Chemical and Mechanical Engineering 2300 / Thermodynamics I

Solution to Homework Assignment 9 (Lectures 1 - 17)

Prof. Geof Silcox
Chemical Engineering
University of Utah
Due Friday, 2015 November 6, by 23:59
To ensure that you receive full credit for your solutions, write out all equations in
symbolic form, give numerical values for all variables and constants in the equations, and
write answers to definitions or conceptual problems in complete sentences. Approximate
answers are rounded to one significant figure. Your answers need to be reported with
three.

Problem 1
The high and low temperature reservoirs of a Carnot heat engine are at 600C and 27C.
Calculate
a. the thermal efficiency and
b. the power output (kW) if the steady rate of heat transfer to the engine from the high
temperature reservoir is 1500 kW.
Approximate answer: 1000 kW

Solution 1
TH

TH
TH =
TL
TL =
QH
th,rev =
Wout =

600
873.15
27
300.15
1500

C
K
C
K
kW

0.656
984 kW

Q H ,in

th ,rev
Wout

W
T
1 L out
TH Q H ,in

T
Q H ,in 1 L
TH

Heat
Engine

Q L ,out
TL

Wnet ,out

Problem 2
A Carnot engine operates between three reservoirs as sketched below. Given that T1, T2,
T3, Q2, and Wout have the values,
T1

Q1,in

Wout
T1
T2
T3
Q2
Wout

900
600
300
250
725

K
K
K
kW
kW

Q 2,out
T2

find Q1 and Q3.

Approximate answers: Q1 = 1000 kW, Q3 = 300 kW.

Solution 2
T1
T2
T3
Q2
Wout

900
600
300
250
725

K
K
K
kW
kW

Entropy and Energy Balances over Engine

Q1 Q 2 Q 3

0
T1 T2 T3
Q Q Q W 0
1

out

We have two equations in two unknowns, Q1 and Q3. Solving gives

Q3 =
Q1 =

300 kW
1275 kW

Q 3,out
T3

Problem 3
Ten liters of helium are isothermally and reversibly compressed in a piston-cylinder
device at 295 K to 0.001 m3. The initial pressure is 120 kPa. Calculate the
a) work done on the helium (kJ) and the
b) change in entropy (kJ/K).
Approximate answers: 3 kJ and -0.01 kJ/K.

Solution 3
T1
V1
V2
P1
Win =

S =

295
0.010
0.0010
120

K
m^3
m^3
kPa

2.76 kJ

-0.00937 kJ/K

Win PV
1 1 ln
S mR ln

V1
V2

V2 PV
V
1 1 ln 2
V1
T1
V1

Problem 4
A rigid tank is well insulated and is divided into two parts by a diaphragm. The left side
contains 0.050 m3 nitrogen at 7 bar (absolute) and 310 K. The right side is empty; its
volume is 0.10 m3. A small hole forms in the diaphragm and gas slowly leaks to the right
side. After some time the temperature and pressure in the tank (both sides) are uniform.
You may assume ideal gas behavior. Calculate (a) the change in entropy (kJ/K) of the N2
and (b) the amount of entropy generated (kJ/K).
Approximate answers: (a) 0.1 kJ/K and (b) 0.1 kJ/K.

Solution 4
Vleft
V1 =
P1
P1 =
T1
Vright
V2 =
T2 =

0.050
0.050
7.0
700
310
0.10
0.150

m^3
m^3
bar
kPa
K
m^3
m^3

V2 Vleft Vright

310 K by energy balance for ideal gas

a) Find change in entropy

S =

0.124 kJ/K

S mR ln

V2 PV
V
1 1 ln 2
V1
T1
V1

b) Find amount of entropy generated

Q 0
Sgen =

0.124 kJ/K

Q
T

S gen

S S gen

Problem 5
Fifty-five kg of copper with initial temperature 75C is dropped into a perfectly insulated
tank that contains 110 L of water at 20C. If the heat capacities of water and copper are
constants and equal to 4.18 and 0.386 kJ/kg K, find
a) the final equilibrium temperature,
b) the change in entropy of the copper,
c) the change in entropy of the water,
d) the total entropy change for this process,
e) the entropy generated by this process.
Approximate answers: 20C, -3 kJ/K, 4 kJ/K, and 0.3 kJ/K.

Solution 5
mc
Tc1
Tc1 =
Vw
w
mw =
Tw1
Tw1 =
Cw
Cc

Tf =
Tf =

55
75
348.15
110
1000
110
20
293.15

kg
C
K
L
kg/m^3
kg
C
K

4.18 kJ/kg K
0.386 kJ/kg K

Energy balance on water and copper

to find final temperature, T f , of system.
U U c U w 0

U c Qc mc Cc T f Tc1
U w Qw mw Cw T f Tw1
Tf

mw CwTw1 mc Cc Tc1
mw Cw mc Cc

22.43 C
295.58 K

Entropy balance on water and copper

Sc =

-3.48 kJ/K

Sw =

3.79 kJ/K

S = Sgen =

0.316 kJ/K

to find entropy change of system.

2Q
S Sc S w
S gen S gen
1 T
Tf
Sc mc Cc ln
Tc1
S w mw Cw ln

Tf
Tw1