Chemical Engineering Thermodynamics

Even Semester 2020

Home-work 0 (Review of the 1st part)

Note: Problems 1-3 to be discussed in the tutorial in the week of 13th January, and Problem 4 to be submitted
by 17th January.

1. Large quantities of liquefied natural gas (LNG) are shipped by ocean tankers. At the uploading port
provision is made for vaporization of the LNG so that it may be delivered to pipelines as gas. The
LNG arrives in the tanker at atmospheric pressure and 113.7 K and represents a possible heat sink
for use as a cold reservoir of a heat engine. For unloading of LNG as a vapor at a rate of 9000 m3/s,
as measured at 25oC and 1.0133 bar, and assuming availability of an adequate heat source at 30oC,
what is the maximum possible power obtainable and what is the rate of heat transfer from the heat
source? Assume that LNG at 25oC and 1.0133 bar is an ideal gas with a molar mass of 17.Also
assume that LNG vaporizes only absorbing latent heat of 512 kJ/kg at 113.7 K.

2. A Carnot engine operates between an infinite hot reservoir and a finite cold reservoir of total heat
capacity CC.
a. Determine an expression for the work required as a function of Cc, TH, Tc, and the initial
cold-reservoir temperature TC0.
b. What is the maximum work obtainable?

3. A 25 ohm resistor at steady state draws a current of 10 amperes. Its temperature is 310 K. The
surrounding temperature is 300 K. Find the rate of entropy generation in the resistor. Assume that
the specific entropy of the electrons does not change as they enter and leave the resistor.

4. A well-insulated cylinder fitted with a frictionless piston initially contains nitrogen at 15oC and 0.1
MPa. Piston is placed such that the volume to the right of the piston is 0.5 m3. The piston is
connected through a valve to an insulated tank of volume 0.25 m3 containing nitrogen at 400 kPa
and 200oC. Assume nitrogen to be an ideal gas with Cp = 29.3 J/mol-K.

a. The valve is opened long enough that pressure in the tank and cylinder equalize. What will
be the equilibrium pressure, and temperatures in the cylinder and the tank?

b. What will the volumes be to the left and right of the piston in equilibrium?

c. How much entropy has been generated in the process?

Tank Cylinder

Piston