Basic Thermodynamics

Assignment – 2 Due date– Nov 5, 2024

2. A piston–cylinder device initially contains 0.07 m3 of nitrogen gas at 130 kPa and 120°C. The nitrogen
is now expanded polytropically to a state of 100 kPa and 100°C. Determine the boundary work done
during this process. (Rnitrogen = 0.2968 kJ/kg K). Answer: 1.86 kJ
3. Nitrogen at an initial state of 300 K, 150 kPa, and 0.2 m3 is compressed slowly in an isothermal
process to a final pressure of 800 kPa. Determine the work done during this process (Rnitrogen = 0.287
kJ/ kg K). Answer: -50.2 kJ
4. A gas is compressed from an initial volume of 0.42 m3 to a final volume of 0.12 m3. During the quasi-
equilibrium process, the pressure changes with volume according to the relation P = aV + b, where a
= - 1200 kPa/m3 and b = 600 kPa. Calculate the work done during this process (a) by plotting the
process on a P-V diagram and finding the area under the process curve and (b) by performing the
necessary integrations. Answer: -82.8 kJ
5. Carbon dioxide contained in a piston–cylinder device is compressed from 0.3 to 0.1 m3. During the
process, the pressure and volume are related by p = aV-2, where a = 8 kPa · m6. Calculate the work
done on the carbon dioxide during this process. Answer: - 53.3 kJ
6. Warm air is contained in a piston–cylinder assembly oriented horizontally as shown in Fig. The air
cools slowly from an initial volume of 0.003 m3 to a final volume of 0.002 m3. During the process,
the spring exerts a force that varies linearly from an initial value of 900 N to a final value of zero.
The atmospheric pressure is 100 kPa, and the area of the piston face is 0.018 m2. Friction between
the piston and the cylinder wall can be neglected. For the air, determine the initial and final
pressures, in kPa, and the work, in kJ. Answer: Initial pressure = 150kpa, Final pressure = 100 kPa,
Work = -0.125 kJ

9. An airplane whose mass is 5000 kg is flying with a velocity of 150 m/s at an altitude of 10,000 m,
both measured relative to the surface of the earth. The acceleration of gravity can be taken as
constant at g = 9.78 m/s2.

(a) Calculate the kinetic and potential energies of the airplane, both in kJ. Answer: 56520 kJ,
489000kJ

(b) If the kinetic energy increased by 10,000 kJ with no change in elevation, what would be the
final velocity, in m/s? Answer: 162.8 m/s
10. Air undergoes two processes in series:

Process 1–2: polytropic compression, with n = 1.3, from p1 = 100 kPa, v1 = 0.04 m3/kg to v2 = 0.02
m3/kg

Process 2–3: constant-pressure process to v3 = v1

Sketch the processes on a pv diagram and determine the work per unit mass of air, in kJ/kg.

Answer: 1.8426 kJ/kg

11. An electric motor draws a current of 10 amp with a voltage of 110 V. The output shaft develops
a torque of 10.2 N m and a rotational speed of 1000 RPM. For operation at steady state, determine
(a) the electric power required by the motor and the power developed by the output shaft, each
in kW. (b) the net power input to the motor, in kW. (c) the amount of energy transferred to the
motor by electrical work and the amount of energy transferred out of the motor by the shaft, in
during 2 h of operation. Answer: (a) Welectric = -1.1 kW, Wshaft = 1.07 kW, (b) -0.03 kW, (c) Welectric
= -2.2 kW h, Wshaft = 2.14 kW h

12. Each line in the following table gives information about a process of a closed system. Every entry
has the same energy units. Fill in the blank spaces in the table.

13. A closed system of mass 5 kg undergoes a process in which there is work of magnitude 9 kJ to
the system from the surroundings. The elevation of the system increases by 700 m during the
process. The specific internal energy of the system decreases by 6 kJ/kg and there is no change
in kinetic energy of the system. The acceleration of gravity is constant at g = 9.6 m/s2. Determine
the heat transfer, in kJ. Answer: -5.4 kJ
14. As shown in Fig. 5 kg of steam contained within a piston–cylinder assembly undergoes an expansion
from state 1, where the specific internal energy is u1 = 2709.9 kJ/kg, to state 2, where u2 =
2659.6 kJ/kg. During the process, there is heat transfer to the steam with a magnitude of 80
kJ. Also, a paddle wheel transfers energy to the steam by work in the amount of 18.5 kJ. There
is no significant change in the kinetic or potential energy of the steam. Determine the energy
transfer by work from the steam to the piston during the process, in kJ. Answer: 350 kJ

15. An electric generator coupled to a windmill produces an average electric power output of 15 kW.
The power is used to charge a storage battery. Heat transfer from the battery to the
surroundings occurs at a constant rate of 1.8 kW. Determine, for 8 h of operation

(a) the total amount of energy stored in the battery, in kJ. Answer: 3.8 x 105 kJ

(b) the value of the stored energy, in $, if electricity is valued at $0.08 per kW h Answer: $ 8.45

16. A gas expands in a piston–cylinder assembly from p1 = 8 bar, V1 = 0.02 m3 to p2 = 2 bar in a process
during which the relation between pressure and volume is pV1.2 = constant. The mass of the gas is
0.25 kg. If the specific internal energy of the gas decreases by 55 kJ/kg during the process,
determine the heat transfer, in kJ. Kinetic and potential energy effects are negligible. Answer:
2.75 kJ

17. Two kilograms of air is contained in a rigid well-insulated tank with a volume of 0.6 m3. The tank
is fitted with a paddle wheel that transfers energy to the air at a constant rate of 10W for 1 h.
If no changes in kinetic or potential energy occur, determine

(a) the specific volume at the final state, in m3/kg. Answer: 0.3 m3/kg
(b) the energy transfer by work, in kJ. Answer: -36 kJ
(c) the change in specific internal energy of the air, in kJ/kg. Answer: 18 kJ/kg

18. Air 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 the air is 5 g, and initially the air occupies a volume of 5 liters.
The atmosphere exerts a pressure of 100 kPa on the top of the piston. The volume of the air
slowly decreases to 0.002 m3 as the specific internal energy of the air decreases by 260 kJ/kg.
 Neglecting friction between the piston and the cylinder wall, determine the heat transfer to
the air, in kJ. Answer: -1.747 kJ

19. A gas contained within a piston–cylinder assembly is shown in Fig. Initially, the piston face is at
x = 0, and the spring exerts no force on the piston. As a result of heat transfer, the gas expands,
raising the piston until it hits the stops. At this point the piston face is located at x = 0.06 m,
and the heat transfer ceases. The force exerted by the spring on the piston as the gas expands
varies linearly with x according to Fspring = kx, where k = 9,000 N/m. Friction between the piston
and the cylinder wall can be neglected. The acceleration of gravity is g = 9.81 m/s2. Additional
information is given on Fig.

(a) What is the initial pressure of the gas, in kPa? Answer: 112.6 kPa
(b) Determine the work done by the gas on the piston, in J. Answer: 68.89 J
(c) If the specific internal energies of the gas at the initial and final states are 210 and 335
kJ/kg, respectively, calculate the heat transfer, in J. Answer: 138.39 J

20. A gas undergoes a thermodynamic cycle consisting of three processes:

Process 1–2: constant volume, V = 0.028 m3, U2 - U1 = 26.4 kJ

Process 2–3: expansion with pV = constant, U3 = U2
Process 3–1: constant pressure, p = 1.4 bar, W31 = - 10.5 kJ
There are no significant changes in kinetic or potential energy.

(a) Sketch the cycle on a p–V diagram.

(b) Calculate the net work for the cycle, in kJ. Answer: 8.28 kJ
(c) Calculate the heat transfer for process 2–3, in kJ. Answer: 18.78 kJ
(d) Calculate the heat transfer for process 3–1, in kJ. Answer: -36.9 kJ

21. A 4-m x 5-m x 6-m room is to be heated by a baseboard resistance heater. It is desired that the
resistance heater be able to raise the air temperature in the room from 7 to 23°C within 15 min.
 Assuming no heat losses from the room and an atmospheric pressure of 100 kPa, determine the
required power of the resistance heater. Answer: 1.91 kW

22. An insulated rigid tank is divided into two equal parts by a partition. Initially, one part contains 4
kg of an ideal gas at 800 kPa and 50°C, and the other part is evacuated. The partition is now removed,
and the gas expands into the entire tank. Determine the final temperature and pressure in the tank.
Answer: 500 C, 400 kPa

23. Consider a 1000-W iron whose base plate is made of 0.5-cm-thick aluminum alloy 2024-T6 (ρ =
2770 kg/m3 and cp = 875 J/kg · °C). The base plate has a surface area of 0.03 m2. Initially, the iron
is in thermal equilibrium with the ambient air at 22°C. Assuming 85 percent of the heat generated
in the resistance wires is transferred to the plate, determine the minimum time needed for the
plate temperature to reach 140°C. Answer: 50.5 s

24. An ordinary egg can be approximated as a 5.5-cm diameter sphere. The egg is initially at a uniform
temperature of 8°C and is dropped into boiling water at 97°C. Taking the properties of the egg to
be ρ = 1020 kg/m3 and cp = 3.32 kJ/kg · °C, determine how much heat is transferred to the egg by
the time the average temperature of the egg rises to 80°C. Answer: 21.2 kJ

25. An engine cylinder has a piston of area 0.12 m2 and contains gas at a pressure of 1.5 MPa. The gas
expands according to a process which is represented by a straight line on a pressure- volume
diagram. The final pressure is 0.15 MPa. Calculate the work done by the gas on the piston if the
stroke is 0.30 m. Answer: 29.7 kJ

26. On a hot summer day, a student turns his fan on when he leaves his room in the morning. When he
returns in the evening, will the room be warmer or cooler than the neighbouring rooms? Why?
Assume all the doors and windows are kept closed.

27. A piston cylinder device contains 0.05 m3 of a gas initially at 200 kPa. At this state a linear spring
having a spring constant of 150 kN/m is touching the piston but exerting no force on it. Now heat
is transferred to the gas, causing the piston to rise and to compress the spring until the volume
 inside the cylinder doubles. If the cross sectional area of the piston is 0.25 m2, determine (a) The
final pressure inside the cylinder, (b) The total work done by the gas, and (c) The fraction of this
work done against the spring to compress it. Answer: (a) 320 kPa (b) 13 kJ (c) 3 kJ

28. The properties of a certain fluid are related as follows:

u = 196 + 0.718t
pv = 0.287 (t + 273)
Where u is the specific internal energy (kJ/kg), t is in °C, p is pressure (kN/m2), and v is specific
volume (m3/kg). For this fluid, find cv and cp. Answer: 0.718 kJ/ kg K, 1.005 kJ/kg K

29. A system composed of 2 kg of the above fluid expands in a frictionless piston and cylinder
machine from an initial state of 1 MPa, 100°C to a final temperature of 30°C. If there is no heat
transfer, find the net work for the process. Answer: 100.52 kJ

30. A mass of 8 kg gas expands within a flexible container so that the p–v relationship is of the from
pvl.2 = constant. The initial pressure is 1000 kPa and the initial volume is 1 m3. The final pressure is
5 kPa. If specific internal energy of the gas decreases by 40 kJ/kg, find the heat transfer in
magnitude and direction. Answer: + 2615 kJ

31. A gas of mass 1.5 kg undergoes a quasi-static expansion which follows a relationship p = a + bV,
where a and b are constants. The initial and final pressures are 1000 kPa and 200 kPa respectively
and the corresponding volumes are 0.20 m3 and 1.20 m3. The specific internal energy of the gas is
given by the relation u = l.5 pv – 85 kJ/kg Where p is the kPa and v is in m3/kg. Calculate the net
heat transfer and the maximum internal energy of the gas attained during expansion. Answer: 660
kJ, 503.3 kJ

32. A gas undergoes a thermodynamic cycle consisting of the following processes:

(i) Process 1–2: Constant pressure p = 1.4 bar, V1 = 0.028 m3, W12 = 10.5 kJ
(ii) Process 2–3: Compression with pV = constant, U3 = U2
(iii) Process 3–1: Constant volume, U1 – U3 = – 26.4 kJ. There are no significant changes in KE
and PE.

Calculate:

(a) Sketch the cycle on a p–V diagram

(b) Calculate the net work for the cycle in kJ . Answer: -8.28 kJ
(c) Calculate the heat transfer for process 1–2 Answer: 36.9 kJ
(d) Show that cycle ΣQ =ΣW.

33. The heat capacity at constant pressure of a certain system is a function of temperature only and
may be expressed as
41.87
𝑐𝑝 = 2.093 + 𝐽/𝑜𝐶
𝑡+100
Where t is the temperature of the system in °C. The system is heated while it is maintained at a
pressure of 1 atmosphere until its volume increases from 2000 cm3 to 2400 cm3 and its temperature
increases from 0°C to 100°C.

(a) Find the magnitude of the heat interaction Answer: -238.32 J

(b) How much does the internal energy of the system increase? Answer: 197.79 J