UNIVERSITY OF TECHNOLOGY SYDNEY

FACULTY OF ENGINEERING AND IT

THERMODYNAMICS 48651

AUTUMN
2019

|| || LABORATORY REPORT 2 || ||

RECIPROCATING AIR COMPRESSOR

SUBMITTED BY:

Sumit Kumar Yadav (13006958) Dhanesh Chandolia(13372091)

Anisha Tiwari (12852392) Jeet Boora ( 12719581)

SUBMITTED TO :

Subject coordinator of Thermodynamics

Date of Submission: 17th May, 2019

 Group assessment form

This form must be completed and attached to each Group Report at the time of
submission.
We have discussed our individual contribution to this Group Report and have
come to the agreement that the following contributions have been made by the
individuals.
Group Number 26

Surname First name ID number % Contribution Signature

Chandolia Dhanesh 13372091 25%

Yadav Sumit Kumar 13006958 25%

Boora Jeet 12719581 25%

Tiwari Anisha 12852392 25%

 ABSTRACT

This reciprocating air compressor experiment is executed in the laboratory using

equipment. The objective of performing this experiment is to make students
understand the concept of thermal processes, laws of thermodynamics and also
teach them the way of making measurements and assumptions. Therefore, this
experiment also provides some amount of experience in using machinery and
recording data. Finally, this report also states the second law of thermodynamics,
its calculation and ending up with a short conclusion.

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 TABLE OF CONTENTS

Introduction……………………………………………………………………. 1

Equipment………………………………………………………………………2

Methodology…………………………………………………………………....3

Data……………………………………………………………………………...3

Result and Analysis………………………………………………………….…4

Conclusion……...………………………………………………………….……6

References…………………………………………………….…….………….7

Appendices………………………………………………………………….….8

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1.INTRODUCTION:

Any thermodynamic cycle that a system undergoes occurs if both first and second
law of thermodynamics are satisfied (Borgnakke &Sonntag 2017, p189). Second law
of thermodynamic mentions that processes occur in certain direction but not in
opposite direction. Few terminologies related to second law of thermodynamics are
explained below;

• Isentropic Process: Thermodynamic process where entropy remains constant.

For a process to be isentropic, it must be reversible and adiabatic (no heat
transfer).
• Irreversible Process: Those processes whose net entropy is greater than
zero.
• Polytropic Process: Any reversible process which involves both heat and work
transfer.
• Principle of the increase of entropy: The increase of the entropy states that
the total change in entropy of a system together with its surrounding
(adiabatic) is always greater than or equal to zero.

Δsgen = Δssystem + Δssurrounding

Δsgen =
• Isentropic efficiency of the compressor: It is the ratio of the work input to an
isentropic process to actual compressor work.

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 2.EQUIPMENT:

Figure 2.1: Schematic diagram of test rig (UTSonline 2018).

Fig 1: Prototype 2 Air Compressor (Source: Original Graphic by Sumit Kumar Yadav).

Components used :

• Compressor
• AC Induction motor
• Heat Exchanger
• Pipes
• Dynamometer
• Water volume flow meter
• Air Volume Flow meter
• Temperature sensors at positions 1-7
• Pressure gauge
• Electric power to motor

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 3. METHODOLOGY:

The components were studied first, and the readings were taken for atmospheric pressure
and temperature. The compressors were started, and steady state were attained before
taking the readings. The readings were taken from prototype 2 in three different intervals
of 10 minutes independently

4. DATA:

Unit 1 2 3 Average

Load Cell N 21 20.9 20.9 20.93

Motor Speed RPM 1099.6 1119.6 1127.4 1115.53

Water Flow rate l/hr 30.4 30.5 30.5 30.47

Air flow rate l/min 101.1 100.9 110.4 100.8

Motor power Watts 547.2 544.9 546.9 546.33

P1 (Absolute) kPa 318.8 318.2 318.1 318.37

P2 (gauge) kPa 216.1 215.5 215.4 215.67

T1 (Temperature) °C 22.9 22.8 22.9 22.87

T2 °C 93.3 93.8 93.8 93.63

T3 °C 60.6 60.9 60.7 60.73

T4 °C 21.9 21.9 22.0 21.93

T5 °C 20.0 20 20 20

T6 °C 23.0 22.9 22.7 22.87

T7 °C 21.8 21.8 21.9 21.83

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5. RESULT AND ANALYSIS:

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6.CONCLUSION:

The experiment verifies second law of thermodynamics as per the result and analysis.
Thermodynamic cycle includes number of process which results to gain and loss and
exchange of heat during the process. These values can be calculated using different
thermodynamic assumptions and laws. The report gave an insight of some applications of
second law of thermodynamics and some parameters like entropy, enthalpy related to these
processes.

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REFERENCES:

Borgnakke, C. & Sonntag, R.E. 2017, Fundamentals of Thermodynamics, 9th edn,

John Wiley and Sons, Inc, USA.

UTS Online, 48651 Learning Guide, UTS, Sydney viewed 06 September 2018

<https://online.uts.edu.au/bbcswebdav/pid-2851485-dt-content-rid-
33147403_1/courses/48651-2018-
SPRINGCITY/LearningGuide_48651_S2017.pdf>

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Thermodynamics Laboratory Report 1
48651 Reciprocating Air Compressor

APPENDICES: