Wright State University ME 3310, Summer 2013

Department of Mechanical and Materials Engineering

THERMODYNAMICS I
FINAL EXAM
OPEN BOOK, CLOSED NOTES, DO NOT WRITE ON THIS SHEET

Problem 1: (20 points) A reversible heat engine receives energy from a solar collector at a temperature of
80C, and rejects heat to the surroundings at 25C. The solar collector converts 50 percent of the incident solar
energy into usable thermal energy. If 1.0 kW of solar energy strikes each 1.0 m2 of the collectors, what collector
area is necessary to provide 5 kW of power output from the heat engine? (Answer: A = 64.18 m2)

Problem 2: (45 points) A steam turbine with 70 percent efficiency drives an air compressor with an isentropic
efficiency of 78 percent. What mass flow rate of steam must be supplied to the turbine? Assume that both
devices are adiabatic. (Answer: ̇ kg/s)

Problem 3: (35 points) A steam boiler has a volume of 0.5 m3. After the boiler is heated to P = 0.5 MPa and x
= 10 percent, a valve opens, allowing the saturated vapor to escape. There is an additional heat transfer to the
boiler to maintain constant pressure. Determine the total mass of the mixture remaining in the boiler when 75
percent of the initial H2O has escaped, and determine the total heat transferred during the process.
(Answers: m2 = 3.25 kg, Q = 20,610 kJ)