties of the ideal gas into our
combined first-law and mass balance gives (for the constant volume tank).

P2V PV  P V PV 
Q  m2 u 2  m1u1   m2  m1  hout  cv T2  1 cv T1   2  1 c p Tout .
RT2 RT1  RT2 RT1 
Cancelling common temperatures in the numerator and denominator and dividing the equation by
the constant factor of V/R gives the following general equation for constant heat capacity cases.

P2V PV  P V PV  V P P  
Q c vT2  1 cv T   2  1 c p Tout   P2  P1  cv   2  1 c p Tout  .
RT2 RT1  RT2 RT1  R  T2 T1  
When the temperature of the tank is held constant, T2 = T1 = Tout = 300 K.

V  P2 P1   V
Q
R
 V

 P2  P1  cv    c p Tout    P2  P1  cv   P2  P1  c p   P2  P1   cv  c p 
 T2 T1   R R
Using the result that cp – cv = R and substituting the problem data gives the following result.

Q   P2  P1 
V
 cv  c p    P1  P2 V   4 MPa  2 MPa   0.5 m 3  1 MJ 3 Q = 1 MJ
R MPa  m
b. Find the final temperature if the tank is insulated so that the heat transfer is zero.
Assume that the outlet temperature is the mean of the initial and final temperature in
this case.
Substituting Tout = (T1 + T2)/2 into the equation for the heat transfer and setting Q = 0 gives.

V P P   V  P P  T T 
Q0  P2  P1  c v   2  1 c p Tout    P2  P1  cv   2  1 c p 2 1 
R  T2 T1   R  T2 T1  2 
.
V  P2 P2T1 P1T2 P1  
0   P2  P1  cv      c p 
R  2 2T2 2T1 2 
Dividing both sides of the equation by V/R, rearranging and multiplying by T 2/T1 the following
quadratic equation.

 P2  P1  cv  P2  P1 
2
1  P2T1 P1T2   T T 
       P2  P1   2cv  1 2  P2  P1  2 
cp 2 2  T2 T1   cp
T
 1  T1 
The solution is
2
 2c    2c 
  P2  P1   v  1   P2  P1   v  1  4 P1   P2 
c 
T2  p    cp 

T1 2 P1
Substituting the problem data gives

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 2
 0718 kJ    0718 kJ 
2   2 
 kg  K kg  K
  2 MPa  4 MPa   1   2 MPa  4 MPa    1  4 4 MPa  2 MPa 
 1.005 kJ    1 .005 kJ 
    
T2  kg  K    kg  K 

T1 2 4 MPa 
The results are T2/T1 = 0.8224 or T2/T1 = -0.6080. The negative root would give us a negative
temperature so we choose the positive root, giving T2 = (T2/T1)T1 = (0.8224)(300 K) or T2 = 246.7 K

c. What is the tank pressure if the tank at the end of problem b is returned to its initial
temperature?
From the ideal gas equation the result for two states with identical mass and volume are related
by the equation P3 = P2T3/T2 = (2 MPa)(300 K )/ (246.7 K) P3 = 2.43 MPa

d Repeat part a using the attached air tables.

We start with the combined first law and mass-balance equation from the initial analysis of the
problem and compute the initial and final mass terms from the ideal gas equation of state for the
given pressures and T1 = T2 = 300 K.
Q  m 2 u 2  m1u1   m 2  m1  hout .

m1 
P1V


 4 MPa  0.5 m 3   23.23 kg
RT1 0.287 kJ MPa  m 3
 300 K 
kg  K 1000 kJ

m2 
P2V


 2 MPa  0.5 m 3 
 11 .61 kg
RT2 0.287 kJ MPa  m 3
 300 K 
kg  K 1000 kJ
From the air tables we find u(300 K) = 214.07 kJ/kg = u 1 = u2 and hout = h(300 K) = 300.17 kJ/kg.
Substituting these values into the equatwion for the heat transfer gives.
Q  m2 u 2  m1u1   m2  m1  hout 
11 .61kg  214.07 kJ   23.23 kg  214.07 kJ  11.61kg  23.23 300.17 kJ . Q = 1000 kJ
kg kg kg
We see that the use of the air tables gives exactly the same result. This is expected because we
do not have any temperature change, so there is no temperature dependence of the heat
capacity that we have to account for. Note that in this case we can use unsubscripted variables u
and h where u1 = u2 = u = h – RT = hour - RTout. Using these unsubscripted vale can rewrite the
heat transfer equation as follows:
Q  m2 u 2  m1u1   m2  m1  hout   m2  m1  u  h    m2  m1   RT   P2V2  P1V1
Since we are given data on V1 = V2 = V = 0.5 m3, P1 = 4 MPa, and P2 = 2 MPa, we get the same
result for Q regardless of the data that we use for heat capacity. Note that the result is also
independent of the nature of the ideal gas. The value of R does not enter into the final equation.

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 Solutions to midterm exam ME 370, L. S. Caretto,Fall 2010 Page 5

3. A condenser in a steam-power plant is a heat exchanger in which there is an energy transfer between
two streams that do not mix. In a condenser with a steam flow rate of 5,000 lbm/hr, the steam inlet
has a pressure of 1 psia and a quality of 95%. This steam is condensed to water so that the inlet
steam exits as a saturated liquid at 1 psia. The other stream in the heat exchanger is cooling water
which enters at a temperature of 60oF and leaves at a temperature of 80oF. Assume that the enthalpy
change of the cooling water is given by dh = cpdT where cp = 1 Btu/lbm·R.
a. What is the mass flow rate of the cooling water?
Heat exchangers can be analyzed two
different ways: (1) compute the heat transfer
Steam in
from the steam and set that equal to the heat
transfer to the cooling water. We will not take
this approach. Instead we will define one
system as shown in the diagram.
Cooling Cooling
In this one system, we have two inlet flows and water in water out
two outlet flows. However, the steam and the in out
cooling water flows do not mix. Thus we
conclude, for a steady system, in which
dmsystem ---system
= 0, that we have only two unique boundary
dt Condensate out
mass flow rates:
m steam,in  m
 condensate,out  m  CW ,in  m
 s , and m  CW ,out  m
 CW . (In this problem we will use the
subscript, “s” to indicate the input steam that gets condensed and “CW” to indicate the cooling
water..
We can apply this result to our analysis of the first law equation.
 
dE system  Vo2   Vi 2 
dt
 Q  W u   
m o ho 
 2

 gz o 
  
m i hi 
 2
 gz i 

outlet   inlet  
dE system
For this steady flow,  0 . We are given no elevation data to compute the potential
dt
energy changes or velocity data to compute kinetic energy changes, but these are usually small
so we will make the assumption that they are negligible. The heat exchanger has no useful work
output device such as a shaft that rotates or electrical leads producing power, so we say that the
useful work is zero. Finally, we assume that the cooler is designed so that the heat transfer from
the condenser, defined as a single system, is negligible, compared to the internal heat transfer
between the air and the refrigerant. So we will take the heat transfer to be zero. With these
assumptions, the first law energy balance can be written as follows:
0  m
 s ,out hs ,out  m
 CW ,out hR ,out  m
 s ,in hs ,in  m
 CW ,in hR ,in

 s ,in  m
Using the results that m  s ,out  m  CW ,in  m
 s , and m  CW ,out  m
 CW from our analysis of
the mass balance equation (and noting that the streams do not mix) our first law energy balance
becomes.
 s  hs ,out  hs ,in   m
m  CW  hCW ,in  hCW ,out 

We can find the enthalpies of the inlet steam and the condensed outlet from the property tables:
for the inlet steam at 1 psia and x = 0.95, hs,in = hf(1 psia) +xhfg(1 psia) = 69.58 Btu/lbm +
0.95(1036.0 Btu/lbm) = 1053.78 Btu/lbm; hs,out = hf(1 psia) = 69.58 Btu/lbm.
Solutions to midterm exam ME 370, L. S. Caretto,Fall 2010 Page 6

We are given that the cooling water enthalpy change is given as dh = c pdT with cp = 1 Btu/lbm·R.
 
This gives hCW ,in  hCW ,out  c p TCW ,in  TCW ,out . Substituting this result into the first law
equation gives
 s  hs ,out  hs ,in   m
m  CW  hCW ,in  hCW ,out   m
 CW c p ,CW TCW ,in  TCW ,out 

We can solve this equation for the required mass flow rate of water and substitute the data for
this problem to get the required flow rate.

5,000 lbm  1053.78 Btu 69.58 Btu 

  
 s  hs ,out  hs ,in 
m h  lb m lb m 
 CW 
m 
c p ,CW TCW ,in  TCW ,out  1 Btu
 60  80 R
lb m R

2.46 x10 5 lbm

 CW 
m
h

b. If the cooling water were replaced with air (R = 0.06855 Btu/lb m•R and constant heat
capacities, cp =0.240 Btu/lbm•R and cv = 0.171 Btu/lbm•R) determine the required flow
rate of air as both a mass flow rate and a volume flow rate for air P = 101.3 kPa.
Here we would have the same analysis except the properties of the cooling water would be
replaced by the properties of air. The enthalpy change for air, as an ideal gas with constant heat
capacity gives hair = cp,airTair. Thus our energy balance equation would be written as follows.
 s  hs ,out  hs ,in   m
m  air  hair ,in  hair ,out   m
 air c p , air Tair ,in  Tair ,out 

We can solve this equation for the required mass flow rate of water and substitute the data for
this problem to get the required mass flow rate of air.

5,000 lbm  1053.78 Btu 69.58 Btu 

  
 s  hs ,out  hs ,in 
m h  lb m lb m 
 air 
m 
c p ,air Tair ,in  Tair ,out  0.240 Btu
 60  80 R
lb m R

1.025 x10 6 lbm

 air 
m
h

We can compute it from the inlet volume flow rate, Vin , from the air mass flow rate and the inlet
specific volume, vin = RTin/Pin.

1.025 x10 6 lbm 0.06855 Btu

 519.67 R 
m RT h lbm  R
 air v air ,in  air air ,in
Vair ,in  m 
Pair ,in Btu
14.696 psia 
5.40395 psia  ft 3

1.343 x10 7 ft 3
Vair ,in 
h