* Thermodynamics

Sample Problems
1.A dam holds 200,000 m3 of water at a
height of 150 m above a valley floor. If
the water is used to drive a hydraulic
turbine generator situated on the valley
floor, what is maximum energy that can
be generated?
PE = mgh = [2 x108 kg](9.81 m/sec2)(150m)
= 2.943 x1011N•m
where:
m = ρV = 1000 kg/m3 (200,000 m3)
= 2 x108 kg
2.An airplane has a mass of 196,000 kg and
carries 400 passengers having an average
mass of 60 kg each. What is the total energy
of the loaded airplane when traveling at 820
km/hr at a height of 9,500 m above the sea
level?

Total Energy = PE + KE
= 2.62 x 1010 joules
= 26,200 MJ
where:
PE = mgh
mgh = (196,000 + 24,000) kg (9.81 m/sec2)(9,500m)
= 2.0503 x 1010 N•m
KE = ½ mv2
½ mv2 = ½ (220,000) (820 km/hr)(hr/3600sec)[(1000m/1km)]2
= 5,707,098,765 N•m
3. A motor driven pump transfer
5000 liters of oil (SG = 0.8) per
hour through an elevation of 16
meters. If the delivery velocity is
10 m/sec, what is the input power
of the pump?
m = ρV = 0.8(1000)(5) = 4,000 kg/hr = 1.11 kg/sec
ΔPE = mgh = [1.11 kg/s](9.81m/s2)(16m) = 174.23 Watts
ΔKE = ½(m)v2 = ½(1.11)[10]2 = 55.5 Watts
PT = 174.23 + 55.5 = 229.73 Watts = 0.23 KW 

TDH = [Pd – Ps] / γ + [Vd – Vs] / 2g + Z

= [0] / γ + [Vd – 0] / 2g + Z
= 0 + [(10)2 /2(9.81)] + 16
= 5.097 + 16 = 21.097 m
Wp = Q x γ x TDH x S.G.
= [(5/3600)m3/s][9.81 kN/m3] 21.907m (0.8)
= 0.23 KW
4.A car having a total mass of 1500 kg
and traveling at 100 kph is made to stop
by applying brakes. All of the kinetic
energy of the car is converted into
internal energy of the brakes. Assuming
each of the car’s four wheels has a steel
disc brake with a mass of 10kg, what is
the temperature change of the brakes?
Specific heat of steel = 0.45 KJ/ kg-K.
Vel = 100 km/hr = 27.78 m/sec
KE = ½(m)v = ½(1500 kg)(27.78 m/s)2
= 578,796.3 Nm

KE = Q = mcΔT
ΔT = Q / mc
= 578.7963kJ/40kg (0.45 kJ/kg-K)
= 32.16ºK
5.An elevator and its contents have
a mass of 1500kg. What is the
electrical power input to the lifting
motor if the elevator is raised
through a height of 36 meters in 30
seconds? Assume that only 85% of
the electrical power input to the
motor is available to lift the
elevator.
m = 1500kg h = 36m t = 30 seconds
PE = mgh = 1500 kg(9.81 m/sec2)(36m)
= 529,740 N-m
PLift = 529,740 J / 30sec
= 17,658W = 17.658 kW

Pinput = Plift / 0.85

= 17.658 kW / 0.85
= 20.77 kW
6.A 600 kg hammer of a pile driver
is lifted 2 meters above a piling
head. If the hammer is released,
what will be its velocity at the
instant it strikes the piling?
PE = mgh = (600)(9.81)(2)
= 11,772 Nm
KE = ½(m)v2
v2 = 2KE/m
= 2(11,772) / 600
= 39.24
v = 6.26 m/sec
7. A girl weighing 470N holds
suspended on the end of a rope
5 meters long. What will be her
gain in potential energy when a
friend swings her to one side so
that the rope makes an angle
of 35° with the vertical?
X = 5 cos 35º = 4.095 m
h = 5 – 4.095 = 0.905 m
ΔPE = mgh
= Wh
= 470(0.905)
= 425.35 Nm
8. A tank contains 25 liters of
lubricating oil having a relative
density of 0.9 and a temperature
of 10°C. The oil is heated for 15
minutes by a 2.16 kw electric
heater. Determine the final
temperature of the oil assuming
heat loss through the tank as 160w.
(specific heat of oil is 2 KJ/kg-K)
Given:
Heating Power = 2.16 KW Voil = 25 liters = 0.025 m3
SGoil = 0.9 ti = 10°C + 273 = 283K
Time = 15 min = 900 sec QL = 160W = 0.16 KW
Coil = 2 KJ/kg-K
moil = ρoil(v) = 0.9(1000)(0.025) = 22.5 kg

Recall: Q = m c ΔT
ΔT = (Heating power – Heat loss) time / m(c)
= (2.16 – 0.16)900 / 22.5(2) = 40ºK = 40ºC
tf = 10ºC + 40ºC = 50ºC
9. There are 400 kg/min of
water being handled by pump.
The lift is from a 20-m deep
well and the delivery velocity
is 15 m/sec. Calculate the
required power of the pumping
unit in Kw.
ΔPE = mgh = (400/60)kg/s [9.81m/s2] (20m)
= 1,308 Watts
ΔKE = ½(m)v2 = ½(400/60)kg/sec [15m/s]2
= 750 Watts
Power = ΔPE + ΔKE = 1,308 + 750
= 2,058 Watts = 2.058 KW
 
TDH = [Pd – Ps] / γ + [Vd – Vs] / 2g + Z
= [0] / γ + [Vd – 0] / 2g + Z
= 0 + [(15)2 /2(9.81)] + 20
= 11.47 + 20 = 31.47 m
Wp = Q x γ x TDH x S.G.
= (0.4/60)m3/s [9.81 KN/m3](31.47 m)
= 2.058 kW
10. A motor driven pump
transfers 5,000 liters of oil per
hour through an elevation of 16
m. If the specific gravity of the
oil is 0.8, what is the input
power to the pump?
where:
ρoil = S.G.oil x ρw = 0.8(1000kg/m3)
= 800 kg/m3
Moil = ρoil(Voil) = 800 kg/m3 (5000 L/hr)[1 m3/1000L]
= 4,000 kg/hr

P = Fh = mgh = (4,000 kg/hr)[hr/3600sec](16m)

= 17.78 N•m/sec
= 17.78 Watts