Thermodynamics 1 CENG40005 – Tutorial Sheets (2023-2024)

About the tutorials

You have been assigned drop-in tutorials in groups for weekly sessions throughout the course. The
objective of these tutorials is to discuss some of the problems with academic tutors after having
worked through the questions on the tutorial sheets. It is up to each individual to participate actively
within the group and to attempt solutions of the problems. You should attempt to go through
questions selected from the problem sheets before each corresponding tutorial session.

Except Sheet 8, each tutorial sheet has three problems. It is essential that you prepare for the
tutorials, attempting to solve the problems beforehand, to uncover key issues and get the most out
of each session. You should go through the questions marked with an * in your own time and then
seek help and guidance from your tutor where necessary.

Feedback

The solutions to the tutorial questions will be available to download from Blackboard in due course.
The role of your tutor is to provide you with help and feedback on the tutorial sheets.
 THERMODYNAMICS – Problem Sheet 1

Main Focus: Determination of volumetric, thermodynamic and phase-equilibrium properties of

fluids using tables, graphs and web sites; understanding P-v-T relationships.

Tutorial Activity: You will perform a “thought experiment” with your tutor about the compression
of a fluid within a piston-cylinder arrangement. Discuss with your tutor the various states of the
fluid on the sheet provided during your tutorial.

1.1 For water at each of the following states determine the specific volume using the appropriate
tables in Thermodynamic and Transport Properties of Fluids compiled by Rogers and Mayhew
(colloquially known as the Rogers and Mayhew steam tables). Use the NIST web book
(http://webbook.nist.gov/chemistry/fluid) to check your answers.

State point a b c d e
T / °C 100 550 100 295 190
P / bar 0.1 104 100 80 10

NOTE: You will find that the Rogers and Mayhew tables will sometimes give slightly different
values than those of other tables and programs (particularly the NIST site). In many cases the
reference states (for the internal energy, enthalpy and entropy) are defined to be different; this leads
to different absolute values of the quantities. However, you will see that the differences in these
quantities (and the numerical solutions to your problems) are essentially identical.

1.2 Fill in the blanks in the following table

Substance P / bar T / °C v / (m3kg–1) u / (kJ kg–1)
water 8 300
ammonia 1.9 –20
R134a 2.0 –10
R134a 2.0 25
water 0.2 1.0
water 300 2800

Hint: to complete the table, you will need to use with the basic principles and thermodynamic
definitions you have learned, in addition to information from the tables.

1.3*A rigid 100 dm3 tank has equal volumes of liquid and vapour R134a at 35 °C. The tank is
topped up with refrigerant until its internal mass is 100 kg. If the temperature has remained
unchanged, what is the final volume occupied by the liquid? How much mass was added to the
tank? [37.83 kg, using thermodynamic information from the Rogers and Mayhew tables]
 THERMODYNAMICS – Problem Sheet 2

Main Focus: Calculation of thermodynamic work, heat, and internal energy.

Tutorial Activity: Discuss the Zeroth Law of Thermodynamics of relating to the metal tablet with
your tutor.

2.1 Water initially at 30 bar and 300 C is housed inside a frictionless piston-cylinder arrangement.
The system is cooled at constant volume until its temperature reaches 200 C. It is then compressed
isothermally until the pressure reaches 25 bar. Determine the specific volume in each of the initial,
intermediate and final states. Use these values to find the total work applied to the system
[124.6 kJ kg–1]. Calculate the total heat supplied or evolved from the system [– 2024.9 kJ kg–1].

2.2 Calculate the work associated with the evaporation of 1 kg of liquid water at 100C against an
applied pressure of 1 bar. At 100C and 1 bar, the density of liquid water is 958 kg m–3 and that of
steam is 0.598 kg m–3. [– 167.1 kJ] What error is incurred by:
a) neglecting the volume of the liquid compared with that of the vapour [0.1%]?
b) assuming that the vapour is a perfect gas [3%]?
Calculate the internal energy change during the evaporation given that the enthalpy of evaporation
is 2257.0 kJ kg–1 at 100 C [2089.9 kJ].

2.3*Saturated water and steam are in equilibrium at 10 bar in a sealed tube of capacity 50 cm3.
Calculate the percentage of the volume occupied by the liquid if, on heating, the contents pass
through the critical point [35.2%]. Using the data below, calculate how much heat must be added to
achieve this effect [19.4 kJ].
At 10 bar
vl = 0.001128 m3 kg–1 hl = 763 kJ kg–1
vg = 0.1944 m3 kg–1 hg = 2778 kJ kg–1;
at 221.2 bar (the critical point)
vl = vg = 0.00317 m3 kg–1 hl = hg = 2084 kJ kg–1.
 THERMODYNAMICS – Problem Sheet 3

Main Focus: Application of the First Law of thermodynamics to closed systems.

3.1 A system initially has a volume of 22.4 m3 and a temperature of 0C.

a) The system is compressed adiabatically until the volume is 11.2 m3; 1350 kJ of work is
done and the temperature of the system rises to 160C. By how much does the internal
energy change during this process [1350 kJ]?
b) From the initial state, the system is heated at constant volume to 160C; 1320 kJ of heat is
added to the system. By how much does the internal energy change during this process
[1320 kJ]?
c) Following the operation in (b) the system is compressed at a constant temperature of
160C to a volume of 11.2 m3; 2550 kJ of heat flows out of the system. By how much does
the internal energy change during this process [30 kJ]? What is the work associated with
this process?

3.2 Two kilograms of a gas of molecular weight 28 g mol–1 are contained in an adiabatic closed
rigid vessel that houses an electrical resistance. The resistor is connected to 12-volt electrical source
that delivers 10 amps of current for 10 minutes. A temperature measurement of the contents of the
vessel indicates that the temperature has increased by 40.3 C. Assuming that 0.02 kW of heat is
transferred to the vessel during the process, evaluate the average constant-pressure heat capacity of
the fluid, assuming ideal-gas behaviour [1.041 kJ kg–1 K–1].
Note: the power dissipated by an electrical resistance is calculated as the product of the current
times the applied voltage; 1 kW = 1000 amp volt.

3.3*Ten kilograms of R134a at 10 C, with mass fraction of gas, x = 30%, are contained in a
spherical, elastic balloon. If one can assume that the internal pressure of the balloon is proportional
to its diameter, how much heat must one transfer to the balloon to obtain an internal pressure of
6 bar [2039 kJ]? Most of the required thermodynamic information can be obtained from the Rogers
and Mayhew tables, however you will also need to use the P-h diagram for R134a, which may be
downloaded from Blackboard; note that calorific quantities for R134a in both the Rogers and
Mayhew tables and the chart are given relative to the same reference state.
 THERMODYNAMICS – Problem Sheet 4

Main Focus: Application of the First Law of thermodynamics to process equipment (compressors,
heat exchangers, pumps, turbines, etc.).

Tutorial Activity: Discuss the Hyman fire piston with the help of your tutor.

4.1 Calculate an estimate of the temperature reached inside the Hyman piston during its operation.
What information and assumptions do you need to make this calculation? The flash point of cotton
is 168 C and that of paper is around 350 C. Have you achieved these temperatures? Calculate an
estimate of the work applied to the piston.

4.2 A reciprocating compressor takes in oxygen at 1 bar and 25 C and discharges it at 10 bar and
50 C. The cooling water around the cylinders removes heat at a rate of 70 kJ per kg of oxygen
compressed. The initial and final internal energies of the oxygen are 800 kJ kmol–1 and
3200 kJ kmol–1, respectively. Calculate the power required to drive the compressor when delivering
10 kg hr–1 [421 W]. Assume that oxygen is a perfect gas and ignore kinetic and potential energy.

4.3*Water, initially at T1 = 50 C, is heated by passing it through one side of an adiabatic counter-
current heat exchanger. A stream of tetrafluororethane (refrigerant R134a) at a pressure of 21.16 bar
is passed through the other channel. The R134a enters the exchanger as vapour at T3 = 80 C and
leaves as liquid at T4 = 60 C. If the mass flow rate of water is exactly twice that of the R134a,
determine the outlet temperature T2 of the water [69 ºC]. Thermodynamic properties of R134a may
be obtained from the Rogers and Mayhew tables. The heat capacity of liquid water may be taken as
4.18 kJK–1kg–1, independent of temperature, and pressure drops may be neglected.
 THERMODYNAMICS – Problem Sheet 5

Main Focus: Carnot efficiency. Use of entropy in the analysis of thermodynamic processes and
calculations.

Tutorial Activity: Discuss the working of a model Stirling engine with your tutor.

5.1 Consider a heat engine of this type placed over a mug of hot tea.
a) Guess how many standard energy-saving household light bulbs could be illuminated using
the power from the engine (such a light bulb consumes ~ 12 W).
b) Sketch a Carnot cycle in a T-S diagram. Show how to calculate geometrically (as areas) the
efficiency of the cycle (work output divided by heat input). Show from this that
 
  1  Tlow / Thigh . [Hint: express the efficiency as a ratio of heats and note that for an
isothermal reversible process the heat is equal to TS].
c) Use this result to estimate the Carnot efficiency of the Stirling engine.
d) Calculate how much power could, in principle, be extracted from the machine and use your
answer to make a more-informed estimate of the number of energy-saving light bulbs that
could be operated. How good was your initial guess?

5.2 Use the thermodynamic tables of Rogers and Mayhew to calculate:

a) the quality of steam at a pressure of 9 bar if, after adiabatic throttling through a valve to
1.013 bar, the temperature is 115C [0.97];
b) the minimum temperature to which steam at 30 bar must be superheated if no saturated
water is to form as a result of reversible adiabatic expansion to 1 bar [546C].

5.3*An isolated chamber with rigid walls is divided into two equal compartments, one containing
an ideal gas at 350C and 10 bar, and the other is evacuated, separated by an impermeable
membrane. The membrane ruptures and the system equilibrates.
a) Find the change of entropy experienced by the whole system
Suppose that one could devise a reversible process that goes from the same initial state to the same
final state. For such a process, calculate:
b) the change in entropy of the system;
c) the heat and work evolved.
Highlight any relation between S and W.
Using data from the NIST chemistry web-book, evaluate:
d) S for helium for a process with the same initial and final states of temperature and
pressure;
e) S for water for a process with the same initial and final states of temperature and pressure.
Compare the entropy changes computed in (b), (d) and (e); comment on any similarities or
differences.
 THERMODYNAMICS – Problem Sheet 6

Main Focus: Application of The Second Law of thermodynamics to open and closed systems.

6.1 A turbine in which steam is expanded adiabatically from 10 bar and 550C to 0.5 bar has an
adiabatic efficiency of 75%. Use a T-S chart to estimate the temperature of the steam after
expansion. Compare with the values using NIST tables.

6.2 A turbine operating adiabatically and at steady state receives air at a pressure of 3 bar and a
temperature of 390 K. Air exits the turbine at a pressure of 1 bar. The work obtained from the
turbine is measured as 2.93 kJ per mole of air flowing through it. The turbine operates adiabatically.
Neglecting changes in kinetic and potential energy between the inlet and exit, and using the ideal-
gas model, determine the turbine efficiency. Use  = Cp / Cv = 1.4 [96%].

6.3*The following problems involve one mole of an ideal monatomic gas (cp = 5R/2) in a variable
volume piston-cylinder arrangement with a stirring paddle, an electric heater and a cooling coil
through which refrigerant can flow (see figure). The piston is perfectly insulated and frictionless;
operation of the piston can be considered to be reversible. The initial conditions are Ti = 25C, Pi =
5 bar.
a) Status: Heater on; cooler off; paddle off; piston fixed. The heater adds 5 kJ. Find U,S,
P, and T [5 kJ; 10.63 J K-1; 0.67 MPa; 400.96 K]
b) Status: Heater off; cooler off; paddle off; piston moveable. What volume change will give
the same temperature rise as in part (a)? also find U,S, and P. [ –3577 cm3, 5 kJ; 0; 3.71
MPa]
c) Status: Heater off; cooler off; paddle on; piston fixed. What amount of work must be done
by the paddle to give the same U,S as part (a) [5 kJ]?
d) Status: Heater off; cooler off; paddle on; piston fixed. The stirring motor is consuming 55
watts and is 70% efficient. At what rate is temperature changing [3.1 K/s]?
 THERMODYNAMICS – Problem Sheet 7

Main Focus: Perform thermodynamic analyses of power generation cycles, refrigeration cycles and
gas liquefaction processes.

7.1 In a vapour-compression refrigerator, refrigerant R134a is compressed from a saturated state at

–5C to a pressure of 11.595 bar. The refrigerant is then cooled at constant pressure to 25C, after
which it is expanded adiabatically to a temperature of –5C. Calculate the coefficient of
performance using thermodynamic tables:
a) if the expansion occurs in a throttling valve;
b) if the expansion occurs in a small turbine with an isentropic efficiency of 0.80.

7.2 Air is to be liquefied by a simple Linde process. Assume that air enters the heat exchanger at
300 K and 100 bar and expands to 1 bar. If a temperature approach of 5 K is achieved at the warm
end of the heat exchanger:
a) calculate the fraction of air liquefied [0.0358];
b) calculate the percentage decrease in production if a heat leak develops of 3 kJ/kg of air
entering the heat exchanger [20%];
c) calculate the increase in production over case (a) if the pressure of the air entering the heat
exchanger is increased to 200 bar at 300 K [95%].
d) Sketch the path of the process (in the absence of the heat leak) on a T-s diagram.
Note: Thermodynamic properties of air (taken as a pure substance) can be downloaded from
Blackboard.

7.3*It is proposed to heat water drawn from a river at 7C to 64C by passing it through the
condenser of an R134a vapour-compression refrigeration plant and then through the condenser of a
steam turbine plant. The plant is arranged so that the R134a compressor is driven by the steam
turbine, both of which are assumed to operate reversibly and adiabatically.
 In the refrigeration section, the condenser temperature is 60C and the evaporator
temperature is –5C; the R134a enters the compressor as saturated vapour and the throttle as
saturated liquid.
 In the turbine section, steam leaves the boiler at 30 bar and 450C and, after passing through
the turbine, is condensed in a heat exchanger to saturated liquid at 76C and is pumped back
to the boiler.
Calculate the advantage of using this arrangement over direct heating of the water, i.e., the ratio
between the heat input to the boiler and the heat rejected to the river.
 THERMODYNAMICS – Problem Sheet 8

Main Focus: Develop skills in manipulating thermodynamic relationships.

 P   P 
8.1 Prove that:      
V s V  T

 Cv   2 P 
8.2 Prove that:    T  T 2 
V  T V

2
 V   P 
8.3*Prove that: CP  CV  T    
 T  P  V  T

 U   T   P 
8.4*Prove that:    CV    T    P
V P V P T V

8.5*Sketch the T-s diagram for a perfect gas showing lines of constant P, v, u and h. Show that, at a
given temperature, the slope of the line at constant v is greater than that of the line at constant P and
that the ratio of the two slopes is  = Cp/Cv.
 THERMODYNAMICS – Problem Sheet 9

Main Focus: Gain an understanding on the use of the Clausius-Clapeyron equation for the phase
equilibria of real fluids and of equations of state.

Tutorial Activity: Discuss the “love metre” with your tutor.

9.1 Assuming that one can treat this operation as a simple vapour-liquid equilibrium process and
that the fluid inside the metre is diethyl ether (with a negligible amount of dye), determine the
change in vapour pressure of the fluid initially at 20C for a change in temperature of 1.7C. Take
the vapour pressure of diethyl ether at 20C to be 77 kPa; the enthalpy of vaporization of the fluid
can be assumed to be 27 kJ mol-1 over this range of temperatures. Is this pressure difference enough
to raise the column of liquid by 15 cm inside the love metre?

9.2 In the equation of state Pv  RT  BP  CP2 the coefficients B and C are functions of
temperature T alone. Derive a closed-form expression for the Joule-Thomson inversion curve
JT = 0 in the form P = f (T,B,C) .

9.3*From the figure below, estimate the pressure that would be developed by storing 120 kg of
methane in a vessel of volume 0.5 m3 at a temperature of 350 K.