ME 201

Thermodynamics
First Law Practice Problems Set #2

1. A student living in a 4m x 6m x 6m dormitory room turns on her 150 W fan before leaving
the room on a summer day. The room is initially at 100 kPa and 15C. Assuming that the
room is adiabatic, determine the room temperature 10 hours later.
Solution:
System Type: Closed System
Working Fluid: Air (ideal gas)
Process: Constant Volume
Initial State: Fixed
Final State: UNKNOWN
Q=0
Wsh = 150 W
&
Wbnd = 0
Conservation of Mass: m1 = m2
1st Law: m(u2-u1) = Wsh

State 1 State 2
T1,1 = 15C = 288 K T2 = 330.9 K
P1 = 100 kPa P2 = 114.0 kPa
u1 = -7.22 kJ/kg u1 = 23.81 kJ/kg
V1 = 4x6x6 = 144 m3 V1 = 144 m3
v1 = 0.8266 m3/kg v2 = 0.8266 m3/kg
m1 = 174 kg m2 = 174 lbm
Italicized values are from ideal gas relations or tables. Bold values are calculated.
Approach: To fix the final state we will use our process description along with the conservation
of mass to determine the final specific volume. Then using the conservation of energy, we can
determine the final specific internal energy. This will then fix the final state.

We start by determining our mass. Using the ideal gas law for the initial state we have
RT (0.287)(288)
v1 = 1 = = 0.8266 m 3 /kg
P1 (100)
V (144)
m2 = 2 = = 174 kg
v 2 (0.8266)
Then using conservation of mass
m2 = m1 = 174 kg
Since the volume and mass are both constant, the specific volume must also be constant or
v2 = 0.8266 m3/kg

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ME 201 Thermodynamics

Applying our conservation of energy we can write

W&
u 2 = u1 + sh
m
where is the time. Going to the ideal gas tables for air we find
u1 = -7.22 kJ/kg
Then
(150 103 )(10 3600)
u 2 = - 7.22 + = 23.81 kJ/kg
174
We can go to the ideal gas table and find a temperature of
T2 = 330.9 K
This now allows use to use the ideal gas law to determine the pressure at state 2 or
RT (0.287)(330.9)
P2 = 2 = = 114.9 kPa
v2 (0.8266)

2. Ethylene Glycol at 90 kPa and 10C enters a pump with an inlet area of 10 cm2 and exits at
140 kPa though an outlet area of 5 cm2. For a mass flow rate of 0.2 kg/s determine

a. the exit temperature

b. the required power
Solution:
System Type: Control Volume (Pump)
Substance Type: Incompressible
Process: Isentropic, PE are negligible. Include KE
Inlet State: Fixed
Exit State: UNKNOWN
Q=0
Wsh = UNKNOWN
r r
v 22 v12 &
1st Law: m h 2 +
& h1 = Wsh
2 2

State 1 State 2
T1 = 10C =283 K T2 = 283 K
P1 = 90 kPa P2 = 140 kPa
2 -3 2
A1 = 10 cm = 10 m A1 = 5 cm2 = 5 x 10-4 m2
Bold values are calculated.

Approach: To fix the final state we will use our process description. The velocities can be
calculated from continuity. The shaft work per mass can then be determined from the
conservation of energy equation.

For an incompressible substance the entropy change is given by

T
s = c P,avg ln 2
T1

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ME 201 Thermodynamics

So for an isentropic process, we must have

T2 = T1 = 283 K
We will calculate our velocities from continuity
r
m& = Av
Solving gives
r m& 0.2
v1 = = = 0.22 m/s
A1 (893.69)(103 )
r m& 0.2
v2 = = = 0.45 m/s
A 2 (893.69)(5 10 4 )
where the density for Ethylene Glycol (893.69 kg/m3) comes from Table B.3SI. The shaft is then
calculated from the first law (using the incompressible substance model for the enthalpy change)
r r r r
& =m v 22 v12
v 22 v12
W & h + h = &
m c (T T ) + v ( P P ) +
sh 2 2 1
2 p,avg 2 1 avg 2 1
2 2

(0.45)2 (0.22) 2 3
= (0.2) (1 / 893.69)(140 90) + 10

2 2
= 0.0112 kW = 11.2 W

3. Steam enters one side of a heat exchanger at 10 kPa and a quality of 0.95 and exits at 45C.
Cooling water enters the other side of the heat exchanger at 100 kPa and 20C and exits at
35C. Determine the ratio of the mass flow rate of steam to cooling water.
Solution:
System Type: Control Volume System
Substance Type: Water (phase change substance)
Process: Isobaric
Inlet State: Fixed
Exit State: Fixed
Q=0
Wsh = 0
Conserv. of Mass: m in -1 = m & & out-1 , m & in -2 = m & out-2
1st Law: m & in -1h in -1 + m
& in -2 h in -2 - m
& out-1h out1 - m& out-2 h out2 = 0
State In-1 State In-2 State Out-1 State Out-2
Tin-1 = 200C Tin-2 = 20C Tout = 45C Tout = 35C
Pin-1 = 10 kPa Pin-2 = 100 kPa Pout = 10 kPa Pout = 100 kPa
hin-1 = 2693.93 kJ/kg hin-2 = 84.30 kJ/kg hout =189.29 kJ/kg hout =146.71 kJ/kg
phase: 2 phase
phase: sub.liq. phase: sub.liq. phase: sub.liq.
x=0.95
Italicized values are from steam tables. Bold values are calculated.

Approach: We begin by evaluating the properties at all states by using the steam tables.
Substituting the enthalpies into the 1st law the mass flow rate ratio can be determined.

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ME 201 Thermodynamics

For the steam inlet we have

hin-1 = hf + xin-1hfg = 852.082 + (0.95)(1938.79) = 2693.93 kJ/kg
For the steam outlet we have subcooled liquid, so we will use
h out-2 = hf + vf[P-Psat] = 188.29 + (0.001010)(10-9.5914) = 189.29 kJ/kg
Similarly for the cooling water
hin-2 = hf + vf[P-Psat] = 84.2043 + (0.001000)(100-2.3376) = 84.30 kJ/kg
h out-2 = hf + vf[P-Psat] = 146.63 + (0.001006)(100-5.629) = 146.71 kJ/kg
Solving for the mass flow rate ratio from the first law
m& 1 h in - 2 h out 2 84.30 146.71
= = = 0.0249
m& 2 h out 1 h in - 2 189.29 2693.93