Faculty of Agriculture, Engineering & Natural Sciences

School of Engineering & the Built Environment

Department of Mechanical & Metallurgical Engineering

Metallurgical Thermodynamics
(I3611TT)
Tutorial 2 (a): First Law of Thermodynamics
Lecturer/Tutor: Mr. Thomas Moongo
Date: 17th March 2023

Tutorial Instructions:

1. All students should answer all the tutorial questions.

2. The students should be prepared to share their answers during the tutorial session.
3. Students are expected to discuss/explain solutions and give their suggestions.
4. No spoon feeding! Students will not be given the tutorial memo. Students should
develop their own memo.
5. Students may verify their answers to some questions with the lecturer/tutor provided
they have made an attempt on the question and they can show what they have done.
6. Feel free to write down solutions from other students during the tutorial session.
7. Team work is allowed during the tutorial session. You can help each other during the
tutorial session.
8. Students are allowed to refer to the notes, textbooks, internet and other sources
during the tutorial session.
9. The lecturer/tutor will only be facilitating and coordinating the tutorial session.
Students will lead/drive the entire tutorial session.
10. The lecturer/tutor will randomly choose questions to be discussed/answered during
the tutorial questions without the awareness of students and also the student(s) that
should answer them.

1|Page
 Tutorial 2 (a) Questions:
1. A unit mass of a fluid at a pressure of 3 bar, and with a specific volume of 0.18 m3/kg,

contained in a cylinder behind a piston expands reversibly to a pressure of 0.6 bar

according to a law p = c/v2, where c is a constant. Calculate the work done during this
process.

2. Unit mass of a certain fluid is contained in a cylinder at an initial pressure of 20 bar.

The fluid is allowed to expand reversibly behind a piston according to a law pV 2 =
constant until the volume is doubled. The fluid is then cooled reversibly at constant
pressure until the piston regains its original position; heat is then supplied reversibly
with the piston firmly locked in position until the pressure rises to the original value
of 20 bar. Calculate the net work done by the fluid, for an initial volume of 0.05 m 3.

3. A stirrer–container assembly contains a certain amount of fluid. The stirrer performs

3 hp work on the system. The heat developed by stirring is 4000 kJ/h and is transferred
to the surroundings. Determine the change in internal energy of the system.

4. A horizontal piston/cylinder arrangement is placed in a constant-temperature bath.

The piston slides in the cylinder with negligible friction, and an external force holds it
in place against an initial gas pressure of 14 bar. The initial gas volume is 0.03 m 3. The
external force on the piston is reduced gradually, and the gas expands isothermally as
its volume doubles. If the volume of the gas is related to its pressure so that PV t is
constant, what is the work done by the gas in moving the external force?

5. Calculate ΔU and ΔH for 1 kg of water when it is vaporized at the constant temperature

of 100℃ and the constant pressure of 101.33 kPa. The specific volumes of liquid and
vapor water at these conditions are 0.00104 and 1.673 m 3·kg−1, respectively. For this
change, heat is in the amount of 2256.9 kJ is added to the water.

6. Air flows at steady state through a horizontal, insulated pipe with inside diameter of
4 cm. A pressure drop results from flow through a partially opened valve. Just
upstream from the valve, the pressure is 7 bar, the temperature is 45°C, and the
average velocity is 20 m/s. If the pressure just downstream from the valve is 1.3 bar,

2|Page
 what is the temperature? Assume for air that PV/T is constant, CV = (5/2)R, and CP =
(7/2)R.

7. The combustion of acetylene fuel with nitrous oxide as oxidant at 25℃ is widely
performed in flame emission spectrophotometry. Calculate the maximum
temperature attained if the best mixture corresponds to the reaction.

(C2H2) + 3(N2O) ↔ 2(CO) + (H2O) + 3(N2)

Assume that water is undissociated. Given that:

𝑜
∆𝐻298,(𝐶2 𝐻2 )
= 226.90 kJ/mol 𝐶𝑝,(𝐶𝑂) = 28.45 + 4.184× 10−3 T – 0.46× 105 𝑇 −2 J/Kmol
𝑜
∆𝐻298,(𝑁2 𝑂)
= 82.42 kJ/mol 𝐶𝑝,(𝐻2 𝑂) = 30.0 + 10.71× 10−3T + 0.33× 105 𝑇 −2 J/Kmol
𝑜
∆𝐻298,(𝐶𝑂) = -110.54 kJ/mol 𝐶𝑝,(𝑁2 ) = 27.20 + 4.184× 10−3 T J/Kmol
𝑜
∆𝐻298,(𝐻2 𝑂)
= -241.84 kJ/mol

8. In the turbine of a gas turbine unit the gases flow through the turbine at 17 kg/s and
the power developed by the turbine is 14 000 kW. The specific enthalpies of the gases
at inlet and outlet are 1200 kJ/kg and 360 kJ/kg respectively, and the velocities of the
gases at inlet and outlet are 60 m/s and 150 m/s respectively. Calculate the rate at
which heat is rejected from the turbine. Find also the area of the inlet pipe given that
the specific volume of the gases at inlet is 0.5 m3/kg.

9. Air flows steadily at the rate of 0.4 kg/s through an air compressor, entering at 6 m/s
with a pressure of 1 bar and a specific volume of 0.85 m3/kg, and leaving at 4.5 m/s
with a pressure of 6.9 bar and a specific volume of 0.16 m3/kg. The specific internal
energy of the air leaving is 88 kJ/kg greater than that of the air entering. Cooling water
in a jacket surrounding the cylinder absorbs heat from the air at the rate of 59 kW.
Calculate the power required to drive the compressor and the inlet and outlet pipe
cross-sectional areas.

3|Page
 10. The figure below shows a system comprising of a gas in cylinder at pressure of 689
kPa.

The fluid expands from a volume of 0.04 m3 to 0.045 m3 while the pressure remains
constant. The paddle wheel in the system does a work of 4.88 kJ on the system.
Determine (a) work done by the system on the piston (b) the net amount of work done
on or by the system.

11. Carbon dioxide passing through a heat exchanger at a rate of 50 kg/hr is to be cooled
down from 800℃ to 50℃. Determine the rate of heat removal assuming flow of gas
to be of steady and constant pressure type. Take cp = 1.08 kJ/kg K.

12. A completely evacuated cylinder of 0.78 m3 volume is filled by opening its valve to
atmosphere and air rushing into it. Determine the work done by the air and by
surroundings on system.

13. A system comprising of a gas of 5 kg mass undergoes expansion process from 1 MPa
and 0.5 m3 to 0.5 MPa. Expansion process is governed by, p.v1.3 = constant. The
internal energy of gas is given by, u = 1.8pv + 85, kJ/kg. Here ‘u’ is specific internal
energy, ‘p’ is pressure in kPa, ‘v’ is specific volume in m3/kg. Determine heat and work
interaction and change in internal energy.

14. A gas contained in a cylinder is compressed from 1 MPa and 0.05 m 3 to 2 MPa.
Compression is governed by Pv1.4 = constant. Internal energy of gas is given by:
U = 7.5pV – 425, kJ
Where p is pressure in kPa and V is volume in m3.

4|Page
 Determine heat, work and change in internal energy assuming compression process
to be quasi-static. Also find out work interaction, if the 180 kJ of heat is transferred to
system between same states. Also explain, why is it different from above.

15. A certain fluid at 10 bar is contained in a cylinder behind a piston, the initial volume
being 0.05 m3. Calculate the work done by the fluid when it expands reversibly:
(i) At constant pressure to a final volume of 0.2 m3
(ii) According to a linear law to a final volume of 0.2m3 and a final pressure of 2 bar
(iii) According to a law pV = constant to find a final volume of 0.1 m 3
(iv) According to a law pv3 = constant to a final volume of 0.06 m3
(v) According to law p = (A/V2) – (B/V) to a final volume of 0.1 m3 and a final pressure
of 1 bar, where A and B are constants. Sketch all processes on a p-v diagram.

16. A fluid at 0.7 bar occupying 0.09 m3 is compressed reversibly to a pressure of 3.5 bar
according to a law pvn = constant. The fluid is then heated reversibly at constant
volume until the pressure is 4 bar, the specific volume is then 0.5 m 3/kg. A reversible
expansion according to a law pv2 = constant restores the fluid to its initial state. Sketch
the cycle on a p-v diagram and calculate:
(i) The mass of fluid present
(ii) The value of n in the first process
(iii) The net work of the cycle

17. A mass of gas at an initial pressure of 28 bar, and with an internal energy of 1500 kJ,
is contained in a well-insulated cylinder of volume 0.06 m3. The gas is allowed to
expand behind a piston until its internal energy is 1400 kJ. The law of expansion is pv2
= constant. Calculate:
(i) The work done
(ii) The final volume
(iii) The final pressure

5|Page
 18. A nozzle is a device for increasing the velocity of a steadily flowing fluid. At the inlet
to a certain nozzle the specific enthalpy of the fluid is 3025 kJ/kg and the velocity is 60
m/s. At the exit from the nozzle the specific enthalpy is 2790 kJ/kg. The nozzle is
horizontal and there is a negligible heat loss from it. Calculate:
(i) The velocity of the fluid at exit
(ii) The rate of flow of fluid when the inlet area is 0.1 m2 and the specific volume
at inlet is 0.19 m3/kg
(iii) The exit area of the nozzle when the specific volume at the nozzle exit is 0.5
m3/kg.

19. A nozzle is a device for increasing the velocity of a steadily flowing fluid. At the inlet
to a certain nozzle the specific enthalpy of the fluid is 3025 kJ/kg and the velocity is 60
m/s. At the exit from the nozzle the specific enthalpy is 2790 kJ/kg. The nozzle is
horizontal and there is negligible heat loss from it. Calculate:
(i) The velocity of the fluid at exit
(ii) The rate of flow of fluid when the inlet area is 0.1 m2 and the specific volume
at inlet is 0.19 m3/kg
(iii) The exit area of the nozzle when the specific volume at the nozzle exit is 0.5
m3/kg.

6|Page