Faculty of Engineering and Geosciences

Department of Mining Engineering

Thermodynamics Hmine 220
Assignment 1
Question 1
(a) Identify the differences between an isolated system and a closed
system.
(b) The water in a tank is pressurized by air, and the pressure is measured
by a multifluid manometer as shown in Fig. 1(b) . The tank is located on a
mountain at an altitude of 1400 m where the atmospheric pressure is 85.6
kPa. Determine the gauge air pressure in the tank if h 1 = 0.1 m, h2 = 0.2 m,
and h3 = 0.35 m. Take the densities of water, oil, and mercury to be 1000
kg/m3, 850 kg/m3, and 13,600 kg/m3, respectively.

(c) Define the isothermal, isobaric, and isochoric processes. State the
conditions to be established for each of the processes to occur ideally.
(d) A gasoline line is connected to a pressure gage through a double-U
manometer, as shown in Fig. 1(d) If the reading of the pressure gage is 370
kPa, determine the gage pressure of the gasoline line
 FIG 1 (d)
Question 2
(a) A candle is burning in a well-insulated room. Taking the room (the air
plus the candle) as the system, determine ((i)) if there is any heat transfer
during this burning process and (ii) if there is any change in the internal
energy of the system.
(b) Portable electric heaters are commonly used to heat small rooms.
Explain the energy transformation involved during this heating process.
(c) Water is pumped from a lower reservoir to a higher
reservoir by a pump that provides 20 kW of shaft power. The
free surface of the upper reservoir is 45 m higher than that of
the lower reservoir. If the flow rate of water is measured to
be 0.03 m3/s.
(i) Draw a sketch to show the system.
(ii) Is this a closed or open system? Explain
(iii) Apply the first law of thermodynamics and deduce the energy
equation of this system.
(iv) Determine mechanical power that is converted to thermal energy
during this process due to frictional effects.
Question 3
(a) A 3-m3 rigid tank contains hydrogen at 250 kPa and 550 K. The gas is
now cooled until its temperature drops to 350 K. Determine (i) the final
pressure in the tank and (ii) the amount of heat transfer.
(b) 1 kg of oxygen is heated from 20 to 120°C. Determine the amount of
heat transfer required when this is done during a
(i) constant-volume process and (ii) isobaric process
(c) Argon is compressed in a polytropic process with n = 1.2 from 120 kPa
and 10°C to 800 kPa in a piston–cylinder device. Determine the work
produced and heat transferred during this compression process, in kJ/kg.