AME 50531

Intermediate Thermodynamics
Examination 1: SOLUTION
Prof. J. M. Powers
2 October 2009
1. (20) Superheated water vapor enters a valve at 500 lbf /in2 , 500 F and exits at
a pressure of 80 lbf /in2 . The expansion is a throttling process. Determine the
exergy change per unit mass. Let To = 77 F , Po = 1 atm.

Solution
The exergy at the inlet i is


1
i = hi ho + Vi Vi + g(Zi Zo ) To (si so ).
2
The exergy at the exit e is


1
e = he ho + Ve Ve + g(Ze Zo ) To (se so ).
2
Now for a valve hi = he , Vi = Ve , and Zi = Ze . So the exergy change per unit of mass
flowing is simply
e i = To (si se ).
Interpolating Table F.7.2 for the inlet at 500 lbf /in2, 500 F , we find
si =

Btu
(1.5282 + 1.4592)
= 1.4937
.
2
lbm R

hi =

1245.17 + 1216.21
Btu
= 1230.69
.
2
lbm

At the exit, we have

he = hi = 1230.69

Btu
.
lbm

along with Pe = 80 lbf /in2. Table F.7.2 is so close to having a proper value at this state
that we will not interpolate. We find that at this pressure and enthalpy that Te = 400 F
and se = 1.6790 Btu/lbm/R. The absolute To = 77 + 459.67 = 536.7 R. So the exergy
change per unit mass is
e i = (536.7)(1.5937 1.6790) = 99.445

Btu
.
lbm

2. (40) Steam is the working fluid in an ideal Rankine cycle with superheat and
reheat. Steam enters the first-stage turbine at 8.0 MP a, 480 C, and expands
to 0.7 MP a. It is then reheated to 440 C before entering the second stage
turbine, where it expands to the condenser pressure of 0.008 MP a. The net
power output is 100 MW . Determine the thermal efficiency of the cycle.

Solution
We will assign the following states:
1. first turbine inlet/combustor exit
2. combustor inlet/first turbine exit
3. second turbine inlet/combustor exit
4. condenser inlet/second turbine exit
5. pump inlet/condenser exit
6. combustor inlet/pump exit
We have P1 = 8 M P a, T1 = 480 C. We can interpolate Table B.1.3 to find h1 and s1 .
Leaving out the details of the interpolation, we get
h1 = 3348.4

kJ
,
kg

s1 = 6.6586

kJ
.
kg K

At state 2, we have P2 = 0.7 M P a = 700 kP a, and s2 = s1 = 6.6586 kJ/kg/K. This is

a two-phase mixture. Using Table B.1.2, we get the quality at state 2:
x2 =

6.6586 1.9922
s2 sf
=
= 0.9895.
sf g
4.7158

Then for h2 , we get

h2 = hf + x2 hf g = 697.20 + (0.9895)(2066.30) = 2741.85

kJ
.
kg

State 3 has T3 = 440 C, P3 = 700 kP a.

This requires a complicated double interpolation of Table B.1.3, which yields
h3 = 3353.3

kJ
,
kg

s3 = 7.7571

kJ
.
kg K

At state 4, we have P4 = 8 kP a and s4 = s3 = 7.7571 kJ/kg/K. We have to interpolate

Table B.1.2 at this pressure. We find here that sf = 0.5926, sf g = 7.6361 kJ/kg/K,
hf = 173.88 kJ/kg, hf g = 2403.1 kJ/kg. So
x4 =

7.7571 0.5926
s4 sf
=
= 0.9382.
sf g
7.6361

Thus at state 4, we have

h4 = hf + x4 hf g = 173.88 + (0.9382)(2403.1) = 2428.57

kJ
.
kg

At state 5, the water is saturated liquid at 8 kP a, which gives, after interpolation,

h5 = 173.88

kJ
.
kg

And the pump exit has

h6 = h5 + v(P6 P5 ) = 173.88 + (0.0010084)(8000 8) = 181.94

kJ
.
kg

The net power per unit mass flow is

wnet = wturbine

+ wturbine

wpump ,

wnet = (h1 h2 ) + (h3 h4 ) + (h6 h5 ),

wnet = (3358.4 2741.8) + (3353.3 2428.57) (181.94 173.88),
wnet = 1523.22

kJ
.
kg

Then heat that is paid for is

qin = (h1 h6 ) + (h3 h2 ),
qin = (3348.4 181.94) + (3353.3 2741.85),
qin = 3777.91

kJ
.
kg

The thermal efficiency is

t =

1523.22
wnet
=
= 0.403.
qin
3777.91

3. (40) An ideal Otto cycle has a compression ratio of 8. At the beginning of

the compression process, the air is at 100 kP a and 17 C, and 800 kJ/kg of
heat is transferred to the air during the constant volume heat addition process. Accounting for the variation of the specific heats of air with temperature,
determine the thermal efficiency.

Solution
State 1 has P1 = 100 kP a, T1 = 17 + 273 = 290 K. From Table A.7.1, we find that
u1 = 207.19
Now we know that

v1
= 8.
v2

kJ
.
kg

From the ideal gas law

P1 v1
P2 v2
=
.
T2
T1

So

v1
P2 T1
=
= 8.
v2
P1 T2

So

T2
P2
=8 .
P1
T1

We also know that s2 = s1 . Now

0 = s2 s1 = soT2 soT1 R ln
0=

soT2

soT1

P2
P1



T2
R ln 8
.
T1

Using known quantities at state 1, we get



T2
.
0 = soT2 6.83521 0.287 ln 8
290
We guess values of T2 and use Table A.7.1 and interpolate. We find
T2 = 652.4 K,
So
P2 = 8P1

u2 = 475.11

kJ
.
kg



652.4
T2
= 1799.7 kP a.
= 8(100)
T1
290

Now in the combustion stage, we have

u3 = u2 + qin = 475.11 + 800 = 1275.11

kJ
.
kg

We interpolate Table A.7.1 to then find that

T3 = 1575.1 K.
We use the ideal gas law to get P3 :
P2 v2
P3 v3
=
.
T3
T2
P3 = P2

T3 v2
1575.1
= (1799.7)
(1) = 4245.05 kP a.
T2 v3
652.4

Now for the isentropic power stroke, we have

0 = s4 s3 =

soT4

soT3

R ln

We also have from the ideal gas law that

P4 T3
1
v3
=
= .
v4
P3 T4
8

P4
P3

So

1 T4
P4
=
.
P3
8 T3

Thus,
0 = soT4 soT3 R ln

1 T4
8 T3

Plugging in numbers we know, and interpolating Table A.7.1 to get soT3 at T3 = 1575.1 K,
we get


1 T4
.
0 = soT4 8.67118 0.287 ln
8 1575.1
Using a trial and error process coupled with interpolation of Table A.7.1, we find
T4 = 795.6 K,

u4 = 588.74

kJ
.
kg

For the thermal efficiency, we calculate

wnet = qnet = qin qout = qin (u4 u1 ) = 800 (588.74 207.19) = 418.45
So the thermal efficiency is
t =

wnet
418.45
=
= 0.523.
qin
800

kJ
.
kg