ENERGY BALANCES

Previously Defined Terminology That Pertains to Energy

Balances
 conservation of energy
• states that the total energy of a system plus the
surroundings can neither be created nor destroyed
• the formulation of a general energy balance in
words by reproducing the general mass balance,
• general energy balance

=
 Types of Energy to Be Included in Energy
Balances
• 1. Heat (Q) when used in the general energy
balance, as a single term, is the net amount of
heat transferred to or from the system over a
fixed time interval. Process may involve more
than one specified form of heat transfer, the sum
of which is Q.
• Heat transfer is usually classified in three
categories: a. conduction,
B. convection, and
C. radiation.
• various empirical formulas to estimate the heat
• transfer rate. One example of such a formula is
the rate of heat transfer by convection that can
be calculated from

• A heat engine produces work by operating

between a high-temperature fluid and a low-
temperature fluid as given in the figure below
 Example Problem of Energy Conservation
• Energy conservation is important for houses,
commercial buildings, and so on. To what fraction is
the heat transfer rate reduced by replacing a glass
window 3 ft wide and 5 ft high with a smaller
window 2 ft wide by 3 ft high? As a typical case,
assume the outside temperature in the winter is
25°F and the inside temperature is 75°F. For this
example assume U* = 5.5 Btu/(hr)(ft2)(°F). If the
cost of energy is $9.50/106 Btu, how many dollars
per 30-day month are saved by changing the
window size if the given temperatures are
constant?
 Solution

• calculate Q for each case using ratio

Q itself is negative but the savings will be positive

• 2. Work (W)
• Work is a term that has wide usage in everyday
life (such as “I am going to work”) but has a
specialized meaning in connection with energy
balances.
• Work is a form of energy that represents a
transfer of energy between the system and
surroundings.
• Work cannot be stored. Work is a path variable.
Work is positive when the surroundings perform
work on the system. Work is negative when the
system performs work on the surroundings.
 TYPES OF WORK
• Mechanical work: Work that occurs because
of a mechanical force that moves the
boundary of a system.

• where F is an external force (a vector) in the

direction of s (a vector) acting on the system
boundary (or a system force acting at the
boundary on the surroundings).