TRC2200: Thermo Fluids & Power Systems

LECTURE 17

Mass and Energy Analysis of Open

Systems (Control Volumes)
Lecturer: Alpha Agape Gopalai

Lecture Outline

Conservation of mass
Flow work and the energy of a flowing fluid
Energy analysis of steady-flow systems
Some steady-flow engineering devices

Conservation of Mass
Conservation of mass: Mass, like energy, is a conserved
property, and it cannot be created or destroyed during a
process.
Closed systems: The mass of the system remain constant during a process.
Control volumes: Mass can cross the boundaries, and so we must keep
track of the amount of mass entering and leaving the control volume.

Mass is conserved even in chemical reactions

Mass & Volume Flow Rates

Conservation of Mass Principle

Conservation of Mass Principle

Total Energy of a Flowing and Non-Flowing Fluid

Total Energy of a Flowing and Non-Flowing Fluid

Flow work and the energy of a flowing fluid

Flow work, or flow energy: The work
(or energy) required to push the mass into
or out of the control volume. This work is
necessary for maintaining a continuous
flow through a control volume.

Schematic for flow work.

Mass and Energy balances for a steadyflow process

Mass balance

Energy balance

10

Case studies
Nozzles and Diffusers
Turbines and Compressors
Throttling valve
Mixing chambers
Heat exchangers
Pipe and duct flow

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Nozzle and Diffuser

A nozzle is a device that increases the velocity of
a fluid at the expense of pressure.

A diffuser is a device that increases the pressure

of a fluid by slowing it down.
Nozzles and diffusers are commonly utilized in jet
engines, rockets, spacecraft, and even garden hoses.

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Nozzles and Diffusers

Energy balance for a nozzle or

diffuser:

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Compressor
Compressors, as well as pumps and fans, are devices used to increase the
pressure of a fluid. Work is supplied to these devices from an external source
through a rotating shaft.

Energy balance for the compressor in

this figure:

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Turbine
A turbine is a rotary engine that
extracts energy from a fluid flow
and converts it into useful work.

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Throttling valves
Throttling valves are any kind of flow-restricting devices that cause a significant
pressure drop in the fluid.
What is the difference between a turbine and a throttling valve?
The pressure drop in the fluid is often accompanied by a large drop in temperature,
and for that reason throttling devices are commonly used in refrigeration and airconditioning applications.

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Throttling valves
Energy balance

The temperature of an ideal gas does not

change during a throttling
(h =
constant) process since h = h(T).

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Mixing chambers
In engineering applications,
the section where the mixing
process takes place is
commonly referred to as a
mixing chamber.
Energy balance for the adiabatic
mixing chamber in the figure is:

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Heat exchangers
Heat exchangers are devices where two moving fluid streams exchange
heat without mixing. Heat exchangers are widely used in various
industries, and they come in various designs.

A heat exchanger can be as simple

as two concentric pipes.

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Pipe and duct flow

The transport of liquids or gases in pipes and
ducts is of great importance in many
engineering applications. Flow through a pipe
or a duct usually satisfies
the steady-flow conditions.
Pipe or duct flow may involve more than
one form of work at the same time.

Heat losses from a hot fluid flowing through an uninsulated

pipe or duct to the cooler environment may be very significant.

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Example
Example:
Air enters the compressor of a gas-turbine plant at 100 kPa and 25C with a low velocity
and exits at 1 MPa and 347C with a velocity of 90 m/s. The power input to the
compressor is 250 kW and it is cooled at 1500 kJ/min. (a) Determine the mass flow rate of
air through the compressor. Take the molecular mass of air as 29 kg/kmol and allow for
variation in specific heat of air as a function of temperature (in Kelvin) as given by the
equation:
C pa = 28.11 + 0.1967 x 10-2T +0.4802 x 10-5T2 -1.966 x 10-9T3 kJ/kmol.K
You may begin by considering the general energy equation given below:
P2=1MPa

C12
C22
m h1 gZ1 Qin W in m h2 gZ 2 Qout Wout
2
2

Given:
Molecular mass of air 29 kg/kmol
Compressor power input Win = 250 kW
Heat rejection Qout = 1500 kJ/min

T2=347oC
C2=90m/s

250 kW
P1=100kPa
T1=25oC
C1=0

1500 kJ/min
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Example
Determine:
a) Mass flow rate of air

The potential energy change, input heat, inlet

velocity and output mechanical work are
negligible in the case of the compressor

C2

2
m C pa T1 C pa T2 W1 m
Q2
2

P2=1MPa
T2=347oC
C2=90m/s

h=CpT

C pa = 28.11 + 0.1967 x 10-2+0.4802 x 10-5T2 -1.966 x 10-9T3 kJ/kmol.K

At T1 = 298K Cpa = 29.07 kJ/kmol K
= 29.07/29 kJ/kgK
= 1.004 kJ/kgK

P1=100kPa
T1=25oC
C1=0

250 kW
1500 kJ/min

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Example
At T2 = 620K Cpa = 30.71kJ/kmol K
= 30.71/29 kJ/kgK
= 1.0588 kJ/kgK

C2

2
m C pa T1 C pa T2 W1 m
Q2
2

90 2
1500

m1.004 x 298 1.0588 x620 250 m

2 x1000
60

m 0.62kg / s

P2=1MPa
T2=347oC
C2=90m/s

250 kW
P1=100kPa
T1=25oC
C1=0

1500 kJ/min

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Lecture Summary
Conservation of mass
Mass and volume flow rates
Mass balance for a steady-flow process
Mass balance for incompressible flow

Flow work and the energy of a flowing fluid

Energy transport by mass

Energy analysis of steady-flow systems

Some steady-flow engineering devices

Nozzles and Diffusers

Turbines and Compressors
Throttling valves
Mixing chambers and Heat exchangers
Pipe and Duct flow

Attendance Code