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MLE5101 Tutorial 3 - 2022

This document provides 3 examples to analyze related to thermodynamics for small systems: 1. The drinking bird toy of the second kind which uses evaporation of water at isothermal conditions to power its cyclic motion. 2. Whether liquid sodium would significantly penetrate the grain boundaries in stainless steel piping used in submarine nuclear reactor heat exchangers. 3. Whether a device using capillary action to lift liquid and then releasing it could provide perpetual motion, violating thermodynamics.

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96 views

MLE5101 Tutorial 3 - 2022

This document provides 3 examples to analyze related to thermodynamics for small systems: 1. The drinking bird toy of the second kind which uses evaporation of water at isothermal conditions to power its cyclic motion. 2. Whether liquid sodium would significantly penetrate the grain boundaries in stainless steel piping used in submarine nuclear reactor heat exchangers. 3. Whether a device using capillary action to lift liquid and then releasing it could provide perpetual motion, violating thermodynamics.

Uploaded by

Nagarajan
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Department of Materials Science & Engineering

College of Design and Engineering

MLE 5101: Thermodynamics for Sustainability

Tutorial 3
Thermodynamics for Small Systems

03-07.10.2022

Contents

• Recaps

• Example 1: Drinking bird toy of the second kind

• Example 2: Submarine nuclear power plant

• Example 3: Perpetual motion


Example 1: Drinking bird toy of the second kind
The conventional drinking bird is a heat engine that relies on the temperature difference between the head and the tail of the bird
for its operation. A drinking bird toy of the second kind could be made by obtaining energy from the evaporation of water at
isothermal conditions. The photos below show a bird with a triangular “wing” made of a sponge. When the wing is dry, the bird is
top heavy, so it tips forward and dunks its head so that the tip of the sponge comes into contact with the water. Water then
permeates the sponge due to capillary action and rises. Eventually, due to the weight of water in the sponge, the bird becomes
bottom heavy and rights itself. The sponge wing then dries due to evaporation, the bird tips forward again, and the cycle repeats.
Analyse the capillary action of water absorption in sponge and water evaporation process.
Example 2: Submarine nuclear power plant
Nuclear reactors used in submarine power plants circulate liquid sodium as a coolant in the reactor core. Stainless steel piping is
proposed for use in the heat exchangers. The average grain boundary energy in stainless steel is 250 erg/cm2, while that of the
solid liquid interface is 110 erg/cm2. Will liquid sodium significantly penetrate the grain boundaries in stainless steel?
Example 3: Perpetual motion
We know that liquids will rise in a very narrow tube, the process being called "capillary action". Suppose we have such a tube
capable of lifting the liquid to a height h. Now lower the tube to a height less than h. Or make a hole in its side below the top of the
liquid column. The liquid, trying to rise to height h will then spill out the top of the tube, where a very tiny waterwheel can capture its
energy as it falls. Is the above claim true or false? Please justify it with the knowledge of thermodynamics you learnt in this module.

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