Tutorial-IV
Second law & Entropy (Closed Systems)
1. A farmer runs a heat pump with a 2 kW motor. It should keep a chicken hatchery at
30°C, which loses energy at a rate of 10 kW to the colder ambient Tamb. What is the
minimum COP (heating) that will be acceptable for this heat pump?
2. A combination of two heat engines is shown in fig. Find the overall thermal efficiency
(ηth ) as a function of the two individual efficiencies ( η1 & η 2 ).
3. Consider a system consisting of “ideal gas” undergoing two processes connecting two
state points 1 and 2 such that: a) Path-a is Reversible isothermal process, b) Path-b
is an Irreversible process such that T1 = T2. Both processes the system interacts with
same thermal reservoir at temperature T0. Answer which of the following is TRUE or
FALSE?
i. ( S 2 − S1 )system, path a =
( S2 − S1 )system, path b
Q12,path a Q12,path b
ii. =
T0 T0
iii. Q12,path b < Q12,path a
iv. W12,path b > W12,path a
v. T1=T2=T0
4. Match the correct scenarios from the below mentioned list to the 3 expressions for
entropy change of a system undergoing process 1-2:
Scenarios:
2 2
du Pdv
i. s2 − s1= ∫ +∫
1
T 1 T A. Entropy change for an “ideal gas” between any
two state points
T v B. Entropy change for any “fluid” between any
ii. =
s2 − s1 Cv ln 2 + R ln 2
T1 v1 two state points
2
dh C. Entropy change for an “ideal gas” between two
∫1 T
iii. s2 − s1 = state points for an “isobaric” process
D. Entropy change for any “fluid” between two
state points for an “isochoric” process
E. Entropy change for any “fluid” between two
state points for an “isobaric” process
5. A thermodynamic cycle with three thermal reservoirs is proposed as shown in the figure
below. Evaluate if this cycle is reversible, irreversible or impossible? (The magnitudes
and directionality of heat transfer are mentioned in the figure, use appropriate sign for
solving this problem)
6. A cylinder having an initial volume of 3 m3 contains 0.1 kg of water at 40°C. Water is
then compressed through a reversible isothermal process until it has a quality of 50%.
Calculate the work done in this process.
7. A piston cylinder compresses R-410a at 200 kPa, −20°C to a pressure of 1200 kPa in a
reversible adiabatic process. Find the final temperature and the specific compression
work.
8. A thermal storage device is made with a rock (granite) bed of 2 m3 that is heated to
400 K using solar energy. A heat engine receives QH from the bed and rejects heat to
the ambient surroundings at 290 K. The rock bed therefore cools down, and as it reaches
290 K the process stops. Find the energy the rock bed can give out. Find the total work
the heat engine can give out as it receives energy from the rock bed. What is the heat
engine’s efficiency at the beginning of the process, and what is it at the end of the
process?
9. A cylinder fitted with a movable piston contains water at 3 MPa with 50% quality, at
which point the volume is 20 L. The water now expands to 1.2 MPa as a result of
receiving 600 kJ of heat from a large source at 300°C. It is claimed that the water does
124 kJ of work during this process. Is this possible?
10. A piston/cylinder setup has 2.5 kg of ammonia at 50 kPa, -20°C. Now it is heated to
50°C at constant pressure through the bottom of the cylinder from external hot gas at
200°C. Find the heat transfer to the ammonia and the total entropy generation.
11. Two tanks contain steam, and they are both connected to a piston/cylinder, as shown
in fig. Initially, the piston is at the bottom, and the mass of the piston is such that a
pressure of 1.4 MPa below it will be able to lift it. Steam in A has a mass of 4 kg at 7
MPa, 700°C, and B has 2 kg at 3 MPa, 350°C. The two valves are opened, and the
water comes to a uniform state. Find the final temperature and the total entropy
generation, assuming no heat transfer.
12. An uninsulated cylinder fitted with a piston contains air at 500 kPa, 200◦C, at which
point the volume is 10 L. The external force on the piston is now varied in such a
manner that the air expands to 150 kPa, 25 L volume. It is claimed that in this process
the air produces 70% of the work that would have resulted from a reversible adiabatic
expansion from the same initial pressure and temperature to the same final pressure.
Room temperature is 20°C.
a. What is the amount of work claimed?
b. Is this claim possible?
13. A gas in a rigid vessel is at ambient temperature and at a pressure, P1, slightly higher
than ambient pressure, P0. A valve on the vessel is opened, so gas escapes and the
pressure drops quickly to ambient pressure. The valve is closed, and after a long time
the remaining gas returns to ambient temperature, at which point the pressure is P2.
Develop an expression that allows a determination of the ratio of specific heats γ in
terms of the pressures.
ANSWER KEY:
1. COPmin = 5
2. ηth =η1 + η2 (1 − η1 )
3.
i. TRUE
ii. FALSE
iii. TRUE
iv. FALSE
v. TRUE
4.
i. B
ii. A
iii. E
5. Irreversible cycle
6. -13.4 kJ
7. 61.2°C, -48.87 kJ/kg
8. Thermal energy that rock can give = 538.45 MJ, Work = 81.945 MJ, 27.5%, 0%
9. Process is possible
10. 0.511 kJ/K
11. 442°C, 1.722 kJ/K
12. 2.54 kJ, Process is possible
ln ( P1 P0 )
13.
ln ( P1 P2 )
