Q4001 Thermodynamics of Materials January, 2019

Homework 3. Part 1

1. A semi-isolated system, as shown in the following figure, is formed by a container that has two
compartments, A and B, separated by an movable adiabatic wall. Each compartment has an
initial volume of 5 L and 1 atm of pressure. Each contains 0.5 mole of a perfect monoatomic
gas.

In the beginning, the temperatures of A and B are the same. Then, the gas A expands and
displaces the gas B is compressed in a reversible and adiabatic way until it reaches a final
volume of 2 L.

(a) Draw a P V diagram for this process to indicate the behavior corresponding to the sub-
systems A and B.
(b) With this information, calculate ∆U and ∆H for A, B, the surroundings and the universe.
In addition, calculate the final pressure and temperature of A.

2. A solar collector is used as a heat source for a Carnot engine with a heat sink at 300 K. The
efficiency of the solar collector ε is defined as the fraction of the energy reaching the collector
that is actually absorbed. It is related to the temperature of the collector as follows:
T
 
ε = 0.75 − 1.75 −1
300 K
Determine the best operating temperature of the collector.

3. When one junction of a thermoelectric generator is in good contact with the environment at
25 ◦ C and the other with a reservoir at 300 ◦ C, the open circuit voltage is 0.95 V. An ideal 50
W electric motor connected to the generator draws 80 A. The rate of heat removal from the
cold junction is 900 W.

(a) Find the internal resistance of the generator.

(b) Find the efficiency of the generator.
(c) Is this cycle reversible?
 4. A P V diagram of an imaginary heat engine is represented by a circle shown in the following
figure.

(a) Find the work performed per cycle by 1 g of working fluid.

(b) Find the engine efficiency if it rejects 5.7 kJ/g during each cycle.

5. Calculate the work that 1 mol of a diatomic gas produces when it expands from its initial
volume of 5 L and 31.5 ◦ C to:

(a) a final volume of 25 L reversibly and isothermically.

(b) irreversibly and isothermically against an external pressure of 1 atm.
(c) a final volume of 25 L reversibly and adiabatically.
(d) irreversibly and adiabatically against an external pressure of 1 atm.
(e) For all cases above, determine the final state after the expansion.

Due date: Monday, february 11th.