WORK AND ENERGY CHANGE IN PROCESS AND

THERMAL PROCESS IN AN IDEAL GAS

Energy Systems and Aerodynamics

Fabio Bosio – M.Eng in Mechanical Engineering 1

 INTRODUCTION

1. IDEAL GAS

2. THERMAL PROCESSES:
• ISOCHORIC
• ISOTHERMAL
• ISOBARIC
• ADIABATIC

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 THE IDEAL GAS

• An ideal gas is composed of a large number of small gas

molecules
• The volume of those gas molecules is negligible
• There are no attractions between gas molecules
• The motion of these gas molecules obeys the Newton’s law of
motion
• Collisions of molecules are completely elastic
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 THE IDEAL GAS – ELASTIC COLLISION

• the total kinetic energy before the collision is equal to the total
kinetic energy after the collision
• It does not deform the objects permanently, but inelastic
collisions can deform objects permanently
• It does not create any heat or sound, but inelastic collisions
always emit energy in some form
• are not present in nature, but inelastic collisions are present4
 THE IDEAL GAS LAW - EQUATION
 

P= pressure [Pa] []

V= volume [] or [] 1 =

n= number of mole of gas

R= Universal constant R = 8.31

T= temperature [K]

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 THE IDEAL GAS LAW - EQUATION
 
N= number of molecules

Number of molecules in 1 mole

Defining: Boltzmann’s constant= `

Remembering the relationship: nR=Nk

In the end we have:

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 •   RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN R AND
 
R= Universal Constant of Gas
R = 8.31
 
= Specific Universal Constant of Gas

where MM = molar mass -

So, we can say:

What dimension has m ? In the SI? 7

THE IDEAL GAS LAW

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IDEAL GAS PROCESSES

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ISOCHORIC PROCESS (V = COST)

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 ISOCHORIC PROCESS (V = COST) - 1

 i = initial ; f = final

When:

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• ISOCHORIC
  PROCESS (V = COST) - 2
P-V work:

where [] Specific Heat Capacity

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SPECIFIC HEAT CAPACITY

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 EXERCISE - 1

A 41 liters of rigid cylinder contains 5 mol of diatomic

Gas. The pressure increases from 3 atm to 9 atm.
Calculate:
a)How much work is done on the gas
b)Initial and final temperature of the gas
c) The change in the internal energy of the gas
d)How much heat energy is transferred
e)Did heat flow into or out of the gas

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 EXERCISE - 2
A butcher for the local Chinese restaurant needs to defrost a large
chunk of beef, which weights 25 kg and is currently at 0 C°. He
wants to accomplish this by repeatedly drop it onto the ground.
Suppose the potential energy of the meat completely transforms
into heat each time it hits the ground, and that energy can be
calculated from V=mgΔh, where m is mass of the object, g is the
acceleration of gravity, and Δh is change in height.
If the man is 1.7 m tall and he wants to get the meat to room
temperature (25C°), calculate:
• how many times does he have to drop the piece of meat?
Assume the environment has no effect on the meat, and that it
does not lose any heat. (Specific Heat of the Meat: 0.25 J/gC°).
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ISOBARIC PROCESS 1 (P = COST)

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•   ISOBARIC PROCESS 1 (P = COST)
i = initial f = final

When:

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•   ISOBARIC PROCESS 2 (P = COST)
According by gas model:

cv = specific heat at V=cost []

While:

Replacing ∆U and W, we get:

cp = cv + R= specific heat at P=cost []

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EXERCISE
Four different processes are shown on the
P-V diagram in Figure. The processes are
carried out on a system of diatomic ideal
gas. Rank these processes, from most
positive to most negative, based on :
a) The work done by the gas during the
process (W)
b) The change in internal energy of the
gas during the process (∆U)
Express your rankings in a form like
2>1=3>4.

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 ISOTHERMAL PROCESS (T = COST)

• Constant temperature process

• Heat may flow but very slowly so that thermal equilibrium is not disturbed
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 ISOTHERMAL PROCESS (T = COST)
 

While:

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 ADIABATIC PROCESS (Q = 0)

• Approximation for very rapid processes

• No heat escaping

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 ADIABATIC PROCESS (Q = 0) - 1

Remember that:
f=D.o.F per molecule

• 3 monoatomic
gas(Helium, Neon )
• 5 diatomic gas (Hydrogen,
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Oxygen)
ADIABATIC PROCESS (Q = 0) - 2

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ADIABATIC PROCESS (Q = 0) - 3

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ADIABATIC PROCESS (Q = 0) - 4

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ADIABATIC PROCESS (Q = 0) - 4

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 ADIABATIC PROCESS (Q = 0) - REMEMBER

• During an ADIABATIC EXPANSION process, the reduction of the

internal energy is used by the system to do work on the
environment
• During an ADIABATICOMPRESSION process, the environment does
work on the system and increases the internal energy 28
 EXERCISE 1 - Problem
A gas consisting of n moles of a monatomic gas goes through the cyclic process shown in the
figure. It starts off at point A in the P − V plane. It first expands at constant pressure (isobaric) to
the point B. Then the pressure is reduced, with constant volume, to the point C (isochoric
process). Finally, the gas is compressed with a constant temperature TC = TA back to the point A
(isothermal). The pressures and volumes are labelled in the figure.
• For each process, and the whole cycle, find ∆U, Q and W

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 EXERCISE 2 - Problem
 Gasoline vapor is injected into the cylinder of an automobile engine when the piston is
in its expanded position.
The temperature, pressure, and volume of the resulting gas-air mixture
are 20°C, 1.00× Pa, and 240 , respectively.
The mixture is then compressed adiabatically to a volume of 40 . Note that in the
actual operation of an automobile engine, the compression is not quasi-static,
although we are making that assumption here.
a) Design the adiabatic compression graph.
b) What are the pressure and temperature of the mixture after the compression?
c) How much work is done by the mixture during the compression?

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SUMMARY OF THERMAL PROCESSES

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