Power Plant Problems

Looks Fam
The specific volume of steam at atmospheric
pressure and 212°F is 26.80 ft3/lb. Find a. its
density and b. its specific weight.

a. 0.03731 lb/f3 or 0.598 kg/m3

b. 0.03731 lbf/f3
If the density of mercury is 13,600 kg/m3,
find a. its density in lb/ft3 and b. its specific
weight in N/m3

a. 849.0 lb/f3
b. 133,416 N/m3
A pressure gauge connected to a turbine inlet reads
400 psi. A vacuum gauge connected in the exhaust
trunk of the same turbine reads 28.0 inHg. The
barometer reads 30.1 inHg. Find a. the absolute
pressure in the turbine inlet in psia, and b. the
absolute pressure in the turbine exhaust in inHg abs.

a. 414.8 psia
b. 2.1 inHg abs
The mercury level in the vertical tube is exactly 760 mm
above the mercury level in the reservoir (y = 760 mm). The
following data also apply: “water” and “mercury” can be
considered incompressible fluids having densities of 1000
kg/m3 and 13,595.1 kg/m3, respectively.
Find:

a. inHg = 29.92 d. lbf/f2 = 2116.8

b. f H2O = 33.90 e. psi (lbf/in2) = 14.7
c. Pascals, Pa (N/m2) = 101325.14
If the difference in height of the water legs of
an open manometer is 20 in (dimension y),
find the absolute pressure at point A in psia.
The specific weight of water is 62.4 lb f/ft3.

a. 15.42 psia
In the differential manometer, points A and B are at
the same height. The mercury used as a manometric
fluid stands 9 inches higher in leg B than in A (y = 9
in.). Find the difference in pressure between points A
and B in psf. Specific weight of mercury is 849 lb f/ft3.

a. 590 lbf/f3
Steam is flowing in a pipe at a velocity if 100
ft/sec. What is the associated kinetic energy
per pound of steam flowing

a. 155.28 f-lb/lbsteam or 0.20 BTU/lbsteam

The work delivered by a turbine is 400 BTU
per pound of steam supplied when the
steam flow is 20,000 lb/hr.
Find:

a. Specific work (f-lbf/lbsteam) 311,200 f-lbf/lbsteam

b. Power delivered (hp) 3143 hp
c. Power delivered (KW) 2344 KW
A steam turbine receives steam at 1379 KPa gauge and
exhausts it to a condenser where the vacuum is indicated
as 635 mmHg by a gauge. For a barometric pressure of 760
mmHg, calculate a. the absolute pressure at the turbine
inlet, KPa, and b. the absolute pressure corresponding to
the vacuum gauge reading in KPa and mmHg.

a. 1480 KPa
b. 16.7 KPa and 125 mmHg
A boiler feed pump takes water at an elevation
of 10 feet above a chosen datum and pumps it
into a boiler drum at elevation 30 feet. Calculate
the change in potential energy for the water
from pump to boiler in a. ft-lbf/lb, and b. BTU/lb

a. 20 f-lbf/lb
b. 0.0257 BTU/lb
High pressure steam enters a turbine with a velocity
of 125 ft/sec and leaves the exhaust trunk of the
turbine with a velocity of 1000 ft/sec. Calculate the
kinetic energy of steam in ft-lbf/lb and BTU/lb at a.
the entrance to the turbine, and b. the exhaust trunk.

a. 242.6 f-lbf/lb, 0.312 BTU/lb

b. 15,530 f-lbf/lb, 19.96 BTU/lb
High pressure steam enters a turbine with a velocity
of 38.0 meters/sec and leaves the exhaust trunk with
a velocity of 305 meters/sec. Calculate the kinetic
energy of the steam in KJ/Kg and N-m/Kg at a. the
entrance to the turbine and b. the exhaust trunk.

a. 0.722 KJ/Kg, 722 N-m/Kg

b. 46.5 KJ/Kg, 46500 N-m/Kg
Feedwater enters a boiler drum at 700 psia, 300°F and a
specific volume of 0.0174 ft3/lb. Steam leaves the superheater
of the boiler at 600 psia, 550°F and a specific volume of
0.8749 ft3/lb. Calculate a. the flow work in BTU/lb associated
with the water entering the boiler drum, and b. the flow work
in BTU/lb associated with the steam leaving the superheater.

a. 2.25 BTU/lb
b. 97.2 BTU/lb
Feedwater enters a boiler drum at a pressure of 4826 KPaabs,
148.9°C and a specific volume of 0.00109 m3/kg. Steam leaves
the superheater of the boiler at 4137 KPaabs, 287.8°C and a
specific volume of 0.0546 m3/kg. Calculate a. the flow work in
KJ/Kg associated with the water entering the boiler drum, and b.
the flow work in KJ/Kg associated with the steam leaving the
superheater.

a. 5.26 KJ/Kg
b. 225.9 KJ/Kg
A small air compressor delivers 1 lb/min of
air while supplying 3 horsepower to the air.
Calculate the specific work, ft-lbf/lb, supplied
to the air.

a. 99,000 f-lbf/lb
A steam turbine develops 200 horsepower
while receiving 400 BTU from each pound of
steam passing through the turbine. Calculate
the pounds of steam per hour required by
the turbine to produce this power.

a. 1272.5 lb/hr
A steam turbine develops 149 KW while
receiving 930 KJ from each kilogram of
steam passing through the turbine. Calculate
the kilograms of steam per hour required by
the turbine to produce this power.

a. 576.8 kg/hr
Many marine steam propulsion plants
achieve a fuel rate of 0.45 pound of fuel per
shaft horsepower hour. What is the
equivalent fuel rate in kilograms per shaft
kilowatt hour.

a. 0.27 Kg/KW-hr
A certain mountain location where the barometer
reads 13.5 psia, the intake manifold gauge on a
cross-country truck reads 20 inches of mercury
vacuum. Calculate the absolute pressure in the
truck intake manifold, psia and inHg

a. 3.7 psia or 7.5 inHg

The power delivered by an auxillary turbine
is 500,000 BTU/hr when the steam flow is
4000 lb/hr. Find a. specific work, ft-lbf/lb, and
b. the power delivered, HP.

a. 97,250 f-lbf/lb
b. 196.5 HP
A working substance enters a thermodynamic steady flow system with
the following conditions: P1 = 20 psia, v1 = 11.7 ft3/lb, u1 = 101.6 BTU/lb,
V1 = 150 ft/sec. The working substance leaves the system with the
following conditions: P2 = 25 psia, v2 = 10.3 ft3/lb, u2 = 149.0 BTU/lb, V2
= 500 ft/sec. Changes in elevation through the system are negligible,
and 10 BTU/lb transferred heat is added to the fluid as it passes through
the system. Determine the work done on or by the fluid, BTU/lb.

a. (-) 46.3 BTU/lb

In a certain non-flow process, the internal
energy decreases 20 BTU/lb, and 77,800 ft-
lbf/lb of work is done on the substance. Find
the heat added or abstracted.

a. 120 BTU/lb (abstracted)

Another non-flow process involving 2 Kg of
working substance there is no heat
transferred but the internal energy increases
5000 joules. Find the work done on or by the
substance, J/Kg.

a. (-) 2500 J/Kg

At a pressure of 100 psia and 400°F, the
specific volume of steam is 4.934 ft3/lb, and
the specific enthalpy is 1227.5 BTU/lb. Find
the internal energy at the given state,
BTU/lb.

a. 1136.86 BTU/lb
In a reversible non-flow process with a gas, the initial pressure
and specific volume are 270 psia and 4 ft3/lb respectively. The
final defined by the equation pv3.2 = C, where p and v are
simultaneous values of pressure and specific volume at any
instant during the process and C is a constant. Sketch the
process on p-v coordinates. Find the work done on or by the gas
during the process, BTU/lb.

a. 133.33 BTU/lb (by)

The same gas is brought reversibly from the same
initial to the same final state but the state change is
effected by a non-flow constant volume, and a non-
flow constant pressure process in combination. Draw
the p-v diagram and find the work done on or by the
gas if the sequence of the process is:

a. Constant volume followed by constant pressure: 74.0 BTU/lb (by)

b. Constant pressure followed by constant volume: 250 BTU/lb (by)
Two pounds of steam initially having a specific
entropy of 1.6356 BTU/lb-°R and internal energy of
1100.0 BTU/lb undergo a constant temperature
reversible non-flow process at 300°F such that the
final entropy is 1.5150 BTU/lb-°R and the internal
energy is 1016.4 BTU/lb. Find:

a. Heat transferred, BTU (-) 183.31 BTU (abstracted)

b. Work done, f-lbf (-) 12,526 f-lbf (on)
In a marine propulsion plant, the salt water used to
condense the exhaust steam enters the condenser at
60°F and leaves at 80°F. The specific heat of salt
water is 0.96 BTU/lb-°F, the density is 64.0 lb/ft 3, the
cooling water rate is 5000 gpm and 1 gal = 231 in 3.
Find the heat absorbed by the cooling water, BTU/min.

a. 822,000 BTU/min
During a constant pressure process, the temperature
of a certain mass of air is raised from 40°F to 540°F.
The specific heat at constant pressure is given by the
equation cp=α+βΤ+ȢΤ2 where α=0.219, β=0.342x10-4
and Ȣ=0.293x10-8. The average value of cp which will
be employed in this text for air is 0.24 BTU/lb-°F. Find:

a. Heat transferred, BTU, using variable specific heat expression 121.4 BTU/lb
(added)
b. Heat transferred, BTU, using average specific heat expression 120 BTU/lb (added)
A cylinder contains 0.2 Kg of air initially at a temperature of
25°C and a pressure of 140 KPa. After a reversible constant
pressure non-flow process, the temperature of the air has
risen to 175°C. The initial volume was 0.03 m 3 and the final
volume is 0.045 m3. The specific heat of air at constant
pressure may be taken as 1.0048 KJ/Kg-°K.

a. Heat added, KJ 30.1 KJ (added)

b. Work done, KJ 2.10 KJ (by)
c. Change in internal energy, KJ 28.0 KJ (increase)
During a non-flow process 120 BTU are removed as
heat from each pound of working substance while the
internal energy decreases 85.5 BTU/lb. Calculate the
work involved in the process in ft-lbf/lb and indicate
whether work is done on or by the working substance.

a. (-) 26,840 f-lbf/lb (on)

At standard atmospheric pressure, saturated
steam has a specific volume of 26.80 ft3/lb. If the
enthalpy of that same vapor is 1150.5 BTU/lb,
calculate the internal energy of the steam, BTU/lb.

a. 1077.6 BTU/lb
One pound of saturated steam at 100 psia is expanded
in a reversible non-flow process from a specific volume
of 0.017736 ft3/lb to a specific volume of 4.434 ft 3/lb. If
the pressure remains constant and the internal energy
increases 807.5 BTU/lb, and whether it will be added
to or abstracted from the working substance.

a. 889.2 BTU/lb (added)

If problem 2-5 is carried out as indicated, but with
the additional provision that the process is also
performed at a constant temperature of 327.9°F,
calculate the change of entropy for the steam
during the process, BTU/lb-°R

a. 1.129 BTU/lb-°R (increase)

One pound of saturated steam at 689.5 KPa is compressed in a
reversible non-flow process from a specific volume of 0.2768
m3/kg to a specific volume of 0001107 m 3/kg. If the pressure
remains constant at 689.5 KPa and the internal energy
decreases 1878.2 KJ/Kg during the process, determine how
much heat will be transferred and whether it will be added to
or abstracted from the working substabce

a. (-) 2068.3 KJ/Kg (added)

Steam at a pressure of 50 psia and a temperature
of 281°F has an internal energy of 1095.6 BTU/lb.
At these conditions, the specific volume of the
steam is 8.518 ft3/lb. Determine the enthalpy of
the steam in BTU/lb.

a. 1174.4 BTU/lb
A reversible non-flow process of a perfect gas proceeds from a
pressure of 400 psia to a pressure of 100 psia with a
corresponding increase in specific volume of the gas from
0.518 ft3/lb to 2.072 ft3/lb. During the process the internal
energy remains constant at 95.76 BTU/lb. Calculate a. the
enthalpy of the gas at 400 psia and 0.518 ft 3/lb, BTU/lb, and b.
change of enthalpy between the initial and final states.

a. 134.1 BTU/lb
b. 0 BTU/lb
A reversible non-flow process with a gas is defined
by the equation pv=c. Show that the work done is
given by the equation.

a. Wk12=P1V1ln(V2/V1)
Half a pound of gas undergoes a reversible non-
flow process with the pressure remaining constant
at 50 psia while the volume increases from 4 ft 3 to
8 ft3. Find the work done, BTU/lb.

a. 74.0 BTU/lb (by)

Two kilograms of a gas undergo a reversible non-
flow process at 350 KPa while the volume
increases from 0.4734 m3 to 0.9468 m3. Find the
work done, KJ/Kg.

a. 82.8 KJ/Kg (by)

One pound of water in changing to steam
received 970.3 BTU at 212°F. Determine the
change in specific entropy for the process, BTU/lb-
°R
°F

a. 1.444 BTU/lb-°R
Fifty BTU are added to one pound of air during a constant
pressure process starting at a temperature of 100°F. Calculate
the temperature of the air, °F, for a constant pressure specific
heat of 0.24 BTU/lb-°F. Then calculate the final temperature of
the air, starting at 100°F, for the same quantity of heat added
during a constant volume process for which the average
specific heat is 0.171 BTU/lb-°F

a. t2 = 308°F, t2 = 392°F
A fuel oil heater receives 23,200 lb of oil per hour
at 80°F and discharges it at 160°F. The specific
heat of the oil is 0.48 BTU/lb-°F. Find the heat.

a. 891,000 BTU/hr
A tank with a total volume of 10 ft3 is filled with
air at a pressure of 20 psi gauge and at a
temperature of 100°F. Find the specific volume
and the total mass of the air in the tank

a. 5.97 f3/lb
b. 1.67 lbs
A 0.1-Kg sample of a gas of fixed composition is
compressed in a cylinder. Before compression the gas
occupied a volume of 0.05 m3 and was at a
temperature of 30°C and 102.9 KPa. After
compression the gas occupied a volume of 0.008 m 3
and was at a pressure of 800 KPa. Find:

a. Temperature of the gas afer compression, °C 104°C

b. Specific volume of gas before compression, m3/kg 0.50 m3/kg
c. Value of gas constant, R, for this gas, J/Kg-°K 169.8 J/Kg-°K
Air at an initial pressure of 15 psia and
temperature 60°F undergoes a polytropic process
such that the final temperature and pressure
become 240°F and 90 psia. Find:

a. Polytropic exponent of the process 1.2

b. Specific volume when pressure reaches 30 psia 7.20 f3/lb
c. Temperature for the conditions of part (b) 584°R
Air is compressed reversibly in a cylinder from an
initial pressure of 15 psia to a final pressure of 60
psia. The initial temperature is 60°F and the initial
volume is 1 ft3. Find:

a. Mass of air contained in the cylinder, lb 0.078 lbs

b. Work required if process is isentropic, f-lbf (-)2630 f-lbf (on)
c. Work required if process is isothermal, f-lbf (-)2997 f-lbf (on)
Helium, for which R = 386 ft-lbf/lb-°R and k =
1.66, is heated from an initial temperature of 80°F
to a final temperature of 180°F in an unknown
process. Find:

a. The value of cv 0.752 BTU/lb-°R

b. The value of cp 1.25 BTU/lb-°R
c. Change of internal energy, BTU/lb 75.2 BTU/lb
d. Change of enthalpy, BTU/lb 125 BTU/lb
A quantity of air undergoes a reversible non-flow
constant presure process from an intial
temperature of 400°F to a final temperature of
50°F. Find:

a. Work done, BTU/lb (-)24 BTU/lb (on)

b. Change of internal energy, BTU/lb (-)59.85 BTU/lb (decrease)
c. Heat transferred, BTU/lb (-)83.8 BTU/lb (decrease)
d. Change of specific entropy, BTU/lb-°R (-)0.1255 BTU/lb-°R
During an isentropic non-flow process with air, the
pressure drops from 60 psia to 20 psia. The air
has a mass of 0.1 lb and the initial temperature
was 280°F. Find:

a. Final Temperature, °F 81°F

b. Heat transferred, BTU 0 BTU
c. Change of internal energy, BTU -3.4 BTU
d. Work done, BTU3.41 BTU (by)
During the constant volume non-flow reversible
process which occurs in the Otto cycle, 4.0 BTU of
heat are added. The cylinder contains 0.01 lb of air,
and the initial temperature and pressure are 650°F
and 210 psia, respectively. Sketch the process on a p-
v and T-s coordinates and find:

a. Final temperature, °F 2990°F

b. Final pressure, psia653 psia
c. Work done, BTU 0 BTU
d. Change of internal energy, BTU/lb 400 BTU/lb
Air is compressed in a cylinder during a non-flow
reversible polytropic process from an initial temperature
and pressure of 80°F and 15 psia to a final temperature
and pressure of 285°F and 75 psia. The cylinder contains
0.01 lb of air, and the area of the piston is 0.2 ft 2. Sketch
the process on p-v and T-s coordinates and find:

a. Value of polytropic exponent, n 1.25

b. Work done, f-lbf (-)437.06 f-lbf (on)
c. Change of internal energy, BTU 0.351 BTU
d. Heat transferred, BTU (-)0.211 (abstracted)
e. Piston distance during the process, in 5.78 in.
Air is heated in a non-flow process from 540°R to
1500°R at a constant pressure of 90 psia. The air
then expands isentropically until the pressure is 15
psia. Assuming constant specific heats, determine:

a. Heat input, BTU/lb 230.4 BTU/lb

b. Work output, BTU/lb 169.1 BTU/lb
c. Change in entropy, BTU/lb-°R 0.2452 BTU/lb-°R
d. Heat input, BTU/lb 240.1 BTU/lb
e. Work output, BTU/lb 173 BTU/lb
f. Change in entropy, BTU/lb-°R 0.25327 BTU/lb-°R
During a gas process, the temperature remains
constant while the pressure is doubled. How will
the specific volume be affected?

a. Halved
A closed tank contains 100 lb of air at a pressure
of 200 psia and a temperature of 180°F. The air is
subsequently cooled to 80°F. Find:

a. Initial specific volume, f3/lb 1.184 f3/lb

b. Volume of tank, f3 118.4 f3
c. Final specific volume, f3/lb 1.184 f3/lb
d. Final pressure, psia168.8 psia
Air initially at 75 psia and 65°F is compressed to a
final pressure of 300 psia and temperature of
320°F. Find the polytropic exponent for the
process.

a. n = 1.4
Air initially at 25°C and 150 KPa is heated in a
constant volume non-flow process until the
pressure reaches 750 KPa. Find the required heat
transfer, KJ/Kg.

a. 853.4 KL/Kg (added)

Air initially at 50 psia and 140°F undergoes a
polytropic process such that the temperature
becomes 40°F. The polytropic exponent for the
process is equal to 1.3. Find the final pressure and
specific volume.

a. 22.7 psia
b. 8.15 f3/lb
Air initially at 400°K expands in a constant
pressure non-flow process until the initial volume
is doubled. Find:

a. Heat transfer, KJ/Kg 401.9 KJ/Kg (added)

b. Work, KJ/Kg 114.8 KJ/Kg (by)
c. Change of entropy, KJ/Kg-°K 0.6965 KJ/Kg-°K
Air initially at 15 psia and 60°F is brought to a
final temperature of 200°F by a reversible non-
flow process. Identify the process in each case
and find the work required in BTU/lb if:

a. n = 0 constant pressure, 9.6 BTU/lb

b. n = infinity constant volume, 0 BTU/lb
c. n = k isentropic, (-)24 BTU/lb (on)
d. n = 1.2polytropic, (-)48 BTU/lb (on)
Air initially at 15 psia and 60°F is brought to a
final temperature of 200°F by a reversible non-
flow process. Find the heat transferred in BTU/lb if:

a. n = 0 33.6 BTU/lb (added)

b. n = infinity 24 BTU/lb (added)
c. n = k 0 BTU/lb
d. n = 1.2(-)24 BTU/lb (abstracted)
Air initially at 100°F and 100 psia and occupying a
volume of 0.5 ft3 undergoes a reversible non-flow
constant temperature process such that the final
pressure becomes 20 psia. Find the work done, ft-
lbf

a. 11,590 f-lbf (by)

The value of the Mechanical Equivalent of Heat, J, from the
International Tables is 778.169 ft-lbf/BTU. The value of the Gas
Constant, R, for air as used in the Gas Tables (Keenan & Kaye) is
53.342 ft-lbf/lb-°R. And from the same source we find that 90°F
the value of the isentropic expnent, k, for air is 1.400. Using
these data, find value of cv and cp for air at 90°F, to four
significant figures.

a. cv = 0.1714 BTU/lb-°R
b. cp = 0.2399 BTU/lb-°R
During an unidentified process with air, the
temperature decreases from 600°F to 200°F. Find:

a. Change of internal energy (-)68.4 BTU/lb (decrease)

b. Change of enthalpy (-)96.0 BTU/lb (decrease)
Four pounds of certain gas receive 50 BTU of heat
during a constant temperature reversible non-flow
process at 165°F. Find:

a. Change of specific entropy 0.02 BTU/lb-°R (increase)

b. Work done 50 BTU (by)
Air initially at 3000°F and 600 psia expands
isentropically under non-flow conditions. The final
volume is six times the initial volume. Find:

a. Final pressure, psia 48.8 psia

b. Final temperature, °F 1230°F
c. Heat transferred, BTU/lb 0 BTU/lb
d. Work done, BTU/lb302.7 BTU/lb
e. Change of internal energy, BTU/lb-°R 0 BTU/lb-°R
Air undergoes a cycle consisting of a series of non-flow processes listed
below:
1-2 constant volume heat addition
2-3 constant pressure heat addition
3-4 constant volume heat rejection
4-1 constant pressure heat rejection
The maximum and minimum values for pressure and specific volume
for the cycle are 30 psia, 15 psia, 25 ft 3/lb and 12.5 ft3/lb. Find:

a. Heat added, BTU/lb 329.8 BTU/lb

b. Heat rejected, BTU/lb (-)294.9 BTU/lb (rejected)
During a constant pressure reversible non-flow
process with air, temperature increases from
400°F to 1600°F. Find the heat transferred in
BTU/lb using

a. Constant specific heat 288.0 BTU/lb (added)

b. The air table 314.9 BTU/lb (added)
During a constant volume reversible non-flow
process with air, temperature increases from
1400°K to 320°K. Find the heat transferred in
KJ/Kg using

a. Constant specific heat (-)773.17 KJ/Kg (rejected)

b. The air table (-)885.17 KJ/Kg (rejected)
Air initially at 3000°F and 600 psia expands
isentropically under non-flow conditions. The final
volume is six times the initial volume. Using air
table, find:

a. Final pressure, psia 56.8 psia

b. Final temperature, °F 1504°F
c. Heat transferred, BTU/lb 0 BTU/lb
d. Work done, BTU/lb328.5 BTU/lb
e. Change of internal energy, BTU/lb-°R 0 BTU/lb-°R
Air initially at 300°K and 130 KPa undergoes an
isentropic non-flow expansion process in which
the pressure is reduced to one-fourth the original
value. Using air table, find:

a. Final temperature, °K 201.6°K

b. Final pressure, KPa 32.5 KPa
c. Change in internal energy, KJ/Kg -70.4 KJ/Kg
d. Change in enthalpy, KJ/Kg -98.6 KJ/Kg
e. Change in entropy 0