Chapter 2: Pressure

Thermodynamics 1
Numerical
(Q1) Convert the following readings of pressure
into absolute pressure (kPa), assuming the
atmospheric pressure to be 760 mm of Hg.
90 cm Hg gauge

40 cm Hg vacuum

1. 2 m water gauge

0.1 bar vacuum

Hint: 1 atm = 760 mm Hg = 29.92 in Hg = 1.01325 bars

= 1.01325 105 N/m2 = 14.696 lbf/in2 or psi (pound-
force per square inch) = 1033.23 cm H20.
Thermodynamics Chapter 2 2
 90 cm Hg gauge
Pgauge 13595 kg/m 3 9.81 m/s 2 0.9 m 120.23 kPa
or
760 mm Hg 101.35 kPa
101.325 kPa
1 cm Hg 1.3332 kPa
76
90 cm Hg 90 1.3332 120 kPa Pgauge
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
Pabs Pgauge Patm
120.03 kPa + 101.325 kPa
221.36 kPa
Thermodynamics Chapter 2 3
 40 cm Hg vacuum
Pvacuum 13595 kg/m 3 9.81 m/s 2 0.4 m 53.346 kPa
Pabs Patm - Pvacuum
101.325 kPa - 53.346 47.978 kPa
1.2 m water gauge
Pgauge 1000 kg/m 3 9.81 m/s 2 1.2 m 11.772 kPa
Pabs Pgauge Patm
11.72 kPa + 101.325 113.097 kPa
0.1 bar vacuum
Pvacuum 0.1 105 N/m 2 10 kPa
Pabs Patm - Pvacuum
101.325 kPa - 10 kPa 91.325 kPa
Thermodynamics Chapter 2 4
(Q2) Reading of A is 500kPa
Reading of B is 300kPa
Absolute pressure of chamber 2 = ?

1 2
A B

Thermodynamics Chapter 2 5
 PA (gauge) 500 kPa
P1 (gauge) PA (gauge)
Patm 101.325 kPa

PB (gauge) 300 kPa

P2 (gauge) 500 kPa 300 kPa
800 kPa A
1 B 2
P2 (abs) 800 kPa 101.325 kPa
901.325 kPa
Thermodynamics Chapter 2 6
(Q3) A vacuum gauge mounted on a condenser
measures 0.66 m Hg. What is the absolute
pressure in the condenser in kPa, when the
atmospheric pressure is 101.325 kPa?

Pvacuum 13595 kg/m 9.81 m/s 0.66 m

3 2

88.022 kPa

Pabs Patm - Patm

101.325 kPa - 88.022 kPa 13.303 kPa

Thermodynamics Chapter 2 7
 (2.46/2.37) A vertical cylinder
has a 125 mm diameter
piston with hydraulic fluid
inside the cylinder and an
ambient pressure of 1 bar.
Assuming standard
gravity, find the piston
mass that will create a
pressure inside of 1500
kPa.

Thermodynamics Chapter 2 8
Po 1 bar Pcyl 1500 kPa
2
d 0.125 0.01227 m
2 2
Apiston
4 4

F Pcyl Apiston F Po Apiston mpiston g

mpiston
P
cyl
Po Apiston
g
3 2
(1500 - 100) 10 Pa 0.01227 m
2
9.81 m/s
1751 kg

Thermodynamics Chapter 2 9
(2.50/2.39) A large exhaust fan in a lab room keeps
the pressure inside at 10 cm water relative
vacuum to the hallway? What is the net force
on the door measuring 1.9 m by 1.1m?

3 2
Pvacuum 1000 kg/m 9.81 m/s 0.1 m
2
981 N/m 981 Pa
F Pout Pin A Patm Patm Pvacu A
981 N/m 1.9 m 1.1 m
2

2050 N
Thermodynamics Chapter 2 10
(2.56/2.44) A steel tank of cross-sectional area 3 m2
and 16 m tall weighs 10 000 kg and is open at
the top. We want to float it in the ocean so it
sticks 10 m straight down by pouring concrete
into the bottom of it. How much concrete should
we put in ?

Thermodynamics Chapter 2 11
 F ocean gh po A

F mtank mconcrete g po A

F F
ocean gh po A mtank mconcrete g po A
mconcrete ocean h A mtank
1000 kg/m3 10 m 3m 2 10000 kg
20000 kg

Thermodynamics Chapter 2 12
(2.57/2.46) Liquid water with density is filled on
top of a thin piston in a cylinder with cross-
sectional area A and total height H. Air is let in
under the piston so it pushes up, spilling the water
over the edge. Deduce the formula for the air
pressure as a function of the piston elevation from
the bottom, h.

Thermodynamics Chapter 2 13
 F F
pair A po A mH 2O g
mH2O g
pair po
A
pair po ( H h) g
Thermodynamics Chapter 2 14
(2.63/2.55)The pressure gauge on an air tank shows
75 kPa when the diver is 10 m down in the
ocean. At what depth will the gauge pressure
be zero? What does that mean?
Po
ocean

h = 10 m
H=?
Pgauge = 75 kPa

Pgauge = 0
Thermodynamics Chapter 2 15
 Po
ocean

h = 10 m
Pgauge = 75 kPa
Ocean water pressure at 10 m depth is
Pwater Po g h
1000 9.81 10
101.3 199.4 kPa
1000
Air pressure (absolute) in tank
Ptan k Pgauge Pwater 75 199.4 274.4 kPa
Thermodynamics Chapter 2 16
 Po
ocean

h = 10 m
H=?
Pgauge = 75 kPa

Tank pressure (gauge) reads zero at

water local pressure Pgauge = 0
P Ptan k Pwater 0 Ptan k Pwater
gauge

1000 9.81 H
274.4 101.3
1000
H 17.65 m
Thermodynamics Chapter 2 17
(2.70/2.60) A U-tube manometer filled with water
having density 1000 kg/m3 shows a height
difference of 25 cm? What is the gauge
pressure? If the right arm of the manometer is
tilted to make an angle of 30o with the
horizontal, what should be the length of the
column in the tilted tube relative to the U-tube?

Thermodynamics Chapter 2 18
 P Patm

(a) h 25 cm 0.25 m
h
PA Patm A mwater g
PA Patm A Ah g
P Patm gh Pgauge gh
2
1000 kg/m 9.81 m/s 0.25 m
3

2.452 kPa

Thermodynamics Chapter 2 19
 h
H

o
(b) h H sin 30
h h
H o 2h 50 cm 0.5 m
sin 30 1/ 2

Thermodynamics Chapter 2 20
 It offers greater resolution in
measuring small pressure changes,
as a small change in column height
corresponds to a large travel along
the tube.
Thermodynamics Chapter 2 21
(2.73/2.63) Two piston/cylinder arrangements, A
and B, have their gas chambers connected by a pipe.
Cross-sectional areas are AA = 75 cm2 and AB = 25
cm2 with the piston mass in A being mA = 25 kg.
Outside pressure is 100 kPa and standard
gravitation. Find the mass mB so that none of the
pistons have to rest on the bottom.

Thermodynamics Chapter 2 22
Force balance for both pistons: F F

A : m p A g Po AA PAA
B : m pB g Po AB PAB

Same P in A and B gives no flow between them

m pA g m pB g
Po P and Po P
AA AB
2
AB 25 cm
m pB m p A 25 kg 2
8.33 kg
AA 75 cm
Thermodynamics Chapter 2 23
 Hydraulic lift
A2
F2 F1
A1

Mechanical advantage can be gained with equality of

pressures (the effect of elevation changes is usually
negligible for this type of devices).
A small force applied at the small piston is used to
develop a large force at the large piston.

Thermodynamics Chapter 2 24
(2.75/2.61) A pipe flowing light oil (density = 910
kg/m3) has a manometer attached as shown in
figure below. What is the absolute pressure in
the pipe flow?

Thermodynamics Chapter 2 25
 h1
h2 =0.2

Po water gh1 oil gh2 Ppipe

1000 kg/m3 9.81m/s 2 7 m 910 9.81 0.2
Ppipe 101.325 kPa
1000 1000
106.4 kPa

Thermodynamics Chapter 2 26
(2.76/2.62) Two cylinders are filled with liquid
water ( = 1000 kg/m3 and connected by a line with
a closed valve. A has 100 kg and B has 500 kg of
water, their cross-sectional areas are AA = 0.1 m2
and AB = 0.25 m2, and the height h is 1 m. Find the
pressure on each side of the valve. The valve is
opened and water flows to an equilibrium. Find the
final pressure at the valve location.

Thermodynamics Chapter 2 27
 hB

= 1m hA

mA mA 100 kg
VA AA hA hA 1 m
AA 1000 kg/m 0.1 m
3 2

mB 500 kg
Simil hB 2m
AB 1000 kg/m 0.25 m
3 2

1000 kg/m3 9.81m/s 2 1m

PVA Po ghA 101.325 111.135 kPa
1000
1000 kg/m 3 9.81m/s 2 3m
PVB Po ghtot 101.325 130.75 kPa
1000
Thermodynamics Chapter 2 28
 h2

VTotal VA VB AA h2 AB h2 h
AA hA AB hB AA h2 AB h2 AB h
h2 2.43m

1000 kg/m3 9.81m/s 2 32.43m

PV2 Po gh2 101.325
1000
125.2 kPa
Thermodynamics Chapter 2 29
(2.82/2.75) The main waterline into a tall building
has pressure of 600 kPa at 5 m elevation below
ground level. How much extra pressure does a
pump need to add to ensure a water line pressure of
200 kPa at the top floor 150 m above ground?

Thermodynamics Chapter 2 30
Pafter pump Ptop P
1000 kg/m3 9.81m/s 2 150 5 m
200 kPa 1720 kPa
1000
Ppump 1720 600 1120 kPa

Thermodynamics Chapter 2 31
(2.83/?) A 5-kg piston in a cylinder with diameter of
100 mm is loaded with a linear spring and the
outside atmospheric pressure of 100 kPa. The spring
exerts no force on the piston when it is at the bottom
of the cylinder and for the state shown, the pressure
is 400 kPa with volume 0.4 L. The valve is opened
to let some air in, causing the piston to rise 2 cm.
Find the new pressure.

Thermodynamics Chapter 2 32
 F PA , F m
p p g Po Ap k s x xo
with the spring constant, k s .
The force balance then gives the gas pressure
P Po m p g k s x xo / Ap
mp gk s x xo
Po
Ap Ap
mp g k s V Vo
Po 2
C1 C2V
Ap Ap
This relation gives the pressure as a linear function of
volume, with the line having a slope of C2 k s / A2 .
Thermodynamics Chapter 2 33

Process : P C1 C2V ; Ap 0.1m 2 0.00785 m 2
4
mp g 5 kg 9.81 m/s 2
C1 Patm + 100 kPa +
Ap 0.00785 m 2
= 106.2 kPa intersect for zero volume

V2 0.4 L 0.00785 m 2 0.02 m 1000 L/m 3

0.557 L

P2 P1 P1 Po P1 Po
P2 P1 V2 V1
V2 V1 V1 Vo V1 Vo
400 106.2
P2 400 0.557 0.4 515.3 kPa
0.4 0
Thermodynamics Chapter 2 34
(2.84/2.74) In the city water tower, water is pumped
up to a level 25 m above ground in a pressurized
tank with air at 125 kPa over the water surface.
Find the pressure required to pump more water in
at ground level.

P gH
1000 kg/m3 9.81m/s 2 25 m
245.2 kPa

Pbottom Ptop P
125 245.2 370 kPa

Thermodynamics Chapter 2 35
(2.85/2.76) Two cylinders are connected by a piston
as shown in Fig. Cylinder A is used as a hydraulic
lift and pumped up to 500 kPa. The piston mass is
25 kg and there is standard gravity. What is the gas
pressure in cylinder B?

Force balance for the piston

PA AA PB AB m p g Po AA AB
PA AA m p g Po AA AB
PB
AB
AA 0.00785 m 2
6.0 MPa
AB 0.000491m 2

Thermodynamics Chapter 2 36