Department of Mechanical Engineering

National Institute of Technology Karnataka, Surathkal

ME201: Basic Engineering Thermodynamics

Tutorial 1

1. The temperature t on a thermometric scale is defined in terms of a property K by the relation

t = a ln K + b
Where a and b are constants. The values of K are found to be 1.83 and 6.78 at the ice point and the
steam point, the temperatures of which are assigned the numbers 0 and 100 respectively. Determine
the temperature corresponding to a reading of K equal to 2.42 on the thermometer.
2. A new scale N of temperature is divided in such a way that the freezing point of ice is 100°N and the
boiling point is 400°N. What is the temperature reading on this new scale when the temperature is
150°C? At what temperature both the Celsius and the new temperature scale reading would be the
same?
3. A platinum wire is used as a resistance thermometer. The wire resistance was found to be 10 ohm
and 16 ohm at ice point and steam point respectively, and 30 ohm at sulphur boiling point of 444.6°C.
Find the resistance of the wire at 500°C, if the resistance varies with temperature by the relation.

4. At the beginning of the compression stroke of a two-cylinder internal combustion engine the air is at
a pressure of 101.325 kPa. Compression reduces the volume to 1/5 of its original volume, and the law
of compression is given by pv1.2 = constant. If the bore and stroke of each cylinder is 0.15 m and 0.25
m, respectively, determine the power absorbed in kW by compression strokes when the engine speed
is such that each cylinder undergoes 500 compression strokes per minute.
5. A milk chilling unit can remove heat from the milk at the rate of 41.87 MJ/h. Heat leaks into the milk
from the surroundings at an average rate of 4.187 MJ/h. Find the time required for cooling a batch of
500 kg of milk from 45°C to 5°C. Take the Cp of milk to be 4.187 kJ/kg K.
6. A fluid, contained in a horizontal cylinder fitted with a frictionless leak proof piston, is continuously
agitated by means of a stirrer passing through the cylinder cover. The cylinder diameter is 0.40 m.
During the stirring process lasting 10 minutes, the piston slowly moves out a distance of 0.485 m
against the atmosphere. The net work done by the fluid during the process is 2 kJ. The speed of the
electric motor driving the stirrer is 840 rpm. Determine the torque in the shaft and the power output
of the motor.
7. A closed cylinder of 0.25 m diameter is fitted with a light frictionless piston. The piston is retained in
position by a catch in the cylinder wall and the volume on one side of the piston contains air at a
pressure of 750 kN/m2. The volume on the other side of the piston is evacuated. A helical spring is
mounted coaxially with the cylinder in this evacuated space to give a force of 120 N on the piston in
this position. The catch is released and the piston travels along the cylinder until it comes to rest after
a stroke of 1.2 m. The piston is then held in its position of maximum travel by a ratchet mechanism.
The spring force increases linearly with the piston displacement to a final value of 5 kN. Calculate the
work done by the compressed air on the piston.
8. A copper wire of diameter 2 mm is 10 m long and stretched out between two posts. The normal stress (pressure)
σ = E(L – Lo)/Lo , depends on the length L versus the unstretched length Lo and Young’s modulus E = 1.1 ×
106 kPa. The force is F = Aσ and measured to be 110 N. How much longer is the wire and how much work was
put in?