NEW ZEALAND DIPLOMA IN ENGINEERING

(Mechanical)

DE5301 Thermodynamics and Heat Transfer

Date: June 2014
Time Allowed:

Three (3) hours plus 10 minutes reading time.

Total Marks:

100

Answer ALL questions in section 1 (Questions 1 12)

PLUS any TWO question from Section 2 (Questions 13 15)
Section 1 - 70 marks, Section 2 - 30 marks, Total marks 100

Please Note:
1. This examination will be held in accordance with institutional examination procedures and in
conjunction with the rules and regulations imposed by The Board.
2. Any candidate who aids, attempts to aid, obtains aid or attempts to obtain aid from another
candidate will be disqualified and further dealt with under the institutional disciplinary procedures
for cheating. This could result in the offenders expulsion from the institution.
3. Candidates are permitted to use non-programmable calculators. This explicitly excludes lap-top
computers, cell phones, i-phones, i-pads or any other device capable of connecting by wireless to
the Internet or other electronic media or source of potential aid. Violations of this rule will also be
dealt with as acts of cheating.
4. This is a CLOSED BOOK examination. You may not be in possession of books, notes memoranda or
reference materials other than those supplied in the examination.
5. You may make use of the information in the Formulary handed out with this paper.
Instructions:
1. Answer the questions in this question/answer book. Extra sheets may be requested during the
examination. Enter your Student ID in the space provided on the front cover.
2. Write your student ID and the question number on each loose page, and enclose such extra sheets
in the book.
3. CROSS OUT any work that you do not wish to have marked.
4. Show ALL working in calculations to obtain full marks. In any question that does not ask for
numerical answers to a specified accuracy, answers should be rounded appropriately.
Students Name/number _____________________________________

Section 1 - Answer all questions 1 - 12

Question 1 (4 marks)
A steel casting is required to be 450 mm long at 20C. Determine the length of
the mould if the steel solidifies at 1450C. steel = 13 x 10-6 1/C

Question 2 (5 marks)
In an experiment the pressure in a container is measure using an open ended
manometer and found to be 325 mm water. The barometer reading at the time
was 771 mm mercury.
mercury = 13,600 kg/m3, water = 1000 kg/m3
a) Determine the absolute pressure in the container.
(3 marks)
b) What would the pressure read on a digital pressure gauge zeroed at
standard atmospheric pressure?
(2 marks)

Question 3 (8 marks)
The results of an experiment to find the specific heat of a metal sample are given
below. In the experiment a hot metal block is placed into a container of cold
water. After the block and water have reached thermal equilibrium (i.e. the same
temperature), the final temperature was recorded.

Water; Initial temperature 10C, mass 220 g

Metal sample; Initial temperature 92C, mass 131 g
Final temperature of water and block 18C
Neglect the mass of the water container and any heat gain/loss from the
container.

a) Determine the Specific heat capacity of the metal sample.

(4 marks)
b) By neglecting the mass of the container there would be an error in the
specific heat capacity value determined in part a) above. What effect
would this have on the calculated specific heat capacity? I.e. would it be
larger or smaller than the real value? Include a short explanation.
(2
marks)
c) If the container gained heat from the surroundings during the experiment,
what effect would this have on the calculated Specific heat capacity? I.e.
would it be larger or smaller than the real value? Include a short
explanation.
(2 marks)

Question 4 (10 marks 2 marks each)

A container of compressed air (700 kPa, 20C, 0.6 m 3) is expanded isothermally
to a volume of 0.8 m3. Determine;
a)
b)
c)
d)
e)

The
The
The
The
The

mass of air
final pressure
work transfer, state if IN or OUT
change in internal energy
heat transfer, state if IN or OUT

Question 5 (10 marks)

A domestic kettle holds 2 L of water at 20C and is fitted with a 2 kW electric
element.
Given hf = 417 kJ/kg, hfg = 2258 kJ/kg
a) Determine the mass of water in the kettle if the element is on for 15
minutes.
(6 marks)
b) Determine the total time it would take until the kettle was empty.
(4
marks)

Question 6 (6 marks)
The sketch below shows a cross-section through the wall of a refrigerated
container. Based on the values given, determine;
a) The expected rate of heat transfer per m2
b) The interface temperature (between timber and insulation).
Timber
20 mm thick
k = 0.12 W/m.K

Inside Surface temp

-15C

(4 marks)
(2 marks)

Insulation
50 mm thick
k = 0.03 W/m.K
Surface temp
40C
Interface temperature

Question 7 (6 marks)
A diesel powered stand-by generator has an electrical output of 250 kW. The
unit has an overall efficiency of 26% and must operate for 3 days before being
refueled. Determine the volume of the diesel tank required. Density of Diesel
900 kg/m3, Calorific value of Diesel 38 MJ/kg

Question 8 (3 marks)
Briefly explain why turbulent flow would transfer more heat than laminar flow in
a heat exchanger if the velocities of both were equal.

Question 9 (2 marks)
What does the term NTU stand for when referred to heat exchangers.

Question 10 (6 marks)
A factory heating system uses hot water stored in three large tanks. The total
volume of the system is 45 m3 at 20C and the tanks reach 80 maximum
temperature. Calculate the size of the overflow tank required. Coefficient of
linear expansion of the tanks is 13 x 10 -6 1/C, Coefficient of volume expansion of
water 450 x 10-6 1/C

Question 11 (6 marks 2 marks each)

Large oven trays has just left the enameling furnace
at a temperature of 850C and are allowed to cool
before removing from the overhead conveyor.
Using h = 80 W/m2, = 0.8, room temperature is
20C, and surface area = 0.5 m2; determine
a) The heat transfer by convection
b) The heat transfer by radiation
c) The total heat transfer

Image From

Question 12 (4 Marks)
In a refrigeration system, the refrigerant becomes cold as it passes through the
throttle. Briefly explain why this occurs.

Section 2 - Answer any 2 of the following

questions 13-15
Question 13 (15 marks)
a) The sketch below shows a sectional elevation through a house wall
showing three different layouts of curtains covering a window. Give a brief
description, explaining to the home owner of the performance of each
arrangement at retaining heat in winter.
(7 marks)
Ceiling

Ceiling

Ceiling

Window
Curtain mounted away from
Curtain
wall mounted
to wall
at top to wall at top and touching floor
Curtain
mounted

Wall

Floor

Floor

Floor

Arrangement A

Arrangement B

Arrangement C

b) A remote house (not connected to the electrical grid) is looking at the

options of fitting solar PV or a micro hydro to supply electric power. Given
the following information, discuss the advantages/disadvantages of each
system. Include reliability of supply, battery storage requirements, the
relative generation capacities of each, and seasonal effects.
Solar fitted to Roof of house, north facing
Micro Hydro, good supply of water for most of year with possible reduction
of flow by 20% sometimes in summer. Location 100 m from house.
(8
marks)

Question 14 (15 marks)

In a process, 0.1 kg of air at 20C is compressed Polytropically (n = 1.35) from
100 kPa to 650 kPa, then cooled at constant pressure to 4C.
a) Sketch the P-V diagram

(1 mark)

Determine the;
b)
c)
d)
e)

Temperature after compression

Final volume
Total work
Total heat transfer

(2
(2
(5
(5

marks)
marks)
marks)
marks)

Blank for working

Question 15 (15 marks)

a) A heat recovery unit in a factory uses a
shell-in-tube counter flow type unit to
recover heat from a flow of hot fluid to
preheat water for the factory. The hot
fluid enters at 88C and a flow rate of
25 kg/minute, and exits at 55C. The
cold water will enter the heat exchanger
at
15C
and
exit
at
55C.
Take cHot-fluid = 3000 J/kg.K, cwater = 4200
J/kg.K.

I.
II.
III.

Sketch the temperature profile for the heat exchanger

[1 mark]
Calculate the mass flow rate of cold water in kg/minute
[4 marks]
Calculate the heat exchange area required if U = 3500 W/m 2.K
[4
marks]

b) An air to water heat exchanger with an effectiveness of 80% uses water at

20C to cool exhaust gas from 350C. Flow of exhaust gas is 1.9 kg/s (c =
1000 J/kg.K) and the water flow is 3 kg/s (c = 4200 J/kg.K). There is no
phase change of the water. Determine the two exit temperatures.
[6
marks]

Blank for working