STEADY FLOW ENERGY EQUATION (SFEE)

1. At entry to a steam turbine the steam has a specific enthalpy of 2990 kJ/kg and a velocity of 16
m/s. At exit the steam has a specific enthalpy of 2530 kJ/kg and a velocity of 37 m/s. Heat loss from the
steam in the turbine is 25 kJ/kg. Mass flow rate is 324 000 kg/hr. Assuming no mechanical losses,
calculate the power output from the turbine. [39.1 MW]

2. A gas flows at a steady rate of 4 kg/s. It enters a machine at a pressure of 620 kPa, with a velocity
of 300 m/s, a specific internal energy of 2100 kJ/kg and a specific volume of 0.37 m 3/kg. It leaves at a
pressure of 130 kPa, with a velocity of 150 m/s, a specific internal energy of 1500 kJ/kg and a specific
volume of 1.2 m3/kg. Whilst flowing through the machine heat loss from the gas to the surroundings is
30 kJ/kg. Calculate:
(a) Density at entry and exit. [2.7 kg/m3, 0.833 kg/m3]
(b) Areas of flow at entry and exit. [0.004933 m2, 0.032 m2]
(c) Specific enthalpy at entry and exit [2329 kJ/kg, 1656 kJ/kg]
(d) Power produced. [686 kW]

3. Mass flow rate though a gas turbine is 4.5 kg/s. At entry the gas has a specific enthalpy of 3000
kJ/kg and a velocity of 150 m/s. At exit the gas has a specific enthalpy of 2300 kJ/kg and a velocity of
120 m/s. Heat loss from the gas is 25 kJ/kg. Assuming no mechanical losses, calculate the power output
from the turbine. [3.06 MW]

4. At a mass flow rate of 17 kg/s the power produced by a gas turbine is 14 MW. At entry the gas
has a specific volume of 0.5 m3/kg, a specific enthalpy of 1200 kJ/kg and a velocity of 60 m/s. At exit the
gas has a specific enthalpy of 360 kJ/kg and a velocity of 150 m/s. Heat rejection from the turbine includes
a heat loss from the gas of 25 kJ/kg. Calculate:
(a) Cross sectional area of the inlet pipe. [0.142 m2]
(b) Rate of heat rejection from the turbine. [120 kW]

5. Mass flow rate though an air compressor is 0.4 kg/s. At entry velocity is 6 m/s, pressure is 1 bar
(100 kPa) and specific volume is 0.85 m3/kg. At exit velocity is 4.5 m/s, pressure is 6.9 bar and specific
volume is 0.16 m3/kg. Whilst flowing though the compressor the specific internal energy of the air
increases by 88 kJ/kg and it losses 59 kJ/s of heat. Mechanical efficiency is 100 %. Calculate:
(a) Cross sectional areas of the inlet and outlet pipes. [0.0567 m2, 0.0142 m2]
(b) Power needed to drive the compressor. [104.4 kW]

6. Mass flow rate to a steam turbine is 1.35 kg/s. Power produced by the turbine is 500 kW. Assume
heat loss is zero. Calculate the change in specific enthalpy when:
(a) Velocity at entry to and exit from the turbine is negligible. [370 kJ/kg]
(b) Velocity at entry is 60 m/s, velocity at exit is 360 m/s and the centre line of the entry pipe is 3 m
above the center line of the exit pipe. [433 kJ/kg]

7. Condensers are used to change the phase of fluids from gas to liquid. A particular condenser
receives steam with a specific enthalpy of 2300 kJ/kg at a velocity of 350 m/s. Liquid water leaves with
a specific enthalpy of 160 kJ/kg and a velocity of 70 m/s. Calculate the rate of heat flow per kg from the
steam/liquid water. [2199 kJ/kg]

8. Nozzles increase the velocity of a flowing fluid. They provide the thrust which propels jet aircraft
and rockets. Other applications include sand blasting and sprinklers. Gas enters a particular nozzle at
a velocity of 60 m/s with a specific enthalpy of 3025 kJ/kg. At entry to the nozzle cross sectional area is
0.1 m2 and the specific volume of the gas is 0.19 m3/kg. At exit from the nozzle the specific enthalpy is
2790 kJ/kg and the specific volume is 0.5 m 3/kg. Assume perfect thermal insulation on the nozzle.
Calculate:
(a) Velocity at exit. [686 m/s]
(b) Mass flow rate. [31.6 kg/s]
(c) Cross sectional area at exit. [0.023 m2]
9. Air flows steadily through a tubular heater of constant cross-section. The initial temperature and
pressure of the air are 15°C and 125 kPa respectively and the velocity of entry is 25 m/s. The
exit conditions are 60°C and 100 kPa.If the heater is horizontal and the air mass flow rate is 18
kg/s, find:
(a) the cross-sectional area of the heater
(b) the rate of heat transfer to the air

For air: R = 0.287 kJ/kgK; Cp = 1.005 kJ/kgK [0.476 m²; 820.2 kW]

10. A fluid ‘A’ with a specific enthalpy of 2260 kJ/kg flows steadily into a mixing tank at a rate of
0.75 kg/s. A second fluid ‘B’ with a specific enthalpy of 160 kJ/kg also flows into the tank at a
steady rate. During mixing, heat is lost to the surroundings at 1260 kJ/min. If the specific
enthalpy of the fluid mixture flowing from the tank is 1040 kJ/kg, calculate the rate of flow of
fluid ‘B’. [1.016
kg/s]

11. Air enters a centrifugal compressor at 1 bar and leaves at 2.1 bar. During the passage of the
air through the compressor, the specific internal energy of the air increases by 56 kJ/kg, and
the specific volume decreases from 0.825 m3/kg to 0.5 m3/kg. Assuming that the flow is
adiabatic and that the changes in kinetic energy are negligible, calculate the power required to
drive the compressor when the air flow rate is 135 kg/min. [176.6 kW]

12. A steam turbine uses 3.6 tonne of steam per hour. At inlet to the turbine the steam has a
velocity of 27.5 m/s, and a specific enthalpy of 3000 kJ/kg. The steam leaves the turbine with
a velocity of 182.5 m/s and a specific enthalpy of 2220 kJ/kg. If the process is adiabatic,
calculate the power output of the turbine. [763.7
kW]

13. The following data refer to a gas nozzle :-

Section p (bar) v (m³/kg) u (kJ/kg)

Inlet 4.8 0.520 725
Intermediate 2.6 0. 825 620
Outlet 1.0 1.750 510

It may be assumed that the inlet velocity is negligible, and that the process is adiabatic. If the
area of flow at the intermediate section is 645 mm2, calculate the rate of gas flow through the
nozzle and the required outlet area. [0.4138 kg/s; 952
mm2]

14. Fluid at 10.35 bar having a specific volume of 0.18 m3/kg is throttled to a pressure of 1 bar. If the
specific volume of the fluid after throttling is 0.107m3/kg, calculate the change in specific internal
energy during the process. [175.6 kJ/kg]

15. A nozzle is supplied with steam having a specific enthalpy of 2780 kJ/kg at a flow rate of 9.1
kg/min. At outlet from the nozzle the velocity of the steam is 1070 m/s. Assuming that the
inlet velocity of the steam is negligible and that the process is adiabatic, determine:

(a) the specific enthalpy of the steam at the nozzle exit.

(b) the outlet area, if the final specific volume of the steam is 18.75 m3/kg.
[2207.6 kJ/kg, 2658 mm2]
16. Steam with specific enthalpy of 2400 kJ/kg flows at the rate of 0.4 kg/s into a small condenser
and leaves as condensate with specific enthalpy of 160 kJ/kg. The specific volume of the
incoming steam is 18.5 m3/kg and the diameter of the inlet pipe is 300 mm. The condenser
is supplied with cooling water which enters at 10oC and leaves at 20oC. Calculate the
velocity of steam entering the condenser and the mass flow rate of cooling water, assuming
negligible velocity at exit for the condensate. Neglect heat transfer to surroundings and take
specific heat of cooling water as 4.185 kJ/kgK.
[104.7 m/s; 21.46 kg/s]