MEU2610-02 Thermodynamics

Problem Set 1

Due Date: Tuesday, March 23 (12:00 PM)

1.28 Air is contained in a vertical piston-cylinder assembly fitted with an electrical resistor. The atmosphere
exerts a pressure of 101.3 kPa on the top of the piston, which has a mass of 45 kg and face area of 0.09 m2.
As electric current passes through the resistor, the volume of the air increases while the piston moves
smoothly in the cylinder. The local acceleration of gravity is g = 9.8 m/s2. Determine the pressure of the air
in the piston-cylinder assembly, in kPa and N/m2.

Piston
Patm = 101.3 kPa
mpiston = 45 kg
Apiston = 0.09 m2

1.32 An inclined manometer is used to measure the pressure of the gas within the reservoir. (a) Using data
on the figure, determine the gas pressure, in kPa. (b) Express the pressure as a gage or a vacuum pressure,
as appropriate, in kPa. (c) What advantage does an inclined manometer have over the U-tube manometer?

Patm = 101.3 kPa

Gas reservoir
g = 9.81 m/s2

200mm

b
a 150mm

30o

*** 1.32 Density of liquid: 13535.6kg/m3

2.18 Cabon dioxide (CO2) gas within a piston-cylinder assembly undergoes an expansion from a state where
p1 = 138 kPa, V1 = 0.014 m3 to a state where p2 = 34.5 kPa, V2 = 0.07 m3. The relationship between pressure
and volume during the process is p = A + BV, where A and B are constants. (a) For the CO2, evaluate the
work, in N·m and kJ. (b) Evaluate A, in kPa, and B in (kPa)/m3.

2.23 A gas contained within a piston-cylinder assembly undergoes three processes in serises:

Process 1-2: Constant volume from p1 = 1 bar, V1 = 4 m3 to state 2, where p2 = 2 bar.

Process 2-3: Compression to V3 = 2 m3, during which the pressure-volume relationship

is pV = constant.

Process 3-4: Constant pressure to state 4, where V4 = 1 m3.

Sketch the processes in series on p-V coordinates and evaluate the work for each process, in kJ.

2.36 An oven wall consists of a 6.35 mm-thick layer of steel (κs = 15.05×10-3 kW/m·K) and a layer of brick
(κb = 0.73×10-3 kW/m·K). At steady state, a temperature decrease of 0.67oC occurs over the steel layer. The
inner temperature of the steel layer is 282oC. If the temperature of the outer surface of the brick must be no
greater than 40oC, determine the minimum thickness of brick, in in., that ensures this limit is met.

𝑇 ≤ 40 𝐶
𝑇 = 282 𝐶

∆𝑇 = −0.67 𝐶

𝐿 = 6.35 𝑚𝑚
𝐿

2-40 A body whose surface area is 0.25 m2, emissivity is 0.85, and temperature is 175oC is placed in a large,
evacuated chamber whose walls are at 27oC. What is the rate at which radiation is emitted by the surface,
in W? What is the net rate at which radiation is exchanged between the surface and the chamber walls, in
W?
2-47 An electric motor draws a current of 10 amp with a voltage of 110 V. The output shaft develops a torque
of 9.7 N·m and a rotational speed of 1000 RPM. For operation at steady state, determine for the motor:

a. the electric power required, in kW.

b. the power developed by the output shaft, in kW.

c. the average surface temperature, Ts, in oC, if heat transfer occurs by convection to the
surroundings at Tf = 21oC.

*** Heat transfer by convection is Q̇ = hA(T − T ), hA = 3.9W/K

2-52 Gaseous CO2 is contained in a vertical piston-cylinder assembly by a piston of mass 50 kg and having
a face area of 0.01 m2. The mass of CO2 is 4 g. The CO2 initially occupies a volume of 0.005 m3 and has a
specific internal energy of 657 kJ/kg. The atmosphere exerts a pressure of 100kPa on the top of the piston.
Heat transfer in the amount of 1.95 kJ occurs slowly from the CO2 to the surroundings, and the volume of
the CO2 decreases to 0.0025 m3. Friction between the piston and the cylinder wall can be neglected. The
local acceleration of gravity is 9.81 m/s2. For the CO2, determine (a) the pressure, in kPa, and (b) the final
specific internal energy, in kJ/kg.

2.55 A gas within a piston-cylinder assembly undergoes a thermodynamic cycle consisting of three
processes:

Process 1-2: Constant volume V1 = 2 m3, p1 = 1 bar, to p2 = 3 bar, U2-U1 = 400 kJ

Process 2-3: Constant pressure compression to V3 = 1 m3

Process 3-1: Adiabatic expansion, with W31 = 150 kJ

There are no significant changes in kinetic or potential energy. Determine the net work for the cycle, in kJ,
and the heat transfers for Process 1-2 and 2-3, in kJ. Is this a power cycle or refrigeration cycle? Explain.
2.63 Figure below shows two power cycles, A and B, operating in series, with the energy transfer by heat
into cycle B equal in magnitude to the energy transfer by heat from cycle A. All energy transfers are positive
in the directions of arrows. Determine an expression for the thermal efficiency of an overall cycle consisting
of cycles A and B together in terms of their individual thermal efficiencies.

Q1

Q1
A WA

Q2 WA+WB

B WB
Q3

Q3

(a) A and B in series (b) Overall cycle