COMPUTER CONTROLLED EXPANSION OF A

PERFECT GAS UNIT:

INTRODUCTION
The TEPGC unit is a demonstration equipment of expansion processes of a perfect gas which uses air to carry
out the experiments which demonstrate the basic principles of Thermodynamics.
In the industry, the expansion and compression processes of different gases are treated in a continuous way. The
TEPGC unit allows the student to deepen in its knowledge to later understand other more complex units.
Its unit consists of two rigid tanks of methacrylate connected between them. One of them operates under pressure and
the other one operates under vacuum. Between them, there is an air pump and a set of valves which allow to carry out
the different experiments.
The unit is suitable to understand these main Laws of Thermodynamics:
 Understanding the state variable concept.
 Carrying out the gas expansions to familiarize with
the First Law of Thermodynamics.
 Understanding the Second Law of Thermodynamics.
 Law of Boyle, Law of Joule and Law of Gay-Lussac.

PRACTICAL POSSIBILITIES
Some of the practices to carry out with the TEPGC unit are:

 Studying a perfect gas behavior.

 Understanding the state variable concept.
 Studying adiabatic reversible processes.
 Studying adiabatic irreversible processes.
 Carrying out gas expansions to become familiar with the
First Law of Thermodynamics.
 Studying the Second Law of Thermodynamics.
 Understanding the relative and absolute pressure concept.

EXPERIMENT PROCEDURE
To carry out the practice, follow these instructions:
 Connect the Interface and execute the SCADA-TEGPC program,
supplied with the equipment. Place the valves in such a way that
the air pump is supplied with external air and pressurizes the
larger pressure tank.
 Once the unit is ready, press “SAVE DATA” and
write a sampling time of 1 second in the software.
Write down the data.
 Activate AB-1 by means of the software. Observe
that SP1 increases its value until reaching a
preselected value. At this point we have:
 Stop the data acquisition process by pressing “SAVING
DATA”. If you need some previous datum, it can be
extracted from here.

WARNINGS, MAIN INSTRUCTIONS AND PRECAUTIONS

Before carrying out the practices, it is advisable to follow the
recommendations and the actions indicated in the “Installation and
Starting up” manual. In the same way, it is recommended to read the
“Interface and control Software” manual.
It is recommended:
 Never manipulate the security valve which is installed in the
equipment. Its operating has been adjusted in the factory.
 Utilization of Individual Protection Equipment.