School of Physics and Astronomy

N I V ER

TH

Y
IT

GJA 2013-2014

O F

Junior Honours Thermodynamics

D I
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1. Efficiency of engines part 1 Efficiency of a heat engine, by definition, is = (work out)/(heat

in). Here
W
Q2
=
=1
Q1
Q1
For the special case of a Carnot engine
c = 1

T2
T1

To find which increases the efficiency more, we need to compare the change of increasing the hot
temperature dc /dT1 with reducing the cold temperature dc /dT2 . Notice that both of these
quantities are positive.


1
c
=

T2 T1
T1


c
T1


T2

T2
= 2 =
T1

Since, by definition, T1 > T2 , it follows that



c
T2

T2 T1 T1

c
T
2

>
T1

c
T1

, so a decrease in the cold

T2

reservoir is more effective in increasing efficiency than an equivalent rise in the hot reservoir.

2. Efficiency of engines part 2

For the given system to maintain the cold reservoir at T2 no net heat should enter or leave it, hence
the two Q2 flows with opposite sign.
From the first law, the work coming from the engine W1 = Q1 Q2 , while the work going into the
fridge is Wa = Qa Q2 . If we set these equal in a compound device where the engine drives the
fridge, we find the net work out is
W = W1 Wa = (Q1 Q2 ) (Qa Q2 ) = Q1 Qa
So the efficiency of the compound device is
=

Q1 Qa
Q1

at best, with reversible Carnot engine and fridge, this would be,
c =

T1 Ta
Ta
=1
T1
T1

the same as if we ran the engine between the hot reservoir and the ambient one. Maintaining the
cold reservoir doesnt gain us anything.

3. Efficiency of Otto cycle

Efficiency is defined as the ratio of heat input to work output. For the Otto cycle the work done
is in the power stroke expansion (cd), less the work needed to recompress the gas (ab) Wcd + Wab .
The heat input occurs in the (bc) section.
Thus being careful about the signs of the work done on and by the system, the efficiency is
cR(Tc Tb ) cR(Td Ta )
Td Ta
work.done
=
=1
heat.in
cR(Tc Tb )
Tc Tb
This is less than for a Carnot engine operating between Tc and Ta .
4. Efficiency of engines part 2
The venture capitalists should consult a competent physicist. Who would check the laws of thermodynamics.
The first law requires the round a cycle dQ+dW =0, so
5000J = 3500 + 1500J
So far so good...
The second law implies that the efficiency of the engine cannot be higher than the Carnot efficiency.
The claimed efficiency is...
Qout
3500
=1
=1
= 0.3
Qin
5000
While the Carnot efficiency for an engine running between those reservoirs is:
c = 1

Tcold
300
=1
= 0.25
Thot
400

So it is clear that this device is claimed to violate the laws of physics. The physicist will advise
against investment.
And the venture capitalists should try to find a greater fool and sell on the business

5. The best Fridge

The efficiency of a fridge is defined by (heat removed from cold box)/(work in).
so for a Carnot fridge we have:
=

Q2
T2
=
Q1 Q2
T1 T2
2

If we take room temperature to be 293K, and the cool box 5K above freezing at at 278K, then a
Carnot fridge should have
278
= 18.5
=
293 278
This is usually referred to as the coefficient of performance, because an efficiency above 1 doesnt
sound right. Note that cooling the ice box is a lot less efficient. Real fridges tend to have 5.

6. Yet another cycle

Tc

Pressure

Pb

Ta

Tb
Pa
Vb

Va

Volume

Let there be n moles of gas in the system, such that the ideal gas law is PV=nRT. The system has
three states:
(a) Va , Pa , Ta , internal energy U = nRTa = Pa Va
(b) Vb , Pa , Tb , internal energy U = nRTb = Pa Vb
(c) Vb , Pb , Tc , internal energy U = nRTc = Pb Vb
It should be obvious that Ta < Tb < Tc
We will consider a sign convention using work done on and heat supplied to the working fluid of
the system system.
(i) Work (positive) is done on the working fluid while compressing the system Wi = Pa (Va Vb ).
The heat absorbed for this constant pressure process is, by definition, Qi = Cp dT .
(ii) No work is done in this isovolumetric process, thus Qii = dUbc = Cv dTbc
(iii) No heat is exchanged in this adiabatic process, thus Wiii = dUca = Cv dT
The efficiency (work done)/(heat input) can be conveniently written as 1 - (waste heat)/(heat in).
Here this is 1 Qi /Qii . whence
=1

Cp (Tc Tb )
Cv (Tb Ta )

=1

Pa (Va Vb )
Vb (Pb Pa )

7. Work from first law dW = dQ - dQ

Z

Tf

dW = CP (

Tf

dT +
T1

dT 00 ) = CP (T1 + T2 2Tf )

T2

For a Carnot engine, universe entropy is conserved so that

dQ00
dQ0
= 00
0
T
T
Z

Tf

T1

dT 0
=
T0

ln
So TF =

Tf

T2

dT 00
T 00

dT1
dTF
= ln
TF
T2

T1 T2 , Work done = CP (T1 + T2 2 T! T2