Availability Analysis: Tutorial Questions
Availability Analysis: Tutorial Questions
1. A heat pump has a coefficient of performance of 2 for a power input of 2 kW. It receives
heat energy from the surroundings, where the temperature is 20 o C, and delivers heat
energy at a temperature of 80 o C. Determine the rate of exergy destruction. [ans.
1.377 kW]
3. Melting of ice in the mountains results in cold water flowing in a river at 2 o C while the
air temperature is 20 o C. What is the availability of the water relative to the ambient
temperature? [ans. 2.46 kJ/kg]
4. Water, initially at 5 MPa and 40 o C, flows through a heater at a rate of 5 kg/s, being
heated by two sources. One source adds 900 kW from a 100 o C reservoir while the
other transfers heat from a 200 o C reservoir such that the water leaves the heater at
5 MPa and 180 o C. Determine the irreversibility associated with the process if the
surroundings temperature is 25 o C. [ans. 62.0 kJ/kg]
5. An air compressor receives ambient air at 100 kPa and 298 K, and compresses it to
an exit pressure and temperature of 1 MPa and 540 K. Since the compressor housing
and the air inside are warmer than the ambient surroundings, 50 kJ are lost per kilo-
gram of air flowing through the compressor. Determine the reversible work and the
irreversibility in the process. [ans. -263.3 kJ/kg, 32.8 kJ/kg]
8. A 15 kg/s supply of steam at 100 kPa and 150 o C is needed in a hospital for cleaning
purposes. A boiler can provide steam at 150 kPa and 250 o C, and tap water at 100 kPa
and 15 o C is also available. The two streams are mixed in a mixing chamber to generate
the desired output. Determine the rate of irreversibility of the mixing process if the
surroundings temperature is 25 o C? [ans. 1269 kW]
9. Air, initially at 1500 K and 100 kPa, flows through a constant-pressure heat exchanger,
giving energy to a heat engine, and comes out at 500 K. At what constant temperature
should the same heat transfer be delivered to provide the same availability? The
surroundings temperature is 25 o C. [ans. 924 K]
10. A rigid tank, of 1 m3 volume, contains ammonia at 200 kPa and 20 o C. The tank is
connected with a valve to a line flowing saturated liquid ammonia at -10 o C. The valve
is opened, and the tank is charged quickly until the flow stops and the valve is closed.
As the process happens very quickly, heat transfer is negligible. Determine the mass
of ammonia which enters the tank and the irreversibility in the process. The ambient
temperture is 20 o C. [ans. 219.44 kg, 34.89 kJ]
11. An insulated steam turbine receives 30 kg of steam per second at 3 MPa and 350 o C.
At a point in the turbine where the temperature and pressure are 200 o C and 0.5 MPa,
steam is bled off at a rate of 5 kg/s. The remaining steam leaves the turbine at 15 kPa
and 90% quality. Determine the availability at the turbines inlet and the two points
at which steam leaves the turbine. What is the second-law efficiency of the turbine?
[ans. 1109.6 kJ/kg, 755.3 kJ/kg, 195.0 kJ/kg, 0.817]
12. In a boiler, heat is transferred to the working fluid from the products of combustion,
the average constant-pressure specific heat of which is equal to 1.09 kJ/kgK. As a
result of this heat transfer, the temperature of the products decreases from 1100 o C
to 550 o C while the pressure remains constant at 0.1 MPa. Water, the working fluid,
enters the boiler at 0.8 MPa and 150 o C, and leaves at 0.8 MPa and 250 o C. Determine
the irreversibility in the process, per kilogram of water evaporated, if the surroundings
temperature is 25 o C. What is the second-law efficiency? [ans. 906.3 kJ/kg H2 O, 0.459]
13. Investigate the flows of exergy in Question 4, and determine the second-law efficiency
of the heater. [ans. 0.67]