Speed of Sound in Real Gas

The ideal gas model can be improved by introducing the compressibility factor. The
compressibility factor represents the deviation from the ideal gas.

Figure: The Compressibility Chart

Thus, a real gas equation can be expressed in many cases as
(3.19)

The speed of sound of any gas is provided by equation (3.7). To obtain the expression for a gas
that obeys the law expressed by (3.19) some mathematical expressions are needed. Recalling
from thermodynamics, the Gibbs function (3.20) is used to obtain

(3.20)

The definition of pressure specific heat for a pure substance is

(3.21)
The definition of volumetric specific heat for a pure substance is

(3.22)

From thermodynamics, it can be shown 3.4

(3.23)

The specific volumetric is the inverse of the density as and thus

(3.24)

Substituting the equation (3.24) into equation (3.23) results

(3.25)

Simplifying equation (3.25) to became

(3.26)

Utilizing Gibbs equation (3.20)

(3.2
7)

Letting for isentropic process results in

(3.28)
Equation (3.28) can be integrated by parts. However, it is more convenient to express in

terms of and as follows

(3.29)

Equating the right hand side of equations (3.28) and (3.29) results in

(3.30)

Rearranging equation (3.30) yields

(3.31)

If the terms in the braces are constant in the range under interest in this study, equation (3.31)
can be integrated. For short hand writing convenience, is defined as

(3.32)

Note that approaches when and when is constant. The integration of equation
(3.31) yields

(3.33)

Equation (3.33) is similar to equation (3.11). What is different in these derivations is that a
relationship between coefficient n and was established. This relationship (3.33) isn't new, and
in-fact any thermodynamics book shows this relationship. But the definition of n in equation
(3.32) provides a tool to estimate n . Now, the speed of sound for a real gas can be obtained in
the same manner as for an ideal gas.

(3.34)
SOLUTION
According to the ideal gas model the speed of sound should be

For the real gas first coefficient has

Solution

According to the ideal gas model the speed of sound should be

For the real gas first coefficient has

The correction factor for air under normal conditions (atmospheric conditions or even increased
pressure) is minimal on the speed of sound. However, a change in temperature can have a
dramatical change in the speed of sound. For example, at relative moderate pressure but low
temperature common in atmosphere, the compressibility factor, and which means

that speed of sound is only about factor of (0.5) to calculated by ideal gas model.
The effects of Real Gases
To obtained expressions for non-ideal gas it is communally done by reusing the ideal gas model
and introducing a new variable which is a function of the gas properties like the critical pressure
and critical temperature. Thus, a real gas equation can be expressed in equation (3.19).
Differentiating equation (3.19) and dividing by equation (3.19) yields

(4.116)

Again, Gibb's equation (4.27) is reused to related the entropy change to the change in
thermodynamics properties and applied on non-ideal gas. Since and utilizing the equation

of the state . The enthalpy is a function of the temperature and pressure thus,

and full differential is

(4.117)

The definition of pressure specific heat is and second derivative is Maxwell relation
hence,

(4.118)

First, the differential of enthalpy is calculated for real gas equation of state as

(4.119)

Equations (4.27) and (3.19) are combined to form

(4.120)

The mechanical energy equation can be expressed as

(4.121)

At the stagnation the definition requires that the velocity is zero. To carry the integration of the
right hand side the relationship between the pressure and the density has to be defined. The
following power relationship is assumed

(4.122)

Notice, that for perfect gas the n is substituted by . With integration of equation (4.121) when
using relationship which is defined in equation (4.122) results

(4.123)

Substituting relation for stagnation density (3.19) results

(4.124)

For the integration results in

(4.125)

For the integration becomes

(4.126)

It must be noted that n is a function of the critical temperature and critical pressure. The mass
flow rate is regardless to equation of state as following
(4.127)

Where is the density at the throat (assuming the chocking condition) and is the cross area
of the throat. Thus, the mass flow rate in our properties
 (4.128)

For the case of

(4.129)

The Mach number can be obtained by utilizing equation (3.34) to defined the Mach number as

(4.130)

Integrating equation (4.120) when results

(4.131)

To carryout the integration of equation (4.131) looks at Bernnolli's equation which is

(4.132)

After integration of the velocity

(4.133)

It was shown in Chapter (3) that (3.33) is applicable for some ranges of relative temperature and
pressure (relative to critical temperature and pressure and not the stagnation conditions).

(4.134)
When or when

(4.135)

The mass flow rate for the real gas

(4.136)

And for

(4.137)

Fliegner's number in this case is

(4.138)

Fliegner's number for is

(4.139)

The critical ratio of the pressure is

 (4.140)

When or more generally when this is a ratio approach

(4.141)

To obtain the relationship between the temperature and pressure, equation (4.131) can be
integrated

(4.142)

The power of the pressure ratio is approaching when z approaches 1. Note that

(4.143)

The Mach number at every point at the nozzle can be expressed as

(4.144)

For the Mach number is

(4.145)

The pressure ratio at any point can be expressed as a function of the Mach number as
 (4.146)

for

(4.147)

The critical temperature is given by

(4.148)

and for

(4.149)

The mass flow rate as a function of the Mach number is

(4.150)

For the case of the mass flow rate is

(4.151)