MCH256 Assignment 4

MCH256
ASSIGNMENT 4
Due Date: March 31, 2020

Student Name: ______________ALEX VARGHESE__________________________

Part I: Questions from Lesson 7

1) A quantity of gas has a pressure of 350 kPa when its volume is 0.03 m3 and its
temperature is 35℃.

a) If the value of = 0.29 kJ/kgK, calculate the mass of the gas present. Hint:
Use the characteristic equation on an ideal gas not the ideal gas law.

Hint: Characteristic equation: PV = m𝑅T

Pressure = 350 KPa, Volume = 0.03𝑚3 , T = 273+35 = 308 K
R = 0.29 KJ/KgK
PV = mRT

𝑃𝑉 350 KPa x 0.03𝑚3 350 x 0.03 𝑁 𝑚

m= = 𝐾𝐽 = (𝑚2 x 𝑚3 |𝑁 x 𝐾𝑔)
𝑅𝑇 0.29 x 308 𝐾 0.29 x 308
𝐾𝑔𝐾

= 0.117Kg

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MCH256 Assignment 4

b) If the pressure of the gas is increased to 1.05 MPa while the volume
remains constant, what is the new temperature of the gas?
𝑃1 𝑉1 𝑃2 𝑉2
Hint: =
𝑇1 𝑇2

𝑃2 = 1.05 MPa

V = C, 𝑉1 = 𝑉2 𝑇2 = ?
𝑃1 𝑉1 𝑃2 𝑉2
=
𝑇1 𝑇2

350 𝐾𝑃𝑎 x 𝑉1 1.05 𝑀𝑃𝑎 x 𝑉1

=
308 𝐾 𝑇2

6 3
𝑇2 1.05 𝑀 1.05 x 10 1.05 x 10
= = 3 =
308 𝐾 850 𝐾 350 x 10 350

𝑇2 = 3 x 308 K = 924 K

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MCH256 Assignment 4

2) For an adiabatic process:

a) In one sentence, explain why an adiabatic process is different from other

polytropic processes.
Polytropic:

P𝑉 𝑛 = C, n > 1.
Adiabatic process, n = γ

γ = adiabatic index

b) The work equation for an adiabatic process is a special case of the

polytropic work equation. It uses the Greek letter γ as the polytropic
constant. Show how γ is calculated for a gas when the specific heat
capacities of the gas are known:

𝐶𝑃
=γ
𝐶𝑉

𝐶𝑃 = Specific heat capacity at constant pressure.

𝐶𝑉 = Specific heat capacity at constant volume.

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MCH256 Assignment 4

c) How is the non-flow energy equation re-written for an adiabatic equation?

Q = DU+ W
𝑃1 𝑉1 − 𝑃2 𝑉2 𝑚𝑅(𝑇1 − 𝑇2 )
W= =
γ−1 γ−1
Q=0
W = -DU
𝑚𝑅(𝑇1 − 𝑇2 )
= 𝑚𝐶𝑉 (𝑇2 − 𝑇1 )
γ−1

γ−1
𝑅
= 𝐶𝑉 , γ = 𝑅+𝐶
𝐶𝑉
𝑉

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MCH256 Assignment 4

Part II: Questions from Lesson 8.

3) What is meant by reversibility?

a) A working substance can receive or reject heat in a thermodynamic

process.
b) A working substance can output or receive work in a thermodynamic
process.
c) A working substance can move from one state to another in a
thermodynamic process then be returned to the original state without any
additional heat or work.
d) Work can be converted to heat.

4) What factor can prevent reversibility?

a) Viscosity

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MCH256 Assignment 4

b) Friction
c) Thermal imbalance
d) Pressure imbalance
e) All of the above

5) Which statement about entropy is false?

a) Entropy is a property of the working substance.

b) A substance at 0 degrees K has no entropy because its atoms are perfectly
arrayed at the maximum possible density with no internal energy.
c) As the temperature of a substance increases, so does its entropy.
d) When the pressure of a substance is increased, the entropy will increase.
e) In the same way that the area under a pressure-volume curve is reversible
work, the area under a temperature-entropy curve is equal to reversible
heat flow

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MCH256 Assignment 4

6) Show how to calculate the thermal efficiency of the illustrated heat engine.
(There are two possible solutions):

High temperature

energy reservoir

Q = heat received

W=work done

Q-W=heat rejected

Low temperature
Energy reservoir

𝑊𝑜𝑟𝑘 𝑑𝑜𝑛𝑒
Thermal efficiency, 𝜇𝑡ℎ𝑒𝑟𝑚𝑎𝑙 =
𝐻𝑒𝑎𝑡 𝑟𝑒𝑐𝑒𝑖𝑣𝑒𝑑

𝐻𝑒𝑎𝑡 𝑟𝑒𝑐𝑒𝑖𝑣𝑒𝑑−ℎ𝑒𝑎𝑡 𝑟𝑒𝑗𝑒𝑐𝑡𝑒𝑑

𝜇𝑡ℎ𝑒𝑟𝑚𝑎𝑙 =
ℎ𝑒𝑎𝑡 𝑟𝑒𝑐𝑒𝑖𝑣𝑒𝑑

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MCH256 Assignment 4

7) A Carnot cycle, shown below, operates using air as the working substance.
One kilogram of air starts the cycle at an initial pressure of 1.73 MPa and
temperature of 175℃ (point 1). For this system, use =0.29 kJ/kgK and γ=1.4.

1
1.73 MPa Isothermal Expansion, T=175℃
2

Adiabatic Expansion
P 4

•
This quantity of air first undergoes isothermal expansion to three times its
initial volume (point 2).
•
The air then undergoes adiabatic expansion until it is six times its initial
volume (point 3).
Questions:

a) Calculate the initial volume of the air.

b) Determine the pressure, volume and temperature at point 2.
c) Determine the pressure, volume and temperature at point 3.
d) Calculate the thermal efficiency of the cycle.
e) Calculate the work done per cycle,

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MCH256 Assignment 4

Answers:

a) Hint: Use 𝑃1 𝑉1 = m𝑅𝑇1

0.29KJ
m𝑅𝑇1 1 𝐾𝑔 x KgK x 448 K
𝑉1 = =
𝑃1 1.73 𝑀𝑃𝑎

1 x 0.29 x 448 𝐾𝐽 𝐽 𝑁𝑚
=
1.73
(𝑀𝑃𝑎 𝐾𝑃𝑎 𝐾𝑁/𝑚2
) = 0.075 𝑚3

b) Hint: For an isothermal expansion, P1V1 = P2V2

𝑇1 = 𝑇2 = 448 K
P1V1 = P2V2 , 1.73 MPa x 0.075 𝑚3 = 𝑃2

c) Hint: For adiabatic expansion use:

𝑉 𝛾−1
𝑇2
𝑇3
=( 3)
𝑉 2

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MCH256 Assignment 4

𝑃2 𝑉2 𝛾 = 𝑃3 𝑉3 𝛾

𝑉3 = 6 x 𝑉2 = 6 x 0.075 𝑚3 = 0.45 𝑚3
1.4−1
𝑇2 𝑉3 𝛾−1 0.45𝑚3
𝑇3
=( ) =( )
𝑉 2 0.225 𝑚3

𝑇2 448 𝐾
𝑇3 = = = 339.52 K
1.319 1.319

𝑃2 𝑉2 𝛾 = 𝑃3 𝑉3 𝛾
𝑉 𝛾
𝑃2 ( 2) = 𝑃3
𝑉 3

1.4
0.225𝑚3
𝑃3 = 0.576 𝑀𝑃𝑎 (
0.45 𝑚3
) ≈ 0.218 𝑀𝑃𝑎

𝑇1 − 𝑇3
d) Hint: thermal η =
𝑇1

𝑇1 − 𝑇3 448 𝐾−339.52 𝐾
η = = = 24.2 %
𝑇1 448 𝐾

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MCH256 Assignment 4

e) Hint: There are two possible solutions:

𝑉2
W = m𝑅 ln (𝑇1 − 𝑇3 )
𝑉1

0.225𝑚3
W = 1 Kg x 0.29 KJ/KgK x ln (
0.075 𝑚3
) (448 𝐾 − 339.52 𝐾)

= 0.29 KJ/K x ln (3) (108.48) K

= 34.56 ≈ 34.5 KJ

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