Meghnad Saha Institute of Technology

Department of Mechanical Engineering

Engineering Thermodynamics ~ ME201

Problem sheet ~ 3: 1st Law of Thermodynamics

NUMERICALS:
1. A domestic refrigerator is loaded with fresh food and the door is closed. During a certain period
the machine consumes 1 kWh of energy and the initial energy of the refrigerated space drops by
5000kJ. Find the net heat transfer for the system. [-8.6 MJ]
2. Saturated water vapor at 2000C is isothermally condensed to a saturated liquid in a piston
cylinder device. Determine the heat transfer and the work done during the process. [1940 kJ/kg,
196.0 kJ/kg]
3. A 4m x 5m x 6m room is to be heated by a baseboard resistance heater. It is desired that the
resistance heater be able to raise the air temperature in the room from 7 to 23°C within 15 min.
Assuming no heat losses from the room and an atmospheric pressure of 100 kPa, determine the
required power of the resistance heater. Assume constant specific heats at room temperature.
[1.91 kW]
4. A frictionless piston–cylinder device contains 25g of saturated steam at 300 kPa. Heat is now
transferred to the steam by a resistance heater where 0.2A current passes for 5min from a 120V
source. At the same time, a heat loss of 3.7 kJ occurs. Determine a) the final temperature, and b)
the displacement work. Show the process in p-v plot.
5. A stationary system consisting of 2 kg of the air expands in an adiabatic process according to pv l.2

= constant. The initial conditions are 1 MPa and 200°C, and the final pressure is 0.1 MPa. Find W
and Δ E for the process. Why is the work transfer not equal to ∫pdV ? [Ans. W= 217.35, Δ E = –
217.35 kJ, ∫ pdV = 434.4 kJ]
6. A gas of mass 1.5 kg undergoes a quasi-static expansion which follows a relationship p = a + bV,
where a and b are constants. The initial and final pressures are 1000 kPa and 200 kPa
respectively and the corresponding volumes are 0.20 m3 and 1.20 m3. The specific internal energy
of the gas is given by the relation u = l.5 pv – 85 kJ/kg. Where p is the kPa and v is in m3/kg.
Calculate the net heat transfer and the maximum internal energy of the gas attained during
expansion. [Ans. 660 kJ, 503.3 kJ]
7. A well-insulated rigid tank contains 5 kg of a saturated liquid–vapor
mixture of water at l00 kPa. Initially, three-quarters of the mass is in
the liquid phase. An electric resistor placed in the tank is connected
to a 110-V source, and a current of 8 A flows through the resistor
when the switch is turned on. Determine how long it will take to
vaporize all the liquid in the tank. Also, show the process on a T-v
diagram with respect to saturation lines. [Ans: 153.1min]
8. A gas undergoes a thermodynamic cycle consisting of the following processes:
 (i) Process 1–2: Constant pressure p = 1.4 bar, V1 = 0.028 m3, W12 = 10.5 kJ
(ii) Process 2–3: Compression with pV = constant, U3 = U2
(iii) Process 3–1: Constant volume, U1 – U3 = – 26.4 kJ. There are no significant changes in KE
and PE. (a) Sketch the cycle on a p–V diagram. (b) Calculate the net work for the cycle in kJ (c)
Calculate the heat transfer for process 1–2 (d) Show that ΣQ cycle =ΣW cycle. [Ans. (b) – 8.28 kJ,
(c) 36.9 kJ]
9. Consider a system taken from state 1 to state 2 along the
path 1-a-2, as shown in the following figure. 100kJ of
heat flows into the system and the system does 40kJ of
work. (a) Evaluate the heat that flows into the system
along the path 1-b-2 if it is accompanied by 20kJ of work
transfer from the system. (b) Calculate the workdone and
heat exchanged if the system returns to the initial state 1
along the straight path 2-1. (c) Make calculations for the
heat absorbed in the processes 1-b and b-2 if the internal energy values at state 1 and b are given
to be 0 and 50kJ respectively. [Ans: 60kJ, 80kJ, -30, -80, 70, 10]
10. 60 litres of an ideal gas at 290K and 1 bar is compressed adiabatically to 10 bar. It is then
cooled at constant volume and further expanded isothermally so as to reach the condition from
where it started. Show the processes on p-v diagram and estimate: a) pressure at the end of
constant volume cooling, b) change in internal energy during constant volume process, c) net work
done and heat transfer during the cycle. Assume cp = 14.25 kJ/kgK, cv = 10.15 kJ/kgK. [Ans:
5.155bar, -13.85kJ, -4.112kJ]
11. An insulated piston–cylinder device contains 5 L of
saturated liquid water at a constant pressure of 175 kPa.
Water is stirred by a paddle wheel while a current of 8 A
flows for 45 min through a resistor placed in the water. If
one-half of the liquid is evaporated during this
constantpressure process and the paddle-wheel work
amounts to 400 kJ, determine the voltage of the source.
Also, show the process on a P-v diagram with respect to
saturation lines. [Ans: 224V]
12. An engine is tested by means of a water brake at 1000 rpm. The measured torque of the engine is
10000 Nm and the water consumption of the brake is 0.5 m3/s, its inlet temperature being 20°C.
Calculate the water temperature at exit, assuming that the whole of the engine power is ultimately
transformed into heat which is absorbed by the cooling water.
If the same water as in previous problem were kept in a conducting chamber and during the
process 1.7 kW of heat were transferred from the liquid to the surroundings, what would be the
water temperature at exit? [Ans: 20.50C]