CHAPTER 4

THE FIRST LAW

OF THERMODYNAMICS
 Outline
• Introduction to The First Law of
Thermodynamics.
• Energy balance for closed system
• Mass and Energy balance for open system
 Learning Outcomes
At the end of the lesson, students should be able to:
•Apply the first law of thermodynamics as a
statement of the conservation of energy to closed
and open system.
•Develop the energy balance applied to closed and
open systems.
•Develop the conservation of mass principle for
open system.
•Solve energy balances problems for common
steady flow devices.
Introduction to The First Law of
Thermodynamics
The First Law of Thermodynamics (Conservation of
Energy principle/Energy Balance)
•It states that energy can be neither created nor destroyed
during a process but can only change forms.
•General energy balance equation:

 Total energy   Total energy   Net change in the total 

       
 entering the system  leaving the system  energy of the system 
Ein  Eout  Esystem

“The net change (increase or decrease) in the total energy

of the system during a process is equal to the difference
between the total energy entering and the total energy
leaving the system during that process”
 Energy Balance for Any System
E E  E system
 in  out   
Energy transfer of a system Energy change of a system

• Energy transfer are • Energy change of a system during a process

recognized at the = Difference of the energy of the system at
system boundary as the beginning and at the end of the process:
they cross it 
Esystem=Efinal-Einitial =E2-E1
represent the energy
gained or lost by a • Energy is a property  the value of a
system during a property does not change unless the state of
process. the system changes  the energy change of
• Energy can be a system is zero if the state of the system
transferred to or from a does not change during the process.
system in three forms: • The change in the total energy of a system
heat, work and mass during a process is the sum of the changes
flow. in its internal, kinetic, and potential energies:
E system= U + KE + PE
Energy Balance for Closed
System
(Rigid tank, Piston cylinder device)
 Ein  Eout  Esystem
      
Net energy transfer by Change in kinetic, potetial,
work, heat & mass internal, etc. energies

• For closed system, energy • The change in the total

can be transferred to or from energy = Sum of the
a system in two forms: heat changes in internal, kinetic
and work. and potential energies
E  U  KE  PE
(Qin - Qout) – (Wout - Win) = E with, U  mu2  u1 
Qnet,in - Wnet,out = E 
KE  12 m v22  v12 
PE  mg z 2  z1 

Qnet , in  Wnet , out  U  KE  PE

Overall 1st Law of
with, Qnet , in  Qin  Qout thermodynamics
for close system
Wnet , out  Wout  Win
 Qnet , in  Wnet , out  U  KE  PE

Stationary Systems (KE=PE=0)

Qnet , in  Wnet , out  U

Isobaric Process (P=0)

Isochoric Process (V=0)
Eg: Piston-cylinder Device
Eg: Rigid tank/Piston cylinder device
(W=Wb)

V=0  W=0 Q  Wb  U
Q=U Q  U  Wb
Q
U 
 P V
Entalphy definition

 Q  H
Energy change for a cycle for closed system
•For a closed system undergoing a cycle, the initial and final
states are identical:
Esystem = E2 - E1 = 0.
•Then the energy balance for a cycle simplifies to
Ein - Eout = 0
Ein = Eout
•A closed system does not involve any mass flow across its
boundaries, so the energy balance for a cycle can be
expressed in terms of heat and work interactions.
Qnet , in  Wnet , out
 Example 4.1
A 0.5 m3 rigid tank contains refrigerant-134a initially
at 160 kPa and 40% quality. Heat is now transfer to
the refrigerant until the final pressure reaches 700
kPa. Determine:
a)The mass of the refrigerant in tank
b)The amount of heat transferred
c)Show on the process on PV diagram with respect
to saturation line

Ans: 10.03 kg, 2707 kJ

 Example 4.2
A piston cylinder device initially contains steam at 200
kPa, 200 OC and 0.5 m3. at this state, a linear spring (F
α x) is touching the piston but exerts no force on it.
Heat is now slowly transferred to the steam, causing
the pressure and the volume to rise to 500 kPa and
0.6 m3, respectively. Show the process on a PV
diagram with respect to saturation line and determine
a)The final temperature
b)The work done by the steam
c)The total heat transferred

Ans: 1132 °C, 35 kJ, 808kJ

Mass and Energy Balance for
Open System
• Open system - A device that involves mass flow in
and out of the system, as well as heat and work. Eg:
compressor, turbine or nozzle.

• To simplify the mass and energy analysis for open

system:
– The system should be assumed undergoing
steady-flow process
– Conservation of Mass Principle for open system
should be firstly defined before the 1st Law of
Thermodynamics can be applied to it.
 Steady-flow Process
• Steady-flow process - A process during which a fluid
flows through a control volume steadily. The fluid
properties within the control volume does not
change with time.

• Volume V, mass m, and total energy content E of

the CV remain constant during a steady flow
process:
dmCV
 m CV  0
dt
dE CV
 E CV  0
dt
 Conservation of Mass Principle
(Mass balance)
• Conservation of Mass Principle for CV: The net mass transfer
to or from a control volume during a time interval t is equal to
the net change (increase or decrease) in the total mass within
the CV during t:

 Total mass entering   Total mass leaving   Net change in mass 

       
 CV during t   CV during t   within CV during t 
m in mout  mCV
m in  m out  m CV  dmCV dt
   
0

  m   m
in out For control volumes
undergoing steady-
flow process
Conservation of Energy Principle(Energy balance)
• The conservation of energy principle (1 st Law of Thermodynamics)
for open system has the similar definition with that of close
systems:
E in  E out  E system (kW)
      For steady-flow
Rate of net energy transfer across Rate of change in internal, kinetic,
CV by heat, work and mass potential etc energies of CV process, Ė=0

E in  E out
 
Rate of net energy transfer in Rate of net energy transfer out
by heat, work and mass by heat, work and mass


Qin  Win   m  Qout  Wout   m 
in out


2 2
 V   V   = energy per
Qin  Win   m Pv  u 
   gz  Qout  Wout   m Pv  u 
    gz  unit mass
in  h 2  out  h 2  flowing in and
out of open
system
 2 2
 Vi   Ve 
 
Qin  Win   m  hi   
 gzi   Qout  Wout   m  he   gz e 
 2  2
               

for each inlet for each outlet
Q net 
  Qin   Qout

2 2
 Ve   Vi 
 
Qnet ,in  Wnet ,out   m  he 
  gz e    m  hi 
   gzi 
 2  2
               

for each inlet for each outlet
W net   W out   W in 
Q net , in  W net , out  H  K E  P E

Overall 1st Law of

thermodynamics for open
system undergoing steady-
flow process
• Open systems are characterized by flowing
streams, there are 3 common measures of flow:

– Velocity, V (ms-1)

– Volumetric flowrate, V= VA (m3/s)
 
  V  AV
– Mass flowrate, m  V   VA  (kg/s)
v v

Where:
M = molar mass/molecular weight (g/mol)
A = cross-sectional area (m2)
ρ = specific or molar density (kg/m3)
v = specific volume (m3/kg)
u = velocity (m/s)
Steady-flow Engineering Devices
 Nozzles and Diffusers
Nozzle - A device that Diffuser - A device that
increases the velocity of a fluid increases the pressure of a
at the expense of pressure. fluid by slowing it down.

Q0 - The rate of heat transfer between the fluid flowing through a
nozzle/diffuser and the surroundings is very small.
W=0 - Involve no work
PE=0 - Any change in potential energy is negligible
KE0 - Involve very high velocities
Mass balance : m in  m out  m 1 m 2 m

Energy balance : E in  E out **If heat
2 2 transfer data is
 V   V 
  h1  1   m
m   h2  2  given ≠
 2   2 
  adiabatic
 2
V2  2h1  h2   V1
 Turbine
• A device that generate electricity/power.
Control
Surface

1
W

• For turbine:
KE=0 – The change in KE is too low, neglected
PE=0 – The change in PE is negligible
Q=0 – Heat transfer is negligible(well insulated)
Mass balance : m in  m out  m 1  m 2  m
Energy balance : E  Ein out

m h1  m h2  W
W  m h  h 1 2 
 Compressors
• A devices in which power input is required to increase
the pressure of a gas. Control
Surface
• For compressor:
Q=0 1 W
PE=0 All are neglected 2

KE=0

Mass balance : m in  m out  m 1 m 2  m

Energy balance : E  E
in out

m h1  W  m h2
W  m h  h 
2 1
 Pumps Fluid exit, 2

• A devices in which power Pump

input is required to increase W h

the pressure of a liquid. Fluid inlet, 1

• For pump: Liquid flow through a pump

Q=0 MB : min  mout  m

2 2
PE=0 All are neglected  V   V 
EB : W  m  h1  1  gz1   m  h2  2  gz2 
KE=0  2   2 
• For compressed liquid, the   2 2 
  V2  V1  
density and specific volumes W  m  h2  h1   
   g z2  z1 

u2 u1 Pv 2 Pv 1    2      pe
   
are constant (v2=v1=v) and 
0

ke  0
the process of pumping  
compressed liquid is W  m u2  u1   Pv 2  Pv 1 

  u 0 
isothermal (u=cvdT=0).
W  m Pv 2  Pv 1 
W  m vP  P 
2 1
 Throttling Valves
• A flow-restricting devices that cause a significant pressure drop in
fluid.
• It is commonly used in refrigeration and air-conditioning
applications - It produce a pressure drop accompanied by a large
drop in temperature
• For throttling valve:
Q=0 – Assumed to be adiabatic
W=0` – No work involve
PE=0 - The change in potential energy is very small
KE=0 - The increase in kinetic energy is insignificant

Mass balance : m i me

Enthalpy values at
the inlet and exit of  i hi  m
Energy balance : m  e he
a throttling valve  hi  he
are the same 
throttling process /
Isenthalpic
process
 Heat Exchanger
• A devices where two moving fluid streams exchange heat
without mixing. Eg: Shell and tube heat exchanger.

Q=0

• Heat is transferred from the hot fluid to the cold one through
the wall separating them and the outer shell is usually well
insulated to prevent any heat loss to the surrounding
medium.
Take the entire heat exchanger as a 3
system,
Q=0/Q≠0 – Depends on how the
control 2 1
W=0 – No work involve
KE=0 – KE is negligible
PE=0 – PE is negligible
4

MB(overall) :  m in   m out
 1 m
m  3 m
2 m
4
MB(tube) : m  in  m  out
 1 m
m 2
MB(shell) : m  in  m  out
 3 m
m 4

 E
EB(overall) : E     
in out  m1 h1  m3 h3  m 2 h2  m 4 h4
.
EB(tube)  E
: E   
in out  Q  m1 h1  m 2 h2
.
EB(shell)  E
: E   
in out  m3 h3  m 4 h4  Q
 Example 4.3
Steam enter a nozzle at 400 0C and 800 kPa with a
velocity of 10m/s, and leaves at 300 0C and 200 kPa
while losing heat at a rate of 25 kW. For an inlet area
of 800 cm2, determine the velocity and the volume
flow rate of the steam at the nozzle exit.

Ans: 606 m/s, 2.74 m3/s

 Example 4.4
Steam enters the condenser of a steam
power plant at 20 kPa and a quality of
95% with a mass flow rate of 20000
kg/hr. it is to be cooled by water from a
nearby river by circulating the water
through the tubes within the condenser.
To prevent thermal pollution, the river
water is not allowed to experienced a
temperature rise above 10 0C. If the
steam is to leave the condenser as
saturated liquid at 20 kPa, determine the
mass flow rate of the cooling water
required.
Ans: 297.7 kg/s