Energy Balance

The next balance law to be studied is the energy balance. Consider the
system shown here.

As in the case of the macroscopic mass balance the balance can be written
on the system over an interval in time or written in terms of rate. Since the
text does the former the focus here will writing the macroscopic energy
balance in terms of rates. In this case the balance law takes the form:
Rate in – Rate out + Rate of generation or absorption = rate of accumulation
+ Rate of work done on the surroundings

The specific energy Ê for a system in a gravitational field is defined as

2
u
Eˆ ≡ e + + gz .
2
Here e = internal energy per unit mass. The specific energy Ê is composed
of contributions from specific internal energy, kinetic energy and potential
energy (only from the gravitational field by assumption). Then the energy
balance is
u2
d [ M (ei + + gz )] system
u2 p u2 p dQ dW
∑ mi (e + 2 + gz + ρ ) i − i=∑
i =inlets outlets
mi ( e +
2
+ gz + ) i +
ρ dt
−
dt
= 2
dt

Here mi is the mass flow rate of inlet or outlet i, M is the mass in the system,
dQ dW
is the rate at which heat is added to the system and is the rate at
dt dt
which the system does work on the surroundings.
Recall that we have assumed that the various quantities are uniform on
each inlet and outlet and in the system. If the particular system has, for
example, quantities that vary over an inlet or an outlet or in the system,
then one must use a suitable average value.

p
In the energy balance there is a term that appears in balance term
ρ
associated with each inlet or outlet. This term is actually a flow work term
that results from the work which must be done to push a packet of fluid into
or out of the system. Consider a unit mass of fluid entering the stream tube
under a pressure p1 as shown here.

Its volume is
1 1
= A1 .
ρ1 ρ1 A1

The work done by p1 in pushing the unit mass in is

1 p
( p1 A1 )( )= 1 .
ρ1 A1 ρ1
Likewise the work done by the system on the surroundings per unit mass at
p2
the exit is .
ρ2
If the system has one inlet and one outlet m1 = m2 ≡ m and the energy
balance simplifies to
 u2
2 2 d [ M (e + + gz )] system
u p u p 1 2
(e + + gz + )1 − (e + + gz + ) 2 + q − w = .
2 ρ 2 ρ m dt
or
u2
2 d [ M (e + + gz )] system
u p 1 2
− Δ (e + + gz + ) + q − w = .
2 ρ m dt

Here Δ = rate out –rate in and q = heat added per unit mass flowing through
the system and w = work done by the system on the surroundings per unit
mass flowing through the system.
Steady-State Energy Balance
If the system is operating at a steady-state the general energy balance
equation simplifies to:

u2 p u2 p dQ dW
∑ mi (e +
i =inlets 2
+ gz + ) i − ∑ mi (e +
ρ i = outlets 2
+ gz + ) i +
ρ dt
−
dt
=0

and if there are only one inlet and one outlet it simplifies to:

u2 p u2 p
(e + + gz + )1 − (e + + gz + ) 2 + q − w = 0
2 ρ 2 ρ
or

u2 p
Δ (e + + gz + ) = q − w .
2 ρ
p
Recall that h ≡ e + is the definition of the specific enthalpy and thus
ρ
the energy equation can be rewritten in terms of specific enthalpy. That
is,
u2
Δ (h + + gz ) = q − w .
2
The single inlet and single outlet energy balance can be used to
generate the appropriate balance for a differential (micro) system by
selecting the inlet and the outlet to be infinitesimally separated. It is
 u2
de + d () + d ( gz ) + d ( pv) − dq + dw = 0 .
2
Here v ≡ ρ −1 is the specific volume of the fluid.

Example of Energy Balance

Consider the system shown here.

Take as the control volume the fluid from (1) to (2). Assume that the fluid is
incompressible and that the velocity is uniform and perpendicular to outlet
(2). Also assume that change in the water level in the pond is negligible. The
energy balance is
g 1 u2
Δh + Δz + Δ( ) = − w .
gc gc 2
Here
(10)(550) ft − lb f
w=− = −263.7
150 lbm
( )(0.1337)(62.4)
60
g ft − lb f
Δz = 200
gc lbm
u2 1 150 (0.1337) 2 1 ft − lb f
Δ( ) = [( ) ] = 0.6598
2gc 2 60 (0.0513) 32.17 lbm

Here the 0.0513 ft2 is the inside area of 3” schedule 40 pipe. Finally
144
Δh = C p (T2 − 50) − (15.7 − 14.7) .
62.4
BTU
For water C p ≈ 1 and hence
lbm F
Δh = 778T2 − 38898 .
Substituting into the energy equation leads to
778T2 − 38898 + 200 + 0.6598 = 263.7 ⇒ T2 = 50.1F .
Mechanical Energy Balance for Incompressible Fluid
The work, kinetic energy, potential energy and flow work terms are
examples of mechanical energy, i.e., forms of energy that can be directly
converted to work. One can write a macroscopic mechanical energy balance
for a steady-state system:

u2 p u2 p d u2 dℑ dW
∑ mi (
i =inlets 2
+ gz + ) i − ∑ mi ( + gz + ) i = [ M ( + gz )] system +
ρ i = outlets 2 ρ dt 2 dt
+
dt
.
Here W is work done by the system on the surroundings (called the shaft
work in many texts) and does not include any pressure-volume work done
dℑ
by the system that is included in the change in internal energy. Here is
dt
the rate of lost work term and represents lost mechanical energy. Comparing
this with the energy equation,

u2 p u2 p d u2 dQ dW
∑ mi ( e +
i =inlets 2
+ gz + ) i − ∑ mi (e +
ρ i = outlets 2
+ gz + ) i = [ M (e +
ρ dt 2
+ gz )] system −
dt
+
dt

leads to

dℑ dQ dW pV d
∑m e
i =inletss
i i − ∑m e
i = outlets
i i −
dt
+
dt
−
dt
= [ Me] system .
dt

dW pV
Here is the pressure-volume work done by the system. If we interpret
dt
this as an internal energy balance, the rate of generation of internal energy is
dℑ dQ dW pV
− + − . The first term is the rate of heat depletion due to
dt dt dt
frictional work, the second is the rate of generation due to heat addition to
the system and the third is the rate of pressure-volume work done by the
system.
One can also derive a micro mechanical energy by balance applying
the one inlet-one outlet balance to a differential system. Recall the micro-
energy balance is
u2
de + d ( ) + d ( gz ) + d ( pv) − dq + dw = 0 .
2
Now consider the increase in internal energy
 de = dℑ + dq − pdv .
Again here the first term is the frictional work dissipated into heat, the
second term is the heat added to the system and the third term is the p-V
work done by the system. Substituting this into the differential energy
balance for de leads to

u2 dp
d( ) + d ( gz ) + + dw + dℑ = 0 .
2 ρ
This can be integrated from points inlet (1) to outlet (2) to obtain:

2
u2 dp
Δ( ) + Δ ( gz ) + ∫ + w+ℑ= 0 .
2 1
ρ
In order to integrate the pressure term one must know something about the
path in going from inlet to outlet. In the case of an incompressible fluid this
Δp
leads to the .
ρ

Special Cases
1. Incompressible fluid, steady state
In this case this is no pressure-volume work because ρ = const.

u2 p u2 p dℑ dW
∑ mi ( + gz + ) i − ∑ mi ( + gz + ) i =
i = inlets 2 ρ i = outlets 2 ρ dt
+
dt

2. Incompressible fluid, steady state, 1-inlet and 1-outlet

u2 p
Δ ( + gz + ) = ℑ′ + w .
2 ρ
Here ℑ′ is the frictional work dissipated into heat per unit mass flowing
through the system and w is the work done on the surroundings per unit
mass flowing through the system.
Bernoulli’s Equation
Introduce the following assumptions into the mechanical energy
balance:
1. Steady-state
2. No work done
3. Incompressible fluid
4. No lost work
The resulting simplified mechanical energy balance equation is called
Bernoulli’s equation, i.e., in general
u2 p u2 p
∑ mi ( + gz + ) i = ∑ mi ( + gz + ) i
i =inlets 2 ρ i = outlets 2 ρ
or for a one inlet-one outlet system

u2 p
Δ( + gz + ) = 0 .
2 ρ
The latter is the form most often associated with Bernoulli’s equation. Thus,
if Bernoulli’s equation applies, the total mechanical energy entering the
system is equal to the total mechanical energy leaving the system.
Note the units of each term appearing in the equation is:
m2 m m J
1. MKS System: 2
= ( )(kg 2 ) =
s kg s kg

Force (N)

ft 2 ft ft ft − poundal
2. English System: 2
=( )(lbm 2
)=
sec lbm sec lbm

Force (poundal)
In this case each term is usually divided by gc:

u2 ft − lb f Energy
[ =] = .
2g c lbm unit _ mass

Head of Fluid
Oftentimes the notion of the head of fluid is used. This notion can be
defined by reconsidering the one inlet –one outlet Bernoulli balance.
u2 p
Δ( + gz + ) = 0 .
2 ρ
Divide through by g to obtain:
 u2 p u2 p
( +z+ )1 = ( +z+ )
2g ρg 2g ρg 2

Since the equation must be dimensionally homogeneous, i.e., each term must
have the same dimensions, it is apparent that each term now has the
dimension of length. This length is referred to as the head. Specifically,

u2
1. = Velocity Head
2g

2. z = Static Head

p
3. = Pressure Head
ρg

u2 p
4. ( + z + ) = Total Head
2g ρg

Consider the system illustrated here.

At (1) , p1 = 0, u1 = 0 (large tank). Hence the Bernoulli balance is

u 22 p
z1 = H = + z2 + 2 .
2g ρg
Each term is interpreted as illustrated above.