MA2003: Introduction to Thermo-Fluids

(Semester1, 2015/2016)

Tutorial 1 Basic concepts

1. The mass of gas trapped in a cylinder behind a frictionless piston of mass M = 5 kg and cross
sectional area A = 0.032 m2. Initially the pressure of the gas is P 1 = 108 kPa and a lock L 1 holds
this position. The lock is removed and the gas expands pushing the piston until it hits the lock
L 2 . The final equilibrium pressure of the gas is P 2 = 102 kPa. The ambient pressure P 0 = 100
kPa.
(i) Calculate the force exerted by the locks in the initial and final equilibrium states.
(ii) Describe briefly the process undergone by the gas.
(iii) Describe an idealized process that could be used to affect the same change of pressure in the
gas in a quasi-equilibrium manner.
2. A gas is contained in a vertical, frictionless piston-cylinder device in Figure 1. The piston has
a mass of 4 kg and a cross sectional area of 35 cm2. A compressed spring above the piston exerts
a force of 60 N on the piston. If the atmospheric pressure is 95 kPa, determine the pressure inside
the cylinder.
[Answer: 123.4 kPa]

Figure 2
3.

MA2003: Introduction to Thermo-Fluids

(Semester1, 2015/2016)

Tutorial 2 Thermodynamic Properties of Pure Substances (Table)

1. Complete the following table for H 2 O. Locate the states on carefully labeled P-v and T-v
diagrams.
TC
200
400
300
400
200

P, kPa
150
1600

v m3/kg

Phase description

0.021659

40000
Liquid-vapor mixture, x = 80%

2. Complete the following table for H 2 O.

TC

P, kPa
250

200

800
200

140
80

500

160

5000

h or u kJ/kg
u=?
h=?
u=?
h=?
h = 1800
u=?
h=?
u=?
h=?

x (if applicable)

Phase description
Saturated liquid

0.7

3. Complete the following table for R-134a.

TC
-8
-12
30
100

P, kPa
500

h, kJ/kg

v, m3/kg

Phase description
Saturated mixture (x = 0.6)

0.022
320
600

Saturated vapour

MA2003: Introduction to Thermo-Fluids

(Semester1, 2015/2016)
Tutorial 3 Properties of Pure Substances
1. A closed rigid tank with a volume of 2.5 m3 contains 15 kg of saturated liquid-vapor mixture
of water at 75C. Now the water is slowly heated. Determine
(a) the quality of the mixture and the volume occupied by the liquid in the initial state
(b) the temperature at which the liquid in the tank is completely vaporized.
[Answers: (a) x=0.04013, 0.01477 m3; (b)187.05C]
2. A piston-cylinder device contains 0.85 kg of refrigerant-134a at -10C in Figure 1. The piston
that is free to move has a mass of 12 kg and a diameter of 25 cm. The local atmospheric pressure
is 88 kPa. Now, heat is transferred to refrigerant-134a until the temperature is 15C. Determine:
(a) the final pressure, (b) the change in the volume of the cylinder, and (c) the change in the
enthalpy of the refrigerant-l34a. [Answers: (a) P 2 =90.4 kPa (b) 0.0214 m3 (c) 17.36 kJ]
3. A spring loaded piston-cylinder device is initially filled with 0.1 kg of R-134a liquid vapor
mixture whose temperature is -34 C and whose quality is 80 percent in Figure 2. The spring
constant in the spring force relation F =kx is 6.6 kN/m, and the piston diameter is 30 cm. R-134a
undergoes a process that increases its volume by 40 percent. Calculate the final pressure and
volume of the refrigerant.
[Answers: P 2 =81.02 kPa; v 2 = 0.03036 m3/kg]
4. A piston-cylinder device contains 0.005 m3 of liquid water and 0.9 m3 of water vapor in
equilibrium at 600 kPa, shown in Figure 3. Heat is transferred at constant pressure until the
temperature reaches 200 C. Determine:
(a) What is the initial temperature of the water?
(b) Determine the total mass of the water.
(c) Calculate the final volume.
(d) Show the process on a P-v diagram with respect to saturation lines.
[Answers: (a) 158.8 C, (b) 7.393 kg and (c) 2.603 m3]

MA2003: Introduction to Thermo-Fluids

(Semester1, 2015/2016)
Tutorial 4 Pure Substances Properties and Ideal Gas
1. Determine the specific volume of the following gases/vapors
i. superheated water vapor at 10 MPa and 400C.
ii. saturated water vapor at 1 kPa.
Using
a) the ideal gas equation of state
b) the generalized compressibility chart
Also determine the error involved in (a) and (b) compared with values obtained from the tables
or experimentally in each case.
[Answers: i) (a) 0.03106 m3/kg, 17.5% (b) 0.02609 m3/kg, 1.3%; (ii) (a) 129.21 m3/kg,
0.015% (b) 129.21 m3/kg, 0.015%]
2. A 1 m3 tank containing air at 25C and 500 kPa is connected through a valve to another tank
containing 5 kg of air at 35C and 200 kPa. Now the valve is opened, and the entire system is
allowed to reach thermal equilibrium with the surroundings, which are at 20C. Determine the
volume of the second tank and the final equilibrium pressure of air.
[Answers: 2.21 m3 and 284.1 kPa]
3. The pressure in an automobile tire depends on the temperature of the air in the tire in Figure
1. When the air temperature is 25C, the pressure gage reads 210 kPa. If the volume of the tire is
0.025 m3, determine the pressure rise in the tire when the air temperature in the tire rises to 50C.
Also, determine the amount of air that must be bled off to restore the pressure to the original
value at this temperature. Assume the atmospheric pressure to be 100 kPa.
[Answers: 26 kPa, 0.007 kg]

4. Carbon-dioxide (CO2) gas at 3 MPa and 500 K flows steadily in a pipe at a rate of 0.4 kmol/s
in Figure 2. Determine (a) the volume and mass flow rates and the density of CO 2 at the state. If
CO 2 is cooled at constant pressure as it flows in the pipe so that the temperature of CO 2 drops to
450 K at the exit of the pipe, determine (b) the volume flow rate at the exit of the pipe.
[Answer: (a) 0.5543 m3/s, 17.6 kg/s, 31.75 kg/m3 (b) 0.4988 m3/s]

MA2003: Introduction to Thermo-Fluids

(Semester1, 2015/2016)
Tutorial 5 Energy Analysis of Closed Systems
1. A piston-cylinder device with a set of stops initially contains 0.3 kg of steam at 1.0 MPa and
400 C, shown in Figure 1. The location of the stops corresponds to 60 percent of the initial
volume. Now the steam is cooled. Determine the compression work if the final state is (a) 1.0
MPa and 250 C and (b) 500 kPa. (c) Also determine the temperature at the final state in part (b).
[Answers: (a) 22.16 kJ, (b) 36.79 kJ, (c) 151.8 C]
2. A mass of 2.4 kg of air at 150 kPa, and 12C is contained in a gas-tight, frictionless pistoncylinder device. The air is now compressed to a final pressure of 600 kPa. During the process,
heat is transferred from the air such that the temperature inside the cylinder remains constant.
Calculate the work input during this process.
[Answer: 272 kJ on system]

3. 0.8 kg of saturated liquid R-134a with an initial temperature of -5C is contained in a wellinsulated, weighted piston-cylinder device in Figure 2. The device contains an electric resistor to
which 10 volts are applied causing a current of 2 amperes to flow through the resistor. Determine
the time required for the refrigerant to be converted to a saturated vapor, and the final
temperature.
[Answers: 2.25h, -5 C]
4. A frictionless piston-cylinder device initially contains air at 100 kPa and 0.15 m3, shown in
Figure 3. At this stage, a linear spring (F x) is touching the piston but exerts no force on it.
The air is now heated to a final state of 0.45 m3 and 800 kPa. Determine (a) the total work done
by the air, (b) the work done against the spring. Also show the process on P-V diagram.
[Answers: (a) 135 kJ, (b) 105 kJ]

MA2003: Introduction to Thermo-Fluids

(Semester1, 2015/2016)
Tutorial 6 Steady State and Steady Flow Control Volume
1. Steam enters a nozzle at 400C and 800 kPa with a velocity of 10 m/s, and leaves at 300 C
and 200 kPa while losing heat at a rate of 25 kW in Figure1. For an inlet area of 800 cm2,
determine the velocity and the volume flow rate of the steam at the nozzle exit?
[Answers: 606 m/s, 2.74m3/s]

2. Steam flows steadily through an adiabatic turbine, as demonstrated in Figure 2. The inlet
conditions of the steam are 6 MPa, 400 C and 80 m/s and the exit conditions are 40 kPa, 92
percent quality and 50 m/s. The mass flow rate of the steam is 20 kg/s. Determine (a) the change
in kinetic energy, (b) the power output and (c) the turbine inlet area.
[Answers: (a) 1.95kJ/kg reducing, (b)14.6MW, (c)0.0119m2]
3. Liquid water enters a mixing chamber at 300 kPa and 20C at a rate of 1.8 kg/s. and is mixed
with superheated steam at 300 kPa and 300C in Figure 3. If the mixture is to leave the chamber
at 60C, determine the mass flow rate of the superheated steam required.
[Answer: 0.107 kg/s]

4. A computer cooled by a fan contains eight PCBs, each dissipating 10 W power in Figure 4.
The height of the PCBs is 12 cm and the length is 18 cm. The cooling air is supplied by a 25-W
fan mounted at the inlet. If the temperature rise of air as it flows through the case of the computer
is not to exceed 10C, determine (a) the flow rate of the air that the fan needs to deliver and (b)
the fraction of the temperature rise of air that is due to the heat generated by the fan and its
motor.
[Answers: (a) 0.0104 kg/s, (b) 24 percent]