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Mechanical Engineering Department

Jadavpur University

Engineering Thermodynamics
Problem Sheet 5 Flow Processes

First Law
1. Air at 35oC, 105 kPa, flows in a 100 mm × 150 mm rectangular duct in a heating system.
The volumetric flow rate is 0.015 m 3/s. What is the velocity of the air flowing in the duct?
[VWS 170]
2. Nitrogen gas flowing in a 50 mm diameter pipe at 15 oC, 200 kPa, at the rate of 0.05 kg/s,
encounters a partially closed valve. If there is a pressure drop of 30 kPa across the valve and
essentially no temperature change, what are the velocities upstream and down stream of the
valve? [VWS 170]
3. The compressor of a large gas turbine receives air from the ambient at 95 kPa, 20 oC with a
low velocity. At the compressor discharge, air exits at 1.52 MPa, 430 oC, with velocity of 90
m/s. The power input to the compressor is 5000 kW. Determine the mass flow rate of air
through the unit. [VWS 171]
4. Superheated vapour ammonia enters an insulated nozzle at 20oC, 800 kPa with a low
velocity and at the steady rate of 0.01 kg/s. The ammonia exits at 300 kPa with a velocity of
450 m/s. Determine the temperature (or quality, if saturated) and the exit area of the nozzle.
[VWS 171]
5. A diffuser is a steady state steady flow device used to decelerate a high-velocity fluid in a
manner designed to increase the fluid pressure (essentially the opposite process of a nozzle
expansion). Consider a diffuser in which air enters at 100 kPa, 300 K, with a velocity of 200
m/s. The inlet cross sectional area of the diffuser is 100 mm 2. At the exit, the area is 860
mm2, and the exit velocity is 20 m/s. Determine the exit pressure and temperature of the air.
[VWS 171]
6. A steam turbine receives water at 15 MPa, 600 oC at a rate of 100 kg/s, as shown below. In
the middle section 20 kg/s is withdrawn at 2 MPa, 350 oC, and the rest exit the turbine at 75
kPa, and 95% quality. Assuming no heat transfer and no changes in kinetic energy, find the
total turbine work. [VWS 171]

Steam 1

TURBINE W

2
3
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Second Law
7. Steam enters a turbine at 3 MPa, 450oC, expands in a reversible adiabatic process and
exhausts at 10 kPa. Changes in kinetic and potential energies between the inlet and exit of
the turbine are small. The power output of the turbine is 800 kW. What is the mass flow rate
of steam through the turbine? [VWS 282]
8. Two flow-streams of water, one at 0.6 MPa, saturated vapour, and the other at 0.6 MPa,
600oC, mix adiabatically in an SSSF process to produce a single flow out at 0.6 MPa, 400 oC.
Find the total entropy generation for this process. [VWS 282]
9. A counterflow heat exchanger is used to cool air at 540 K, 400 kPa to 360 K by using 0.05
kg/s of water at 20oC, 200 kPa. The air flow is 0.5 kg/s in a 10 cm diameter pipe. Find the
air inlet velocity, the water exit temperature, and total entropy generation in the process.
[VWS 282]

1 2
Air

H2O
4 3

Figure Q. 9
o
10. A small pump takes in water at 20 C, 100 kPa and pumps it to 2.5 MPa at a flow rate of 100
kg/min. Find the required pump power input. [VWS 282]
11. Steam enters a turbine at 300oC and exhausts at 20 kPa. It is estimated that the isentropic
efficiency of the turbine is 70%. What is the maximum turbine inlet pressure if the exhaust
is not to be in the two phase region? [VWS 288]
12. A flow of 20 kg/s steam at 10 MPa, 550oC enters a two stage turbine. The exit of the first
stage is at 2 MPa where 4 kg/s is taken out for process steam and the rest continues through
the second stage, which has an exit of 50 kPa. Assume both stages have an isentropic
efficiency of 85%. Find the total actual turbine work and the entropy generation. [VWS 289]
13. A firefighter on a ladder 40 m above ground should be able to spray water an additional 10
m up with the hose nozzle of exit diameter 2.5 cm. For a water pump on the ground with an
efficiency of 85% (hose, nozzle included) find the minimum required power. [VWS 289]
14. A heat-powered portable air compressor consists of three components: (a) an adiabatic
compressor; (b) a constant pressure heater (heat supplied from an external source); and (c)
an adiabatic turbine. The compressor and the turbine each have an isentropic efficiency of
85%. Ambient air enters the compressor at 100 kPa, 300 K and is compressed to 600 kPa.
All the power from the turbine goes into the compressor, and the turbine exhaust is the
supply of the compressed air. If this pressure is required to be 200 kPa, what must the
temperature be at the exit of the heater? [VWS 291]
Air inlet Q̇ Air supply
1 Heater 4
3
2
Compressor Turbine
Ẇ

Figure Q. 14