SAMPLE PROBLEMS IN MODULE 2: PURE SUBSTANCES

Sample Problem 1: Given the following states of water:

(a) At 10 MPa and an entropy of 3.3 kJ/kg–°K
(b) At 320°C and 5.6 MPa
(c) With a specific volume of 0.10 m3/kg at 1.0 MPa
Determine whether water is a compressed liquid,
superheated vapor, saturated liquid, saturated vapor, or a
mixture of saturated liquid and vapor, in each case. If the
state is determined to be a mixture, determine the quality. If
it is not a mixture, determine an additional property at that
state.

P(MPa) T(°C) v(m3/kg) u(kJ/kg) h(kJ/kg)

10 300 0.0013972 1328.4 1342.3

10 305.21 [0.001423] [1358.8] [1373.1]

10 311.06 0.0014524 1393.0 1407.6

Table 1.

P(MPa) T(°C)

5 263.99

5.6 [270.98]

6 275.64

Table 2

Solution: a) For the given pressure, the entropy of the saturated liquid (Sf)
and vapor (Sg) can obtained from steam tables. (Saturated Water-Pressure, A-5)
Sf = 3.3596 kJ/kg–°K
Sg = 5.6141 kJ/kg–°K g
Since the given value for the entropy is less than that for the saturated
liquid
3.3 < 3.3596,
the state of the substance is compressed liquid. The additional properties
obtained by interpolation are shown in Table 1.

b) First the value of the saturation temperature at the given pressure is

obtained from the steam tables by interpolation, as shown in table 2. (Table A-6)
Comparing the given temperature with the saturation temperature,
Tgiven > Tsat (320 > 270.98)
The substance lies in the superheated region. The other properties can
then be evaluated using the steam tables. Since the steam tables do not
give values for the properties at 5.6 MPa, 320°C, interpolation is done as
follows:
First the values for a pressure of 5.0 MPa, 320°C are calculated from the
steam tables. These values are summarised in Table 3.

P(MPa) T(°C) v(m3/kg) u(kJ/kg) h(kJ/kg) s(kJ/kg–°K)

5.0 300 0.04532 2698.0 2924.5 6.2084

5.0 320 [0.04797] [2742.28] [2982.1] [6.3048]

5.0 350 0.05194 2808.7 3068.4 6.4493

Table 3.

P(MPa) T(°C) v(m3/kg) u(kJ/kg) h(kJ/kg) s(kJ/kg–°K)

6.0 300 0.03616 2667.2 2884.2 6.0674

6.0 320 [0.03859] [2716.16] [2947.7] [6.1738]

6.0 350 0.04223 2789.6 3043.0 6.3335

Table 4.

T(°C) P(MPa) v(m3/kg) u(kJ/kg) h(kJ/kg) s(kJ/kg–°K)

320 5.0 0.04797 2742.28 2982.1 6.3048

320 5.6 [0.04234] [2726.6] [2961.46] [6.2262]

320 6.0 0.03859 2716.16 2947.7 6.1738

Table 5.

The properties at 6.0 MPa, 320°C are then evaluated in the same manner,
as shown in Table 4.
Now from values in Table 3 and 4, Table 5 is formed by interpolation.
The values enclosed within boxes in Table 5 are the desired properties.

c) Using the steam tables, (Table A-5), and proceeding in the same manner as in parts
(a) and (b), at P = 1.0 MPa
vf = 0.001127 m3/kg
vg = 0.19444 m3/kg.
Comparing the value given for the specific volume with those for the
saturated liquid and vapor it is evident that
vf < vgiven < vg
(0.001127 < 0.1 < 0.19444)
and thus the substance is a mixture of saturated liquid and vapor. The
quality can now be calculated using the equation
v = vf + x(vg – vf) (1)
The quality x is then given by
x = [(v – vf) / (vg – vf)]
 = [(0.1 – 0.001127) / (0.19444 – 0.001127)]
= 0.5115

Sample Problem 2: a) Calculate the specific volume of water at 1.0 MPa with an
internal energy of 3200 kJ/kg.
b) Determine the enthalpy of freon-12 at 1.0843 MPa and
30°C.
c) Determine the specific volume of freon-12 at 1.0 MPa with
an entropy of 0.91 kJ/kg–°K.
In addition, show for each case whether it is a liquid,
vapor, or a mixture. Is it reasonable to assume ideal gas
behavior in each case?

Solution: a) Using the given values, the internal energy ug for a saturated
vapor can be obtained from the steam tables.
ug = 2,583 kJ/kg.
Since the given value of the internal energy is greater than the one
obtained from the table
ugiven = 3200 kJ/kg > ug = 2583.6 kJ/kg,
the state is superheated vapor.
From the superheated steam tables, the specific volume is
v = 0.2921 m3/kg (by interpolation)
To check for ideal gas behavior the temperature must be known, and is
obtained from the steam tables to be
T = 369.9°C = 643.1°K
If Tgiven ≥ 2Tcr then ideal gas assumption is reasonable at relatively low
pressures (P ≤ 10 MPa). From the table of the critical constants, for water
Tcr = 647.3°K
Thus
Tgiven ≤ 2Tcr (643.1 << 1,294.6).
Therefore it is not reasonable to assume ideal gas behavior.

b) From the Freon-12 tables at 30°C, the saturation pressure is given as

Psat = 0.7449 MPa.
Since the given value for the pressure is greater than the saturation
pressure at the given temperature,
Pgiven = 1.0843 MPa < Psat = 0.7449 MPa,
the state is compressed liquid.
From the same freon-12 table, the enthalpy for the liquid phase is
h = hf = 64.539 kJ/kg.
This value is obtained by using the temperature and not the pressure,
since the enthalpy is a function of the temperature. In this case the
substance does not lie in the superheated region so ideal gas
approximations are not reasonable.
 c) From the saturated freon-12 tables at the given pressure, the entropies
for the liquid and vapor states are given as
Sf = 0.2767 kJ/kg–K; Sg = 0.6816 kJ/kg–°K (by interpolation) Since
the given value for the entropy is greater than the entropy for the saturated
vapor state:
Sgiven = 0.91 kJ/kg–°K > Sg = 0.6816 kJ/kg–°K,
the vapor is superheated.
From the superheated freon-12 tables, the specific volume is
v = 0.027667 m3/kg (by interpolation)
To check for ideal gas behavior the temperature is required. This is
obtained from the freon-12 tables.
T = 154.9°C = 428°K
If Tgiven ≥ 2Tcr then ideal gas approximations are reasonable at relatively
low pressures. From the table of critical constants, for freon-12
Tcr = 384.7°K
Since
Tgiven ≤ 2Tcr (428 < 769.4),
it is not reasonable to assume ideal gas behavior.

Sample Problem 3: Given:

a) Water at 200°C and 10 MPa,
b) Water at 200°C and 1.0 MPa,
c) Ammonia at 30°C and a specific volume of 0.10 m3/kg.
Determine for each case whether the substance is a
compressed liquid, superheated vapor, saturated liquid,
saturated vapor, or a mixture of saturated liquid and
saturated vapor, by using the steam tables. Determine the
quality if the state is a mixture and determine an additional
independent property if the state is superheated.

Solution: a) Since both the temperature and pressure are given, either one of
the following conditions will have to be satisfied. If Pgiven > Psaturated in the
compressed liquid region, or if Pgiven < Psaturated at Tgiven, then the given
substance is in the superheated region.
From the steam tables, at T = 200°C
Psat = 1.5538 MPa
and
Pgiven > Psat (10 MPa > 1.5538 MPa)
Thus the substance is in the compressed region.
An additional independent property is v.
From steam tables, at T = 200°C and P = 10 MPa,
v = 0.001148 m3/kg
 b) As in (a), from the steam tables, at T = 200°C
Psat = 1.5538 MPa
and
Pgiven < Psat (1.0 MPa < 1.5539 MPa)
Thus the substance is in the superheated region.
An additional independent property is v.
From the superheated steam tables, at T = 200°C and P = 1.0 MPa
v = 0.2060 m3/kg.
c) From the ammonia tables, at T = 30°C
vf = 0.001680 m3/kg
vg = 0.1106 m3/kg
The specific volume given in the problem lies between the two values
obtained from the tables:
vf < vgiven < vg
making the substance a mixture of saturated liquid and vapor. The quality
is calculated using the equation
v = vf + x(vg – vf) (1)
solving for x,
x = [(v – vf) / (vg – vf)] = [(0.10 – 0.001680) /
(0.1106 – 0.001680)] = 0.9027
x = 0.9027 × 100 = 90.27%

Sample Problem 4: A cylinder contains 3 kg of water and water vapor mixture

in equilibrium at a pressure of 500 kN/m2. The volume of the
cylinder is 1 m3.
Calculate:
(a) the temperature of the mixture,
(b) the volume and mass of water and
(c) the volume and mass of vapor.

Solution: The mixture is saturated because the water and water vapor exist
in equilibrium. The saturation temperature
Tsat at P = 500 kN/m2 is 424.95°K (or 151.8°C).

b) The specific volume of the mixture = v/m = v

v = 1/3 = 0.3333 m3/kg
v = vf + xvfg
where vg = specific volume of the saturated vapor
vf = specific volume of the saturated liquid,
vfg = Vg – f and
x = quality of the mixture
∴ 0.3333 = 0.0011 + 0.3737x
x = 0.3322 × 0.3737
 = 0.889.
The mass of liquid = 3(1 – x)
= 0.333 kg.
The volume of liquid = mfvf
= 0.333 × 0.0011
= 0.000366 m3
= 0.366 liter

c) The mass of vapor = mx = 0.889 × 3

= 2.667 kg
The volume of vapor = mgvg
= 2.667 (0.3737 + 0.0011)
= 2.667 × 0.3748
= 0.9995 m3