FIRST LAW OF THERMODYNAMICS

1. An engine is tested by means of a water brake at 1000 rpm. The measured torque of the engine
is 10000 mN and the water consumption of the brake is 0.5 m3/s, its inlet temperature being
20°C. Calculate the water temperature at exit, assuming that the whole of the engine power is
ultimately transformed into heat which is absorbed by the cooling water. (Ans. 20.5°C).
2. In a cyclic process, heat transfers are + 14.7 kJ, – 25.2 kJ, – 3.56 kJ and + 31.5 kJ. What is the
net work for this cyclic process? (Ans. 17.34 kJ).
3. A slow chemical reaction takes place in a fluid at the constant pressure of 0.1 MPa. The fluid
is surrounded by a perfect heat insulator during the reaction which begins at state 1 and ends at
state 2. The insulation is then removed and 105 kJ of heat flow to the surroundings as the fluid
goes to state 3. The following data are observed for the fluid at states 1, 2 and 3. For the fluid
State v (m3) t (°C) system, calculate E2 and E3, if E1 = 0
1 0.003 20 (Ans. E2 = – 29.7 kJ, E3 = – 110.7 kJ)
2 0.3 270
3 0.06 20

4. During one cycle the working fluid in an engine engages in two work interactions: 15 kJ to the
fluid and 44 kJ from the fluid, and three heat interactions, two of which are known: 75 kJ to the
fluid and 40 kJ from the fluid. Evaluate the magnitude and direction of the third heat transfer.
(Ans. – 6 kJ).
5. A domestic refrigerator is loaded with food and the door closed. During a certain period the
machine consumes 1 kWh of energy and the internal energy of the system drops by 5000 kJ.
Find the net heat transfer for the system. (Ans. – 8.6 MJ)

6. 1.5 kg of liquid having a constant specific heat of 2.5 kJ/kg K is stirred in a well-insulated
chamber causing the temperature to rise by 15°C. Find Δ E and W for the process.
(Ans. Δ E = 56.25 kJ, W = – 56.25 kJ)
7. The same liquid as in Problem 4.6 is stirred in a conducting chamber. During the process 1.7
kJ of heat are transferred from the liquid to the surroundings, while the temperature of the liquid
is rising to 15°C. Find Δ E and W for the process. (Ans. Δ E = 54.55 kJ, W = 56.25 kJ)
8. The properties of a certain fluid are related as follows:
u = 196 + 0.718t and
pv = 0.287 (t + 273),where u is the specific internal energy (kJ/kg), t is in °C, p is pressure
(kN/m2), and v is specific volume (m3/kg). For this fluid, find cv and cp.
(Ans. 0.718, 1.005 kJ/kg K).
9. A system composed of 2 kg of the above fluid expands in a frictionless piston and cylinder
machine from an initial state of 1 MPa, 100°C to a final temperature of 30°C. If there is no heat
transfer, find the net work for the process. (Ans. 100.52 kJ)
10. If all the work in the expansion of Problem 4.9 is done on the moving piston, show that the
equation representing the path of the expansion in the pv-plane is given by pvl.4 = constant.
11. A stationary system consisting of 2 kg of the fluid of Problem 4.8 expands in an adiabatic
process according to pvl.2 = constant. The initial conditions are 1 MPa and 200°C, and the final
pressure is 0.1 MPa. Find W and Δ E for the process. Why is the work transfer not equal to
∫ pdV ? (Ans. W= 217.35, Δ E = – 217.35 kJ, ∫ pdV = 434.4 kJ)

12. (i) A mixture of gases expands at constant pressure from 1 MPa, 0.03 m3 to 0.06 m3 with 84
kJ positive heat transfer. There is no work other than that done on a piston. Find DE for the
gaseous mixture. (Ans. 54 kJ)
(ii) The same mixture expands through the same state path while a stirring device does 21 kJ of
work on the system. Find Δ E, W, and Q for the process. (Ans. 54 kJ, – 21 kJ, 33 kJ)

13. A mass of 8 kg gas expands within a flexible container so that the p–v relationship is of the
from pvl.2 = constant. The initial pressure is 1000 kPa and the initial volume is 1 m3. The final
pressure is 5 kPa. If specific internal energy of the gas decreases by 40 kJ/kg, find the heat
transfer in magnitude and direction. (Ans. + 2615 kJ)

14. A gas of mass 1.5 kg undergoes a quasi-static expansion which follows a

relationship p = a + bV, where a and b are constants. The initial and final pressures
are 1000 kPa and 200 kPa respectively and the corresponding volumes are 0.20 m 3
and 1.20 m3. The specific internal energy of the gas is given by the relation: u = l.5
pv – 85 kJ/kg, where p is the kPa and v is in m3/kg. Calculate the net heat transfer
and the maximum internal energy of the gas attained during expansion.
(Ans. 660 kJ, 503.3 kJ)

15. The heat capacity at constant pressure of a certain system is a function of temperature only
and may be expressed as

Where t is the temperature of the system in °C. The system is heated while it is maintained at a
pressure of 1 atmosphere until its volume increases from 2000 cm3 to 2400 cm3 and its
temperature increases from 0°C to 100°C.
(a) Find the magnitude of the heat interaction.
(b). How much does the internal energy of the system increase? (Ans. (a) 238.32 J (b) 197.79 J)

16. An imaginary engine receives heat and does work on a slowly moving piston at such rates
that the cycle of operation of 1 kg of working fluid can be represented as a circle 10 cm in
diameter on a p–v diagram on which 1 cm = 300 kPa and 1 cm = 0.1 m3/kg.
(a) How much work is done by each kg of working fluid for each cycle of operation?
(b) The thermal efficiency of an engine is defined as the ratio of work done and heat input in a
cycle. If the heat rejected by the engine in a cycle is 1000 kJ per kg of working fluid, what would
be its thermal efficiency? (Ans. (a) 2356.19 kJ/kg, (b) 0.702)

17. A gas undergoes a thermodynamic cycle consisting of three processes beginning at an initial
state where p1 = 1 bar, V1 = 1.5 m3 and U1 = 512 kJ. The processes are as follows:
(i) Process 1–2: Compression with pV = constant to p2 = 2 bar, U2 = 690 kJ
(ii) Process 2–3: W23 = 0, Q23 = –150 kJ, and
(iii) Process 3–1: W31 = +50 kJ. Neglecting KE and PE changes, determine the heat interactions
Q12 and Q31. (Ans. 74 kJ, 22 kJ)

18. A gas undergoes a thermodynamic cycle consisting of the following processes:

(i) Process 1–2: Constant pressure p = 1.4 bar, V1 = 0.028 m3, W12 = 10.5 kJ
(ii) Process 2–3: Compression with pV = constant, U3 = U2
(iii) Process 3–1: Constant volume, U1 – U3 = – 26.4 kJ. There are no significant changes in KE
and PE.
(a) Sketch the cycle on a p–V diagram, (b) Calculate the net work for the cycle in kJ
(c) Calculate the heat transfer for process 1–2, (d) Show that ΣQcycle =ΣWcycle.
(Ans. (b) – 8.28 kJ, (c) 36.9 kJ)