QUESTION 1 [25 MARKS]

(a) Air is compressed steadily by an 8 kW compressor from 1 bar and 22 oC to 6 bar and 177oC
at a rate of 2.1 kg/min as shown in Figure 1. The surroundings is at 25oC and 100 kPa. Air
is to be treated as an ideal gas with variable specific heats and neglecting the changes in
kinetic and potential energies, determine:
(i) The exergy of the air at the exit. [6 marks]
(ii) The increase in exergy of the air. [6 marks]
(iii) The rate of exergy destroyed during this process. [4
marks]

Figure 1

(b) Two different options are being considered to raise the temperature of 997 kg of water in an
insulated tank from 15oC to 70oC as shown in Figure 2. Option 1: use electrical resistance
heating. Option 2: heat transfer from a source at 1500 oC. Based on exergy analysis, evaluate
each option and determine which one is the best option. The atmospheric condition is 100
kPa, 25oC and the specific heat of water, Cv = 4.184 kJ/kgoC. [9 marks]
Figure 2