Dipartimento Energia

Dipartimento Energia
Politecnico di Torino Corso Duca degli Abruzzi, 24 10129 Torino Italia
fax: +39 011.090.4599


Applied lecture 1 - Fundamentals of thermal and hydraulic machines and fluid power


1) A gas cylinder displaying a capacity of 5 liters contains air under a
pressure p1 =1 bar and at a temperature T1 =300 K. The cylinder
communicates with a great tank hosting air under a pressure p =15
MPa and at a temperature T =290 K by means of a valve. When the
valve opens, the cylinder is filled up with air as long as its pressure
reaches the value of 15 Mpa. Neglecting the heat exchanges to the
surroundings during the filling process, determine the air mass
admitted in the cylinder and the in-cylinder mean temperature at the
end of the process.

2) A machine expands a mass flow rate of 3 kg/s of gas from 10 bar and 500 C to 1 bar. The
expansion can be modeled as a polytropic process pv
1.5
=const.
Neglecting the change in kinetic energy and assuming viscous losses Lw =62 kJ /kg, calculate
the machine internal power. Evaluate whether a heat interaction with the environment takes
place and, if so, determine its amount.
(c
p
=1.10 kJ /kgK, R =289 J /kgK)

3) An air heating system is made up of a fan that sucks 1.5 m
3
/s of air from the environment (p
e
=
1 bar, t
e
=5 C). The air is delivered to a pipe and properly warmed up by a heater R. The air
hence flows out into room A at a pressure p
e
=1 bar with negligible velocity. The fan is driven
by an engine M delivering a mechanical power of 3.7 kW (
m
=0.97). Determine the thermal
power to be supplied by the heater in order to achieve a temperature of 35 C for the
outflowing air.
(c
p
=1005 J /kgK, R =287 J /kgK).





Dipartimento Energia






Dipartimento Energia
Politecnico di Torino Corso Duca degli Abruzzi, 24 10129 Torino Italia
tel: +39 011.090.4400/7100 fax: +39 011.090.4499/7199

Applied lecture 1 - Fundamentals of thermal and hydraulic machines and fluid power


Proposed exercises


4) A canister displaying a capacity of 0.1 m
3

contains air under a pressure p
1
=30 bar and at
a temperature T
1
=800 K. The canister is
connected to the environment (p
e
=1 bar) by
means of a nozzle. The outgoing air is hence
admitted to an action turbine. Determine the
maximum turbine work admitted that all the
kinetic energy of the fluid is converted to work
(no kinetic energy losses at the turbine outlet)
and that the air expands isentropically from
pressure p
1
to pressure p
2
(reversible adiabatic
expansion).
Solution: L = 363 kJ

5) A turbo-pump raises water from a well to a tank over a height of 20 m. The duct displays a
constant diameter D =10 cm. The overall viscous losses in the duct and in the pump amount to
the 15% of the pump specific work. The water flows out from the duct with a velocity of 2 m/s.
Determine the power supplied by the engine that operates the pump (
m
=0.97).
Solution: P
ass
= 3.78 kW


6) Referring to the conditioning plant of the figure, determine
the power supplied by the engine M (
m
=0.95). The plant
exploits air for conditioning purposes and for the intermediate
refrigeration.
Solution: P
ass
= 37 kW