Module - 4

ENERGY BALANCE
Tutorial on Energy Balance Without
Reaction

Prof. Abhishek Sinha

Department of Biotechnology
School of Bio-Sciences & Technology
VIT University, Vellore
Q.1 Water at 25°C enters an open heating tank at a rate of 10
kg/h. Liquid water leaves the tank at 88°C at a rate of 9 kg/h; 1
kg/h water vapour is lost from the system through evaporation.
At steady state, what is the rate of heat input to the system?

Given:
h (liquid water at 88°C) = 368 kJ/kg
h (water vapour at 88°C) = 2656.9 kJ/kg
h (liquid water at 25°C) = 104.8 kJ/kg

4925.4 kJ/hr
Q.2 Air is being compressed from 100 kPa and 255K (where it has
enthalpy of 489 kJ/kg) to 1000 kPa and 278 K (where it has an
enthalpy of 509 kJ/kg). The exit velocity of the air from the
compressor is 60 m/s. What is the power required (kW) for the
compressor if the load is 100 kg/hr of air?

Given:
a = 28.09
b = 0.1965 x 10-2
c = 0.4799 x 10-5
d = -1.905 x 10-9
1.24 kW
Q.3 Nitrogen is sometimes bubbled into fermenters to maintain
anaerobic conditions. It does not react, and leaves in the
fermenter off-gas. However it can strip water from the
fermenter, so that water vapour also leaves in the off-gas. In a
continuous fermenter operated at 33°C, 20g/h water is
evaporated in this way. How much heat must be put into the
system to compensate for evaporative cooling?

Given:
hv (33°C) = 2421.2 kJ/kg

48.42 kJ of heat must be put into the system

Q.4 Steam is used to heat nutrient medium in a continuous flow
process. Saturated steam at 150°C enters a coil on the outside
of the heating vessel and is completely condensed. Medium
enters the vessel at 15°C and leaves at 44°C. Heat losses from
the jacket to the surroundings are estimated as 0.22kW. If the
flow rate of the medium is 3250 kg/hr and the heat capacity is
Cp = 0.9 cal g-1°C-1, how much steam is required?

Given:
h (water vapour; 150°C) = 2745.7 kJ/kg
hv (water; 150°C) = 2112.2 kJ/kg
73 kg/hr
1 cal = 4.18 J (remember)
1 kW = 1 kJ/s (remember)
Q. 50 g benzaldehyde (C6H5CHO) vapour in condensed at 179°C.
What is the enthalpy of the liquid relative to the vapour?
B.P.: 179°C; ΔhV = 38.40 kJ/gmol
Q.5 Suggest a system, boundary, and surroundings for 10 moles of
propane gas in a rigid metal cylinder.

Answer One choice is that the 10 moles of propane gas constitute

the system, the metal cylinder and everything outside of it the
surroundings, and the inside walls of the cylinder a real boundary.
This is an appropriate way to study the properties of the gas alone.

Q.6 Suggest a system, boundary, and surroundings for 500 mL of

water in an open beaker.

Answer To study the properties of water alone, it should constitute

the system. The walls of the beaker constitute a real, physical
boundary and the phase boundary between water and air
constitutes an imaginary boundary. The surroundings consist of
everything outside the boundaries including the beaker, the platform
on which it rests, and the atmosphere.
Q.7 Describe three commonplace examples of how work is done on
or by a system.

Q.8 A plumber of mass 65 kg carries a toolbox of mass 15 kg to a

fifth floor walk-up apartment 15 m above ground level. Calculate
the work required for this process.
Answer. The difference in potential energy between the fifth and
ground floors is equal to the work done by the plumber. The force is
‘m.g’ and the distance is ‘Δh’. Both the plumber’s mass and that of
the toolbox must be elevated.
m = (65 + 15) kg = 80 kg
g = 9.81 m⋅s−2
ΔH = 15 m
W = EP = m.g. ΔH
= (80 kg)(9.81 m⋅s−2)(15 m) = 1.18 × 104 J = 11.8 kJ
Q.9 Describe the internal energy change and work performed when
a spring is compressed or expanded.

Answer. Work is done on the system by the surroundings to

compress the spring. The compressed spring has a greater capacity to
do work than the uncompressed spring. In each case, the internal
energy of the system is increased by the amount of work done on it.

ΔU > 0 and ΔU = Ufinal − Uinitial = W

Therefore, W > 0 when work is done on the system.

Work is done on the surroundings by the system to expand the

spring. The expanded spring has a lesser capacity to do work than
the unexpanded spring. The internal energy of the system is
decreased by the amount of work done by it.
ΔU < 0 and ΔU = Ufinal − Uinitial = W
Therefore, W < 0 when work is done by the system.
Q.10 Describe the internal energy change and work performed when
a battery is recharged.

Answer. Electrical work is done on the system by the surroundings in

recharging a battery. The charged battery has a greater capacity to do
work than the discharged battery. The internal energy of the system is
increased by the amount of work done on it. As in the case of work, W
> 0 when electrical work is done on the system.

Q. A gas expands against a constant external pressure and does 25 kJ

of expansion work on the surroundings. During the process, 60 kJ of
heat is absorbed by the system. Determine the values of ΔH and ΔU.
Solution Because this is a constant pressure process,
ΔH = QP = 60 kJ. [ΔH = mCpΔT = Q]
ΔU = Q + W
W = −25 kJ (work done by the system is negative)
ΔU = 60 kJ − 25 kJ = 35 kJ
Q.11 A laboratory technician assigned to stir an insulated beaker of
water inadvertently leaves the stirrer on overnight. In the morning,
the technician notes that the temperature of the water has risen
3°C. The same temperature rise can also be accomplished by heating
the water using a heating mantle. Compare the two processes in
terms of the change in internal energy, and the heat and work done
on the system.

Solution For the two processes, the initial and final states are the
same, so ΔU is also the same.
In the first process, mechanical work is done on the system, Q = 0,
and ΔU = W.
In the second process, W = 0, and ΔU = Q. Both Q and W are clearly
path dependent.
Remember: U = Q+W …See introductory slides
Q.12 In downstream processing of gluconic acid, concentrated
fermentation broth containing 20% w/w gluconic acid is cooled in a
heat exchanger prior to crystallization. 2000 kg/h liquid leaving an
evaporator at 90°C must be cooled to 6°C. Cooling is achieved by
heat exchange with 2700 kg/h water initially at 2°C. If the final
temperature of the cooling water is 50°C, what is the rate of heat
loss from the gluconic acid solution to the surroundings? Assume
the heat capacity of gluconic acid is 0.35 cal/g°C.

6.98x104 kJ/hr