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ME 617 Advanced Thermodynamics Exam Time: 180 minutes. Aug 01, 2018
Mechanical Engineering Department
“Show all work and equations used”
Answer the following six questions
Question 1 (5 marks)
1. Define the compression ratio for reciprocating engines
It is the ratio of the maximum to minimum volumes in the cylinder.
2. Can the mean effective pressure of an automobile engine in operation be less than the atmospheric
pressure?
Yes

Question 2 (25 marks)

1. During the isothermal heat addition process of a Carnot cycle, 900 kJ of heat is added to the working fluid
from a source at 400°C. Determine (a) the entropy change of the working fluid, (b) the entropy change of
the source, and (c) the total entropy change for the process.

2. Liquid methane is commonly used in various cryogenic applications. The critical temperature of methane
is 191 K (or -82°C), and thus methane must be maintained below 191 K to keep it in liquid phase. The
properties of liquid methane at various temperatures and pressures are given in Table Below. Determine
the entropy change of liquid methane as it undergoes a process from 110 K and 1 MPa to 120 K and 5
MPa (a) using tabulated properties and (b) approximating liquid methane as an incompressible substance.
What is the error involved in the latter case?
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Question 3 (20 marks)

1. A heat engine that receives heat from a furnace at 1200°C and rejects waste heat to a river at 20°C has a
thermal efficiency of 40 percent. Determine the second-law efficiency of this power plant.
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2. A piston–cylinder device initially contains 2 L of air at 100 kPa and 25°C. Air is now compressed to a final
state of 600 kPa and 150°C. The useful work input is 1.2 kJ. Assuming the surroundings are at 100 kPa
and 25°C, determine (a) the exergy of the air at the initial and the final states, (b) the minimum work that
must be supplied to accomplish this compression process, and (c) the second-law efficiency of this process.

Assumptions :1 Air is an ideal gas with constant specific heats. 2 The kinetic and potential energies are
negligible. Properties: The gas constant of air is R = 0.287 kPa.m3/kg.K . The specific heats of air at the
average temperature of (298+423)/2=360 K are cp = 1.009 kJ/kg·K and cv = 0.722 kJ/kg·K .
Analysis (a) We realize that X1 = Φ1 = 0 since air initially is at the dead state.
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Question 4 (25 marks)

1. An air-standard cycle with variable specific heats is executed in a closed system and is composed of the
following four processes: 1-2 Isentropic compression from 100 kPa and 27°C to 800 kPa, 2-3 v _ constant
heat addition to 1800 K, 3-4 Isentropic expansion to 100 kPa, 4-1 P _ constant heat rejection to initial
state. (a) Show the cycle on P-v and T-s diagrams., (b) Calculate the network output per unit mass., (c)
Determine the thermal efficiency. Assumptions 1 The air-standard assumptions are applicable. 2 Kinetic
and potential energy changes are negligible. 3 Air is an ideal gas with variable specific heats.

point T (K) h(kJ/kg) u(kJ/kg) pr

1 300 300.19 ------- 1.386
2 539.8 ------- 389.22 11.088
3 1800 ------- 1487.2 1310
4 ------ 828.1 ------- ------

2. Each term in an equation must be dimensionally homogeneous or dimensionally consistent: Consider:

𝝆𝑽𝑳 𝑽𝑳 𝟏 𝟏 𝑽
𝟏. 𝑹𝒆 = = 𝟐. 𝑿(𝒕) = 𝒗𝟎 + 𝒗𝒕 + 𝒂𝒕𝟐 𝟑. 𝑿(𝒕) = 𝒙𝟎 + 𝒗𝒕 + 𝒂𝒕𝟐 𝟒. 𝑭𝒓 =
𝝁 𝝑 𝟐 𝟐 √𝒈𝑳

Question 5 (10 marks)

A small crack in the hot leg of a PWR is leaking coolant at a rate of velocity of 850 m/s (the speed of sound in
water at 100 bar). The crack can be approximated as a gap 2 mm in width by 20 mm in length.
(a) What is the mass flow rate through the gap? (b) How much additional force must be applied to the hot
leg to hold it in place?
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Assumptions :1 neglect gravity. 2 steady state. 3 incompressible. 4 stationary CV. 5 uniform flow. Properties:
ρ = 688.4 kg/m3 .

Question 6 (15 marks)

1. Find 𝑻𝟑 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒘.𝒕𝟐

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Assumptions :1 no heat transfer to surrounding. 2 Kinetic and potential energy changes are negligible. 3
𝑱
steady state. 4 constant specific heat. 5 uniform flow. 6 Ideal gas. Properties: 𝑹 = 𝟐𝟖𝟕 , 𝑪𝒑 =
𝑲𝒈 𝑲
𝑲𝑱
𝟏. 𝟏𝟖 𝑲𝒈 𝑲
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2. Moist air (a mixture of dry air and water vapor) enters the dehumidifier at the rate of 600 lbm/hr.
Liquid water drains out of the dehumidifier at a rate of 3.0 lbm/hr. A simplified sketch of the
process is provided in Fig. below. Determine the mass flowrate of the dry air and the water vapor
leaving the dehumidifier.
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Best wishes
Dr.Hamad