7th Examples (MEF 214)

7.1/p. 229 – Burghardt

A Carnot engine operates with 0.136 kg of air as the working substance. The pressure and
volume at the beginning of isothermal expansion are 2.1 MPaa and 9.6 L. The air behaves as an
ideal gas, the sink temperature is 50 oC, and the heat added is 32 kJ. Determine (a) the source
temperature; (b) the cycle efficiency; (c) the pressure at the end of isothermal expansion; (d) the
heat rejected to the sink per cycle.

Given: Carnot engine with air as working substance

m = 0.136 kg
p1 = 2.1 MPaa
V1 = 9.6 L
TC = 50 oC + 273 = 323 K
Qin = 32 kJ

Required:
(a) TH = ?
(b) nth = ?
(c) p2 = ?
(d) Qout = ?

Solution:
p

1
Qin
2
reversible adiabatic
4
Qout
3

(a) For the high-temperature heat reservoir TH,

p1 V 1=mRT 1=mR T H

T H=
( 2100 kNm ) (0.009 6 m )
2
3

kJ
(
( 0.136 kg ) 0.287 08
kg−K )
T H =516.4 ≈516 K
(b) The thermal efficiency is
T H −T C 516−323
nth = =
TH 516

nth =0.374

(c) Process 1 – 2: isothermal heat addition (T = C)

V2
Q ¿ =W 1−2= p1 V 1 ln ( )
V1
; since ∆ U=0

but

V 2 p1
=
V 1 p2

p1
∴ Q ¿= p1 V 1 ln ( )
p2

p1 32 kJ
ln
( )
p2
=
kN
( )
2 100 2 ( 0.0096 m3 )
m

2100 1.587 3
=e
p2

p2=429.4 kPaa

(d) The heat rejection occurs at process 3 – 4 with T = C.

V4
∴ Q out =mR T C ln ( )
V3
and since

V 4 V 1 p2
= =
V 3 V 2 p1

p2 kJ 429.4
Q out =mR T C ln ( )
p1 (
=( 0.136 kg ) 0.287 08
kg−K )
( 323 K ) ln (
2 100 )
Q out =−20 kJ
7.4/p. 230
A Carnot engine uses air as the working substance, receives heat at a temperature of 315 oC, and
rejects it at 65 oC. The maximum possible cycle pressure is 6 MPaa, and the minimum volume is
0.95 L. When heat is added, the volume increases by 250 %. Determine the pressure and volume
at each state in the cycle.

Given: Carnot engine with air as working substance

TH = 315 oC + 273 = 588 K
TC = 65 oC + 273 = 338 K
p1 = 6 MPaa
V1 = 0.95 L
V2 = 2.5V1 (due to heat addition)

Required:
p and V at each state point?

Solution:
Process 1 – 2: isothermal expansion with heat added

V 2=2.5 ( 0.95 L )=2.375 L

V1 V1
p2 = p1 ( )
V2
= ( 6 000 kPaa ) (
2.5V 1 )
p2=2 400 kPaa

Process 2 – 3: reversible adiabatic expansion process (pVk = C)

1 1
V 3 T2 T
=
V 2 T3( ) ( )
k−1
= H
TC
k−1

1
588
V 3= (2.375 L ) ( )
338
1.4−1

V 3=9.48 L

p3 V k3= p2 V k2

1.4
2.375
p3=( 2 400 kPaa ) ( 9.48 )
p3=345.6 kPaa
Process 3 – 4: isothermal compression with heat rejected

V4 V1
=
V3 V2

V1
V 4 =( 9.48 L ) (
2.5V 1 )=3.792 L

p4 V 4 = p3 V 3

9.48
p4 =( 345.6 kPaa ) ( 3.792 )
p4 =864 kPaa

7.9/p. 230
A Carnot engine operates between temperature limits of 1 200 K and 400 K, using 0.4 kg of air
and running at 500 rpm. The pressure at the beginning of heat addition is 1 500 kPaa and at the
end of heat addition is 750 kPaa. Determine (a) the heat added per cycle; (b) the heat rejected; (c)
the power; (d) the volume at the end of heat addition; (e) the mean effective pressure; (f) the
thermal efficiency.

Given: Carnot engine with air as working substance

TH = 1 200 K
TC = 400 K
m = 0.4 kg
n = 500 rpm
p1 = 1 500 kPaa
p2 = 750 kPaa

Required:
(a) Qin = ?
(b) Qout = ?
(c) Ẇ = ?
(d) V2 =?
(e) pm = ?
(f) nth = ?

Solution:
(a) The heat added at constant temperature is

V2 p1
Q ¿ =mR T H ln ( )V1
=mR T H ln
p2 ( )
 kJ 1 500
(
Q ¿ =( 0.4 kg ) 0.287 08
kg−K )
( 1200 K ) ln
750 ( )
Q ¿ =95.5 kJ

(b) The heat rejected at constant temperature is

V4
Q out =mR T C ln ( )V3

but

V 4 V 1 p2
= =
V 3 V 2 p1

p2 750
Q out =mR T C ln ( )
p1
=( 0.4 )( 0.287 08 )( 400 ) ln
1500 ( )
Q out =−31.8 kJ

(c) The power is

Ẇ =W net n=( Q¿ +Q out ) n

rev 1 min
Ẇ =( 95.5−31.8 ) kJ 500 ( )(
min 60 s )
Ẇ =530.8 kW

(d) Solve for the volume V1 first to determine the volume V2 at the end of heat addition.

kN −m
V 1=
mR T H
=
(
( 0.4 kg ) 0.287 08
kg−K )
( 1200 K )

p1 kN
1500 2
m

V 1=0.092 m 3

p1 3 1500
∴ V 2=V 1 ( )p2
=( 0.092 m )
750 ( )
V 2=0.184 m3

(e) The mean effective pressure is

 W net
pm =
V 3 −V 1

Solve for V3 using the reversible adiabatic relationship between the volumes and temperatures at
state points 2 and 3. Thus,
1 1
V 3 T2 T
=
V 2 T3 ( ) ( ) k−1
= H
TC
k−1

1
1200
V 3=( 0.184 m 3 ) ( 400 )
1.4 −1

V 3=2.868 m3

( 95.5−31.8 ) kN−m
∴ p m=
( 2.868−0.092 ) m 3

kN
pm =22.9
m2

(f) The thermal efficiency is

T H −T C 1 200−400
nth = =
TH 1 200

nth =0.6667