Thermodynamics (ME22002), IIT Kharagpur, Spring 2006

Problem Set on Air Standard Cycles

1. A stoichiometric mixture of gasoline and air has an energy release upon
combustion of approximately 2800 kJ/kg of the mixture. To approximate an
actual spark- ignition engine using such a mixture, consider an air-standard Otto
cycle that has a heat addition of 2800 kJ/kg of air, a compression ratio of 7, and a
pressure and temperature at the beginning of the compression process of 90 kPa,
10C. Assuming constant specific heat, with the value from Table A.l0, determine
a) The maximum pressure and temperature of the cycle.
b) The thermal efficiency of the cycle.
c) The mean effective pressure.

2. In the air-standard Otto cycle, all the heat transfer qh occurs at constant volume. It
would be more realistic to assume that part of qh occurs after the piston has started
its downward motion in the expansion stroke. Therefore, consider a cycle
identical to the Otto cycle, except that the first two-thirds of the total qh occurs at
constant volume and the last one-third occurs at constant pressure. Assume that
the total qh is 2400 kJ/kg, that the pressure and temperature at the beginning of the
compression process are 90 kPa, 20C, and that the comparison ratio is 7
Calculate the maximum pressure and temperature and the thermal efficiency of
this cycle. Compare the results with those of a conventional Otto cycle having the
same given variables.

3. Consider an ideal air-standard diesel cycle in which the state before the
compression process is 95 kPa, 290 K, and the compression ratio is 20. What
maximum temperature must the cycle have to have a thermal efficiency of 60%?

4. An air-standard Ericsson cycle has an ideal regenerator. Heat is supplied at

1000C and heat is rejected at 20C. Pressure at the beginning of the isothermal
compression process is 70 kPa. The heat added is 600 kJ/kg. Find the compressor
work, the turbine work, and the cycle efficiency.

5. Consider an ideal Stirling-cycle engine in which the pressure and temperature at

the beginning of the isothermal compression process are 100kPa, 25C, the
compression ratio is 6, and the maximum temperature in the cycle is 1100C.
Calculate
a) The maximum pressure in the cycle.
b) The thermal efficiency of the cycle with and without regenerators.

6. Consider a large stationary gas-turbine power plant that operates on the ideal
Brayton cycle and delivers a power output of 100 MW to an electric generator.
The minimum temperature in the cycle is 300 K, and the maximum temperature is

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 1600 K. The minimum pressure in the cycle is 100 kPa, and the compressor
pressure ratio is 14 to 1.
a) Calculate the power output of the turbine. What fraction of the turbine
output is required to drive the compressor?
b) What is the thermal efficiency of the cycle?

7. Repeat Problem 6, but assuming that the compressor has an isentropic efficiency
of 85% and the turbine an isentropic efficiency of 88%.

8. The gas turbine cycle shown in the figure below is to be used as an automotive
engine. In the first turbine, the gas expands to a pressure P5, just low enough for
this turbine to drive the compressor. The gas is then expanded through the second
turbine connected to the drive wheels. The data for this engine are shown in the
figure. Consider the working fluid to be air throughout the entire cycle, and
assume that all processes are ideal. Determine.
a) The intermediate pressure P5.
b) The net specific work output of the engine, and the mass flow rate
through the engine.
c) The air temperature entering the burner T3, and the thermal efficiency of
the engine.

=150 kW

9. Consider an ideal gas turbine cycle with two stages of compression and two
stages of expansion. The pressure ratio across each compressor stage and each
turbine stage is 8 to 1. The pressure at the entrance to the first compressor is 100
kPa, the temperature entering each compressor is 20C, and the temperature
entering each turbine is 1100C. An ideal regenerator is also incorporated into the
cycle. Determine the compressor work, the turbine work, and the thermal
efficiency of the cycle.

10. Repeat Problem 9, but assume that each compressor stage and each turbine stage
has an isentropic efficiency of 85%. Also assume that the regenerator has an
efficiency of 70%.

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 Thermodynamics (ME22002), IIT Kharagpur, Spring 2006
Problem Set on Vapour Cycles

1. A steam power plant has a boiler exit at 4MPa, 5000C and a condenser exit
temperature of 450C. Assume all components are ideal and find the cycle
efficiency and the specific work and heat transfer in the components.

2. Consider a simple ideal Rankine cycle that uses steam as the working fluid. The
highpressure side of the cycle is at a supercritical pressure. Such a cycle has a
potential advantage of minimizing local temperature differences between the
fluids in the steam generator, such as the instance in which the hightemperature
energy source is the hot exhaust gas from a gasturbine engine. Calculate the
thermal efficiency of the cycle if the state entering the turbine is 25 MPa, 5000C,
and the condenser pressure is 5 kPa. What is the steam quality at the turbine exit?

3. Consider an ideal steam regenerative cycle in which steam enters the turbine at
3.5 MPa, 400C, and exhausts to the condenser at 10 kPa. Steam is extracted from
the turbine at 0.8 MPa and also at 0.2 MPa for heating the boiler feed water in two
open feed water heaters. The feed water leaves each heater at the temperature of
the condensing steam. The appropriate pumps are used for the water leaving the
con- denser and the two feed water heaters. Calculate the thermal efficiency of the
cycle and the net work per kilogram of steam.

4. Consider an ideal steam combined reheat and regenerative cycle in which steam
enters the high-pressure turbine at 3.5 MPa, 400C, and is extracted for feed water
heating at 0.8 MPa. The remainder of the steam is reheated to 400C at this
pressure, 0.8 MPa, and is fed to the low-pressure turbine. Steam is extracted from
the low-pressure turbine at 0.2 MPa for feed water heating. The condenser
pressure is 10 kPa. Both feed water heaters are open heaters. Calculate the
thermal efficiency of the cycle and the net work per kilogram of steam.

5. An ideal steam power plant is designed to operate on the combined reheat and re-
generative cycle and to produce a net power output of 10 MW. Steam enters the
high-pressure turbine at 8 MPa, 550C, and is expanded to 0.6 MPa, at which
pressure some of the steam is fed to an open feed water heater, and the remainder
is reheated to 550C. The reheated steam is then expanded in the low-pressure
turbine to 10 kPa.
a. Determine the steam flow rate to the high-pressure turbine.
b. Determine the size of motor required to drive each of the pumps.
c. If the increase in the condenser cooling water temperature is restricted to
a maximum of 10C, what is the flow rate of the cooling water?
d. If the steam velocity in the turbine-condenser connecting pipe is restricted
to a maximum of 100 m/s, what is the diameter of the connecting pipe?
 6. Steam leaves a power plant steam generator at 3.5 MPa, 400C, and enters the
turbine at 3.4 MPa, 375C. The isentropic turbine efficiency is 88%, and the
turbine exhaust pressure is 10 kPa. Condensate leaves the condenser and enters
the pump at 35C, 10 kPa. The isentropic pump efficiency is 80%, and the
discharge pressure is 3.7 MPa. The feed water enters the steam generator at 3.6
MPa, 30C. Calculate the following.
a. The thermal efficiency of the cycle.
b. The irreversibility of the process in the line between the steam generator exit
and the turbine inlet, assuming an ambient temperature of 25C.

7. For the steam power plant described in Problem 1, assume the isentropic
efficiencies of the turbine and pump are 85% and 80%, respectively. Find the
component specific work and heat transfers and the cycle efficiency.
8. Find the availability .of the water at all the states in the steam power plant de-
scribed in the previous problem. Assume. The heat source in the boiler is at
600"C and the low-temperature reservoir is at 25C. Give the second law
efficiency of all the components.
9. In a particular reheat-cycle power plant, steam enters the high-pressure turbine at
5 MPa, 450C and expands to 0.5 MPa, after which it is reheated to 450C. The
steam is then expanded through the low-pressure turbine to 7.5 kPa. Liquid water
leaves the condenser at 30C, is pumped to 5 MPa, and then returned to the steam
generator. Each turbine is adiabatic with an isentropic efficiency of 87% and the
pump efficiency is 82%. If the total power output of the turbines is 10 MW, deter-
mine
a. The mass flow rate of steam
b. The pump power input
c. The thermal efficiency of the power plant

10. Consider an ideal refrigeration cycle that has a condenser temperature of 45C
and an evaporator temperature of -15C. Determine the coefficient of
performance of this refrigerator for the working fluids R-12 and R-22.