REF 1.
Lebanese International University
School of Engineering
Department of Mechanical Engineering
MENG320L — Thermodynamics Lab
Section ID: C
Experiment Code: TH2-1
Experiment Title: Boyle's Law Demonstration
Report No:2
Student Name: Nader AkhdarStudent ID: 11410121
Sarah Salha 11430298
Lab Instructor: Hassan Jaber
Date: 3/30/2016
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I. Objectives of the Experiment
The objective of the experiment was to investigate Boyle's Law, which in other
terms is the investigation of the relationship between pressure and volume.
REF 1.3
II. Equipment used in this Experiment
1. Red Spirit in Glass Thermometer.
2. Unit H050.
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III. Description of the Apparatus
1. The H050 Unit consists of two chambers, the fluid chamber and the measuring
chamber, that are connected by a copper tube and flow control valve.
Figure 1. H050 Unit
2. The volume of mass of air is fixed in the measuring chamber and is increased
or reduced by using the oil in the fluid chamber.
REF 1.3
Figure 2. Measuring Chamber Figure 3. Fluid Chamber
3. The compressor either provides compressed air to the fluid chamber via a
control valve and discharge coupling or it provides a source of vacuum to the fluid
chamber via the suction coupling. They are connected to the fluid chamber through the
blue hose and coupling point.
Figure 4. The compressor
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Figure 5. The compressor's discharge (4) and its suction coupling (5)
4. The compressor is started and stopped by a main switch found on a small electrical
console that contains the power lead, residual current circuit breaker and pressure gauge. The
pressure gauge reads the pressure in the measuring chamber.
Figure 6. The electrical console
5. The gas volume in the measuring volume is indicated by a scale found on the glass
surface. The temperature is indicated by the red spirit in glass thermometer.
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Figure 7. Red Spirit in glass thermometer
6. In order to assist in the operation of the unit, the relief valve is constantly used
as a blow off point for the compressor.
(1)
(2)
Figure 8. The relief valve (1) and pressure control valve (2)
Notes:
- The device will reset automatically when the compressor overheats, since the
compressor is protected by a thermal switch, which will disconnect the electrical supply at the
compressor motor.
- The high pressure cut out switch is supposed to be operating normally at 2.2 bar gauge
and the relief valves are supposed to be adjusted below a pressure of 2.5 bar gauge.
- The fluid chamber shouldn’t be filled above the maximum fill indictor line.
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IV. Procedure
1. Connect the compressor to the measuring chamber.
2. Turn on the compressor, keep it on till it reads -70 kN/m2.
3. Turn the compressor off.
4. Open the flow valve until it reaches 15 cm in the measuring chamber.
5. Relief the suction port and return the chamber pressure to the 0 kN/m2 gauge
pressure (atmospheric pressure)
6. Disconnect the compressor from the measuring chamber.
7. Connect the compressor to the fluid chamber.
8. Open the flow valve and record the pressure every 5cm of oil height change.
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V. Collected Data
Table 1. Data collected from the experiment
Gauge Pressure (KPa) Oil Height (cm) Temperature (°C)
0 15 21
-41 10 21
-60 5 21
-69 0 21
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VI. Calculated Results (if any)
Table 2. Calculated data from observed data
Gauge Absolute Oil Height Oil Volume Air Volume Temperature (
Pressure Pressure (cm) (L) (L) ̊C)
(kPa) (kPa)
0 100 15 0.75 0.25 21
-41 59 10 0.5 0.5 21
-60 40 5 0.25 0.75 21
-69 31 0 0 1 21
Table 3. Absolute pressure and air volume relationship
Absolute Pressure 100 59 40 31
(kN/m2)
Air Volume (mm3) 0.25 0.5 0.75 1
Constant k (N·m) 25 29.5 30 31
Pabs = Pgauge + Patm
Where “Pabs” is the absolute pressure in kPa
“Pgauge” is the gauge pressure in kPa
“Patm” is the atmosphere pressure in kPa
Notes: “Patm” is constant and equals to 100 kPa
And kPa equals to kN/m2
Example: for Pgauge = -41 kPa
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Pabs= (-41+100) kPa
Pabs= 59 kPa
Voil = ( hoil · Vchamber ) / hchamber
Where “Voil” is the oil volume in Liters (L)
“hoil” is the oil height in cm
“Vchamber” is the volume of the chamber in Liters (L)
“hchamber” is the height of the chamber in cm
Notes: “Vchamber” is constant and equals to 1 L
“hchamber” is constant and equals to 20 cm
Example: for hoil=15 cm
Voil = (15·1)/20
Voil = 0.75 L
Vair = Vchamber – Voil
Where “Voil” is the oil volume in Liters (L)
“Vair” is the air volume in Liters (L)
“Vchamber” is the chamber volume in Liters (L)
Notes: “Vchamber” is constant and equals to 1 L
Example: for Voil=0.75 L
Voil=1-0.75=0.25 L
1L = 1mm3
Example: for Vair=0.25 L , Vair=0.25 mm3
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Pabs · Vair = k
Where “Pabs” is the absolute pressure in kN/m2
“Vair” is the volume of air in mm3
“k” is the constant in N·m
Example: for Pabs= 100 kPa and Vair=0.25 mm3
k=100·0.25=25 N·m
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VII. Data Treatment (Calculations and tabulated data or/and graphs)
Graph 1. The inverse absolute pressure-volume of air relationship
since as the
volume of air increases the inverse pressure also increases, and it is a straight line since it is
linear.
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VIII. Discussion and Conclusion
The objective of this experiment was verified. Boyle’s law investigates the relationship
between the pressure and volume of an ideal gas under constant temperature. The graph is
increasing linearly which means that the inverse absolute pressure is directly proportional to the
volume of air, in other words the absolute pressure is inversely proportional to the volume of
air, since it’s a straight line the slope of this line acts as the k constant. Therefore an equation of
PV=k under constant temperature is verified. The inaccuracy of the k constant was found, it
wasn’t equal in all cases of PV=k cases. This error is related to the inaccuracy in reading the
observed data or the malfunctioning of the H050 unit, therefore a small margin of difference
existed between the ks calculated. This simulation of Boyle’s Law experiment came to a
conclusion with the verification of the law that under constant temperature the volume and
pressure of an ideal gas are inversely proportional, as the volume of air increased the absolute
pressure decreased.
