Problems on First Law of thermodynamics

Problems to be solved in the class

1. A domestic refrigerator is loaded with food and the door is closed. During certain period of
time the machine consumes 1kWh of energy and the internal energy of the system drops by
5000kJ. Find the net heat transfer for the system.
2. A cylinder containing the air comprises the system. The cycle is completed as follows: (i)
82000N-m of work is done by the piston on the air during the compression stroke and 40kJ
of heat is rejected to the surroundings. (ii) During the expansion stroke 100000 Nm of work
is done by the air on the piston. Calculate the the heat added to the system.
3. A stationary mass of gas is compressed without friction at constant pressure of 0.105 MPa
from an initial volume of 0.3m3 to half of its initial volume. During the process 37.6kJ of heat
is transferred from the gas. Calculate the change in internal energy.
4. A gas with a mass of 1.5kg undergoes a quasi-static process p  a  bv where ‘a’ and ‘b’ are
constants. The initial and final pressures are 1000kPa and 200kPa respectively and
corresponding volumes are 0.2m3 and 1.2 m3. The specific internal energy of the gas is given
by the relation u = (1.5pv-85) kJ/kg where p is in kPa and v is in m3/kg. Calculate the net heat
transfer.
5. A vertical cylinder of cross sectional area 0.1m2, fitted with a leak proof frictionless freely
floating piston contains some air at a pressure of 1.2bar. The air is agitated by a paddle wheel
for 10minutes. The shaft of the paddle wheel running at 250rev/min with a torque of 0.5Nm
is driven by an external prime mover. During the same period an electrical resister hosed in
the cylinder and connected to an external 24 volt battery draws a current of 0.45Amps to heat
the air. In the said period find the distance, in cm, through which the piston rises, given that
heat transfer from the air is 5.0 kJ and that the internal energy of air increases by 2.0kJ.
6. The properties of a system during a reversible constant pressure non flow process at 1.6 bar
changed from v1= 0.3m3/kg, T1= 200C to v2= 0.55m3/kgand T2= 2600C. The specific heat of the
75
Cp  (1.5  )
fluid is given by T  45 kJ/kg0C where the T is the temperature in 0C. Determine
the (i) Heat added/kg (ii) Work done/kg (iii) Change in internal energy (iv) Change in
enthalpy
7. A gas undergoes a thermodynamic cycle consisting of following processes:
(a) 1-2 → constant pressure process with p1= 1.4 bar v1= 0.028m3 and W1-2= 10.5kJ
(b) 2-3 → compression process with pv= constant U3=U2
(c) 3-1 → constant volume process with U1-U3= -26.4kJ
There is no change in KE and PE. Sketch the process on P-v diagram and calculate net work
done and heat transfer for the cycle.
8. One kg of air expands reversibly from 6.5 bar and 0.135m3 to a final volume of 1m3. Find the
final pressure, final temperature, work done, change in internal energy and heat interaction, if
the expansion; (a) Adiabatic (b) Polytropic with n= 1.3 (c) Isothermal.
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Additional problems
1. A closed system undergoes a cycle composed of four processes 1-2, 2-3, 3-4 and 4-1. Energy
transfer are as tabulated below:

Process Q (kJ/min) W (kJ/min) ∆U (kJ/min)

1-2 400 150 -
2-3 200 - 300
3-4 -200 - -
4-1 0 -75 -
Complete the cycle and determine the rate of work done in kW (Ans: 400kJ/min)
2. A cylinder contains 0.12 m3 of air at 1bar and 1000C. The air is compressed to 0.03 m3 and 6
bar pressure. Determine (i) Polytropic Index (ii) Mass of air in the cylinder (iii) Increase in
internal energy (iv)Work done. Take γ=1.4, R=0.287 kJ/kg-K and Cv= 0.72 kJ/kg-K
3. One kg of air having an initial volume of 0.3m3 is heated at constant pressure of 3.2 bar until
the volume is doubled. Calculate (i) Heat added (Ans: 328.96kJ) (ii) Work done (96kJ) (iii)
initial and final temperature of the air
4. A bomb calorimeter, in the form of a small rigid container is used to measure the energy
released by the combustion of fuel.
A calorimeter, containing fuel and oxidant is immersed in a tank containing 5 kg of
water initially at 300C. After combustion, the final temperature of water is noted as 950C.
During the experiment, electric energy input to a stirrer inside water is 75kJ and heat
transfer from water tank to the surrounding air is estimated as 70kJ. What is the heat
released by the combustion of fuel? If the mass of the fuel in the bomb is 32.4g, what is the
calorific value of the fuel?
5. A system consisting of 2 kg fluid expands in a frictionless piston cylinder arrangement from
an initial state of 1 MPa, 1000C to a final temperature of 300C. If there is no heat transfer,
find the net work done for the process and index of expansion. (Ans: Net work done =
100.52kJ, index of expansion= 1.399)
6. A slow chemical reaction take place in a fluid at constant pressure of 0.1 MPa. The fluid is
surrounded by a perfect insulator during the reaction which begins at state-1 (with v1= 0.003
m3, t1=200C) and ends at state-2 (with v2= 0.3 m3, t2=3700C).The insulation is then removed
and 105kJ of heat transfer take place to the surroundings as the fluid undergoes to state 3
(with v3= 0.06 m3, t3=200C). For the fluid system calculate the energy at 2 (E2) and energy at
3 (E3) assuming E1=0 and work done on the system is 24kJ
7. The average heat transfer from the person to the surroundings when he is not actively
working is about 950kJ/hr, suppose that in the auditorium containing 1000people ventilation
system fails. (a) How much does the internal energy of air in the auditorium increases
during first 15 minute after ventilation fails? (b) Considering the auditorium and all the
people as system and assuming no heat transfer to the surroundings, how much does the
internal energy of the system change? How do you account for the fact that heat transfer?
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