Thermodynamics

Course No. : BITS F111

Section : T5
Instructor : Nandini Bhandaru

Introductory Concepts and Definitions

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1. INTRODUCTION

• The name thermodynamics stems from the Greek words therme (heat) and dynamics (motion),
which is most descriptive of the early efforts to move heat.

• Today it represents aspects of energy and energy transformations, including power generation,
refrigeration, and relationships among the properties of matter.

• Science of the conversion of energy from one form to another.

• Science of energy and entropy.

• Principle of Conservation: Mass, Energy, Momentum.

• Laws of Thermodynamics: Zeroth law of thermodynamics, First, second, and third laws of
thermodynamics.

Keywords: Heat, Work, Thermal Energy, Thermal Equilibrium, Temperature

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2. Some Examples

Stream power plant schematic

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 • Induction Stroke
• Compression Stroke
• Expansion Stroke
Schematic diagram of a • Exhaust Stroke
simple refrigeration cycle.

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3. Macroscopic and Microscopic Point of view
4. Thermodynamic system and Control Volume
5. Properties and State of a Substance

Phase
State
State variable
Path variable
Intensive property
Extensive property
Degrees of freedom

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• Properties and State of a Substance

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• Process: The path of the succession of states through which the system passes

• Equilibrium and Quasi Equilibrium process

• Isothermal, Isobaric, Isochoric, Isenthalpic, Isentropic

• When a system in a given initial state goes through a number of different

changes of state or processes and finally returns to its initial state, the
system has undergone a cycle.

6. UNITS
• Mass
• Length
• Time
• Force
• Energy
• Specific volume and Density

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Pressure

The balance of forces on a

movable boundary
relates to inside gas pressure.

Temperature
• We normally define and measure equality of temperature.

• THE ZEROTH LAW OF THERMODYNAMICS: the basis of temperature measurement

• Temperature Scales: °C, K, °F 8

A steel beam of 950 kg is raised by a crane with an acceleration of
3m/s2 relative to the ground at a location where the acceleration
due to gravity is equal to 9.5 m/s2. What is the force required to be
applied to the weight?

Ans: 11875 N 9
As the altitude above the surface of the earth increases, the acceleration due
to gravity is reduced as per the formula
𝑔 = 𝑔𝑜 − 3.32 × 10−6 𝑧

Where z is the elevation in meters, and 𝑔𝑜 = 9.807 𝑚/𝑠 2 is the acceleration

due to gravity at sea level.

For an airplane cruising at an altitude of 10,000 m, what is the percentage

reduction of the weight of the airplane?

Ans: 0.338% 10
A tank has two rooms separated by a membrane. Room A has 1
Kg of air and volume 0.6 cubic meters, room B has 0.8 cubic
meters air with density 0.9 kg per cubic meters. The membrane
is broken and the air comes to a uniform state. Find the final
density of the air.

Ans: 1.228 11
In a tank of capacity 600 L, one kilogram of Carbon Dioxide
(molecular mass: 44) is contained. Find the specific volume
on both a mass and molar basis.

Ans: 600, 26.4 12

A valve in a cylindrical as shown in the figure has a cross-sectional
area of 10 cm2, with the internal pressure of 800 kPa. How much is
the force required to open the valve, if the external pressure is
equal to the standard atmospheric pressure of 101.325 kPa?

Ans: 698.675 N 13
A 5 kg piston cylinder with a diameter of 100mm is loaded with a
linear spring and the outside atmospheric pressure is 100 kPa, as
shown in fig. The spring exerts no force on the piston when it is at
the bottom of the cylinder, and for the state shown, the pressure is
400 kPa with a volume 0.4 L. The value is opened to let some air in,
causing the piston to rise 2 cm. Find the new pressure.

Ans: 515.28kPa 14
A roof of 100 m2 with a mass of 1000 kg was ripped out due to a
tornado. What is the pressure differential that was created due to
the tornado for ripping out the roof if the anchoring forces are
neglected? Assume the acceleration due to gravity as 𝑔 =
9.807 𝑚/𝑠 2 .

Ans: 98.07 Pa 15
At the beach, the atmospheric pressure is equal to 1010 mbar. You dive 20 m
down in the ocean, and later climb up a hill up to 500 m in elevation. Assume
that the density of the sea water is 1027 kg/m3 and the density of the air is 1.2
kg/m3. What pressure do you feel at each place? Assume that the acceleration
due to gravity is 9.807 m/s2.

Ans: 302.436 kPa, 95.115 kPa 16

One of the largest cargo ships in the world has a length of 400 m and
a width of 58 m. Assuming that the shape is similar to a rectangular
box, and the ship is 10 m down in the water, how much mass can
the ship carry in tons? Take the mass of the empty ship as 200,000
tons and the density of ocean water as 1027 kg/m3. Take the
acceleration due to gravity as 9.807 m/s2.

Ans: 38264 tons 17

A pilot is flying his airplane at an altitude of 2000 m above sea level.
If the density of atmospheric air is considered as constant at 1.15
kg/m3, and the gravitational force being constant across the range of
altitude, what will be the absolute pressure that the pilot would
experience? The acceleration due to gravity is given as 9.81 m/s2.

Ans: 78.762 kPa 18

The density of mercury changes in a linear fashion with respect to
temperature as
𝜌𝐻𝑔 (𝑘𝑔/𝑚3 ) = 13595 − 2.5 𝑇(°𝐶)
Thus, the same pressure difference in different temperature settings would
result in differing manometer readings. If we measure the pressure difference
of 100 kPa in summer (35°C) and in winter (-15°C), what is the difference in
column height between the two measurements?

Ans: 0.00692 m 19
The main waterline into a tall building has a pressure of 650 kPa at 5 m elevation below
ground level, as shown in the figure below. At the top floor, which is at a level of 125 m
above ground level, the waterline pressure needs to be at a pressure of 200 kPa. Thus,
what is the extra pressure needed to be added by the pump to ensure the waterline
pressure at the top floor? Take the density of water as 997 kg/m3.
(Note: This answer illustrates the difficulty of pumping water up to the top floor water
tanks of skyscrapers)

Ans: 821.05 kPa 20

A piston/cylinder with cross sectional area of 0.01 m2 has a
piston mass of 100 kg resting on the stops, as shown in Fig.
With an outside atmospheric pressure of 100 kPa, what should
the water pressure be to lift the piston?

Ans: 198 kPa 21

A 2.5 m tall steel cylinder has a cross sectional area of 1.5 m2.
At the bottom with a height of 0.5 m is liquid water on top of
which is a 1 m high layer of gasoline. This is shown in figure.
The gasoline surface is exposed to atmospheric air at 101 kPa.
What is the highest pressure in the water?

Ans: 113.2 kPa 22

A U-tube manometer filled with water, density 1000 kg/m3,
shows a height difference of 25 cm. What is the gauge
pressure? If the right branch is tilted to make an angle of 30°
with the horizontal, what should the length of the column in
the tilted tube be relative to the U-tube?

Ans: 2.45 kPa, 50 cm 23

A pipe flowing light oil has a manometer attached as shown
in Fig. What is the absolute pressure in the pipe flow?

Ans: 106.4 kPa 24

A piece of experimental apparatus is located where g = 9.5
m/s2 and the temperature is 25°C. An air flow inside the
apparatus is determined by measuring the pressure drop
across an orifice with a mercury manometer showing a height
difference of 200 mm. What is the pressure drop in kPa?

Ans: 25.8 25
Two piston/cylinder arrangements, A & B have their gas
chambers connected by pipe. The Cross-sectional areas are
AA=75cm2 AB= 25cm2 with the piston mass in A being mA=25kg.
Outside pressure is 100 kPa & standard gravitation. Find the
mass mB so that none of the pistons have to rest on the
bottom?

Ans: 8.33 kg 26
Two cylinders are connected by a piston as shown in Fig.
Cylinder A is used as a hydraulic lift and pumped up to 500
kPa. The piston mass is 25 kg and there is standard gravity.
What is the gas pressure in cylinder B?

Ans: 6 Mpa 27
A closed tank containing glycerine is connected to a U-tube
mercury manometer, as shown in Fig. The top portion of the tank is
filled with air, and a pressure gauge is connected at the top of the
tank. Find the pressure gauge reading in kPa and comment on the
result.

Ans: -40.721 kPa 28