Tutorial Four [BTME2223 APPLIED FLUID MECHANICS]

1. If a pipe contains helium at a gauge pressure of 100 kPa and a temperature of 20℃, determine the
density of the helium. Also, determine the temperature if the helium is compressed isentropically to a
gauge pressure of 250 kPa. The atmospheric pressure is 101.3 kPa and take the gas constant and specific
heat ratio of helium to be 2077 J/(kg.K) and 1.66, respectively. [ANS: 0.331 kg/m3, 366 K]

2. A supersonic plane is flying at a height of 2500 m where the air temperature is 3°C. Calculate the speed
of the plane if its sound is heard 4.5 seconds after its passage over the head of the observer.
[Ans: 416.03 m/s]

3. A needle-nosed projectile passes over you on a military testing field at a speed of 1000 m/s. You know
that it has an elevation of 1000 m where 𝑇 = −10℃. How long after it passes overhead will you hear its
sound? How far away will it be? Calculate its Mach number.

4. An air tank of volume 1.5 m3 is initially at 800 kPa and 20℃. At 𝑡 = 0, begins exhausting through a
converging nozzle to sea level conditions. The throat area is 0.75 cm2. Estimate
a. the initial mass flowrate in kg/s,
b. the time required to blow down to 500 kPa, and
c. the time at which the nozzle ceases being chocked. [ANS: 0.142 kg/s; 47 s; 144 s]

5. A tank contains air at a pressure of 3.5 N/cm2 and a temperature of 25°C. The local atmospheric pressure
is 1 bar. Air discharges out of the tank and into the atmosphere through a convergent nozzle. The exit
opening of the nozzle is 2.54 cm in diameter. Take 𝑅 = 287 J/kgK and 𝛾 = 1.4. Assume isentropic
flow,
a. what is the mass rate of flow through the nozzle,
b. what will be the mass rate of flow if the pressure in the tank is 35 N/cm2.
[0.1429 kg/s; 0.5334 kg/s]

6. Air flow from a large tank with absolute pressure of 650 kPa and temperature of 550°C through a
converging nozzle and discharge to atmosphere. If the throat area of the nozzle is 600 mm2, determine
the mass flowrate under isentropic condition in the nozzle. [ANS: 0.5495 kg/s]

7. A nozzle is designed to expand air isentropically to atmospheric pressure from a large tank in which
properties are held constant at 5°C and 304 kPa (abs). The desired flowrate is 1 kg/s. Determine the exit
area of the nozzle. [ANS: 1357 mm2]

8. Air, at a stagnation pressure of 7.2 MPa (abs) and a stagnation temperature of 1100 K, flows
isentropically through a converging-diverging nozzle having a throat area of 0.01 m2. Determine the
velocity at the downstream section where the Mach number is 4.0. Also, find out the mass flowrate.
[ANS: 1300 m/s, 87.74 kg/s]

9. A large tank contains a gas at a temperature of 15°C and 5 atmospheric pressure. An orifice of 1.0 cm
diameter is provided at the side of container through which the gas is supplied. Determine the velocity of
jet and its mass rate of flow. Take 𝑅 = 189 J/kgK, 𝛾 = 1.3 and atmospheric pressure is 10.13 N/cm2.
[ANS: 248m/s, 0.1136 kg/m3]

10. A converging-diverging nozzle, with an exit area of 40 cm2 and a throat area of
10 cm2, is attached to a reservoir with 𝑇 = 20℃ and 𝑃 = 500 kPa absolute.
a. Determine the two exit pressures that result in Ma = 1 at the throat for an isentropic flow.
b. Determine the associated exit temperatures and velocities.

Department of Mechanical Engineering T4-1

Chapter 4 – Compressible Flow

 Tutorial Four [BTME2223 APPLIED FLUID MECHANICS]

11. Air flows steadily and isentropically in a converging-diverging nozzle. At the throat, the air is at 140 kPa
(absolute pressure), and at 60°C. The throat cross-sectional area is 0.05 m2. At a certain section in the
diverging part of the nozzle which as shown in Figure, the absolute pressure is 70 kPa.

a. the stagnation pressure and temperature at upstream,

b. the velocity at the throat
c. the velocity at Section 1, and
d. the area at Section 1.

Department of Mechanical Engineering T4-2

Chapter 4 – Compressible Flow