Thermo 1: MECH 240 PROBLEM SET 10

Friday, Nov. 21, 2008 Due: Monday, Dec. 1, 2008

Assigned Problems to be handed in:

Exergy (or Availability) and Irreversibility:

1. (a) A block of copper has a mass of 9 kg and is at a temperature of 500K. The cp for
copper is 0.383 kJ/kg-K. If the surroundings are at 27C, determine the exergy (or
available work) of the block.
(b) The copper block is now brought in thermal contact with 5 kg of water at 27C.
Determine the loss of exergy (i.e., loss of available work) and the increase in the
entropy of the universe, where cp for water = 4.18 kJ/kg-K.

2. A pressure vessel with a volume of 0.8 m3 contains air at 1000 kPa and 150C. Due
to heat transfer to the surrounding air, which is at 25C, the temperature of the air in
the tank drops to 25C. Determine
(a) the change in the exergy (i.e., availability) of the air and (b) the irreversibility of
the process.

3. (a) A tank of air at 2 bar and 300K has a volume of 3 m3. Heat is transferred to the
air from a reservoir at 1000K until the temperature of the air in the tank is 600K.
The surrounding atmosphere is at 17C and 1 bar. Calculate
(a) the initial and final exergy (i.e., availability) of the air, in kJ, and
(b) the maximum useful work (or reversible work wrev) associated with the process,
in kJ.
(c) the irreversibility of the process.

4. Five kilograms of air is contained in a rigid storage vessel at an initial pressure and
temperature of 200 kPa and 550C, respectively. A paddle wheel inserted through
the side of the vessel is used to agitate the air. The paddle wheel is turned until a
total of 70 kJ of work has been done on the air. During the process the temperature
of the air is maintained constant by transferring heat from the air to a thermal-energy
reservoir whose temperature is 400C. Determine the irreversibility associated with
this process when
(a) the air is considered to be the system,
(b) the reservoir is considered to be the system, and
(c) the combination of the air plus the reservoir is considered to be the system.
Assume To = 298K and Po = 100 kPa.

1
5. Open System Exergy (Availability) (Example problem 9-7 from Wark,
Thermodynamics)
An adiabatic compressor operates with air initially at 1.0 bar, 300 K, and 70 m/s.
The exit conditions are 5.0 bar, 540 K, and 150 m/s. Determine
a) the actual work input,
b) the reversible (minimum) work required for the same end states, and
c) the irreversibility of the actual process, all answers in kJ/kg

Assume that cp is constant at 1.01 kJ/kg-K and that the atmosphere is at 1 bar and
17C.

Answers: a) 251.2 kJ/kg; b) 212.8 kJ/kg; c) 38.4 kJ/kg.

Additional problems to try (not to be handed in):

6. Fifty kJ of heat is to be transferred from a thermal-energy reservoir at a temperature

of 550K to a heat engine that produces 10 kJ of work while rejecting heat to (a) a
thermal-energy reservoir at 400K and (b) the environment at 298K. For each case,
determine the thermal efficiency of the engine and compare this result to the
maximum theoretical thermal efficiency. Calculate the irreversibility and discuss its
significance.

7. A well-insulated air storage tank initially contains 0.03 kg of air at 320K and 130
kPa. The tank is connected to a valve in order to charge the tank. The valve is
opened, allowing supply air at 2 MPa and 680K to enter the tank. When the pressure
of the air in the tank has reached 500 kPa, the valve is closed. Determine the
irreversibility associated with this process. Assume To is 25C.