MECH349601

Module Title: Thermofluids 3 © UNIVERSITY OF LEEDS

School of Mechanical Engineering May/June 2023

Calculator instructions:
· You are allowed to use a non-programmable calculator in this assessment.

Dictionary instructions:
· You are not allowed to use your own dictionary in this examination. A basic English
dictionary is available to use. Raise your hand and ask an invigilator if you need it.

Assessment Information:

· There are 9 pages to this online assessment.

· You will have 2 hours to complete the assessment.
· This assessment is worth 60% of the overall module mark.
· All questions are worth 25 marks. Answer all questions.
· A formula sheet is provided
· A Mollier diagram is included on Page 8.
· A p-h chart for Refrigerant R-134a is included on Page 9.
· Complete each section in a separate answer book.

Please do not remove this paper from the exam venue.

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SECTION A (50%): Thermodynamic Cycles

1. In a steadily operating geothermal energy plant, a two stage steam turbine is

supplied, from a boiler, with 5500 kg/hr of steam at 4 MPa and 500°C. This steam is
reversibly and adiabatically expanded to a pressure of 0.2 MPa in a high pressure
turbine and is then adiabatically mixed with 2700 kg/hr of low quality steam available
from a natural geyser at 0.2 MPa and dryness fraction 0.87. The mixed steam is
then expanded (reversibly and adiabatically) in a low pressure turbine and delivered
to a condenser at 0.01 MPa. Then, 5500 kg/hr of the condensed water is pumped
(reversibly and adiabatically) back to the boiler with the remainder going to waste.

a) Draw a physical diagram of the plant and its components, [6 Marks]

b) Show the various processes on a sketched h-s diagram, [6 Marks]
c) Determining required property data from the Mollier chart on page 8, calculate
the total power from the two stage turbine. [13 Marks]

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2. A refrigerating plant employs an industrial deep freezer operating on Refrigerant R-

134a with the cold compartment temperature of -30 oC. The compressor of the plant
is capable of maintaining the high pressure of 10 bar with the isentropic efficiency of
compression of 75%. Neglect pressure loss in the evaporator and condenser.

a) Sketch the cycle on the attached p-h chart (Page 9) and attach it to the script book
[12 marks]
b) Determine the mass flow rate of refrigerant necessary for delivery of 100 kW of the
refrigerating capacity [6 marks]
c) Calculate the coefficient of performance for this cycle [7 marks]

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SECTION B (50%): Aerospace Propulsion

3. Early Spitfire aircraft were powered by a single Rolls-Royce Merlin III V-type
engine that is boosted by a supercharger supplying air to the inlet manifold at a
pressure and temperature of 116 kPa and 290 K respectively.

The engine is throttled to give a shaft speed of 3,000 rpm, and has 12 cylinders
with a stroke (s) of 15.24 cm, bore (b) of 13.72 cm, and compression ratio of 6.
The mechanical efficiency is 79%, and the air-to-fuel ratio (AFR) is 15.1 (by mass)
and the chemical energy released in 1 kg of 100-Octane fuel (LHV) is 43.54 MJ.

Assume that the engine operates in a four-stroke air standard Otto cycle and γ =
1.4, Cv = 721 J/(kg·K) , Cp = 1,005 J/(kg×K), and R = 287 J/(kg·K) for air.

a) Calculate the net work per cycle of a single cylinder. [14 marks]
b) Calculate the Indicated and Brake shaft power of the engine. [2 marks]

The aircraft is flying at an altitude of 3km where the ambient temperature is 269 K.
A single-stage centrifugal supercharger compresses the air-fuel mixture which is
subsequently cooled by a heat exchanger before entering the inlet manifold, as
shown in figure Q3. The geared impeller (i.e. rotor) of the supercharger is driven
mechanically from the engine crankshaft (rotating at 3,000 rpm) using a step-up
gear ratio of 6, and has the properties given in Table Q3.
Blade inlet Blade outlet
Relative blade angle 45o 16o
Mean radius 4.2 cm 11.4 cm
Meridional velocity 88 m/s 140 m/s
Table Q3: Merlin III supercharger properties

c) Using Mean Line Analysis and velocity triangles determine

the supercharger outlet temperature and compression ratio. [9 marks]

Figure Q3: Schematic of the Merlin III supercharger (Source: The Engineer, 1942)

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4. A small aircraft is powered by a single-spool turbojet engine with a convergent

nozzle. It flies at a velocity V0 = 218 m/s and at an altitude where the ambient
pressure and temperature is 54 kPa and 255 K respectively. Using engine
performance data given in Table Q4;
a) Calculate the fuel mass flow rate. [9 marks]
b) Determine the engine thrust and thrust specific fuel
consumption.
[16 marks]

Intake air mass flow rate 66 kg/s

Compressor pressure ratio 12

Compressor isentropic efficiency 85 %

Combustion efficiency 98 %

Fuel Lower Heating Value (LHV) 43.1 MJ/kg

Turbine entry temperature 1100 K

Turbine isentropic efficiency 92 %

Jet pipe total pressure loss 2%
Gas constants

gcold 1.4 ghot 1.333

Cp,cold 1,005 J/(kg×K) Cp,hot 1,150 J/(kg×K)

Rcold 287.0 J/(kg×K) Rhot 287.3 J/(kg×K)

Table Q4: Engine performance data

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Useful equations
Perfect gas:

ℎ=( + ) = =
= = = =

Isentropic flow properties:

=( − 1)
= = =

Total (stagnation), isentropic flow properties

g
( − 1)
= + =1+ Pt é M 2 (g - 1) ù g -1
= 1+ =
P êë ú
2 2
2 û

Gas turbine
engines:

Example stage notation for an afterburning turbojet engine

̇ = ̇ − ̇ + ( − ) m& core m& bypass

= ̇ ( − ) 1−
AFR = BPR =
m& fuel m& core

̇ ̇ − ̇ ̇ 1
= = = ̇ − ̇ + ̇
, ̇ 2 ̇ ,
̇ , =2
̇

2 FN V0 ( , + , ) =
, = = h p,shaft = =
̇ ( + ) , ̇ + ̇
W& B
̇ ̇ ̇ ʹ
−
= = = = =
̇ ̇ + ̇ −

̇ ̇ + ̇ , ( − ) − −
= = = =
̇ ̇ − ʹ − ʹ

é g hot -1
ù
æ P6 ö g hot ú
W& LPT h - ht¢5 WLPT = x ( m& air + m& fuel )h LPT C p ,hot Tt 4 1 - çç ÷÷
& ê
x= = t4 ê è Pt 4 ø ú
h LPT Wideal h t 4 - h6¢
& êë úû

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+1
+1 = = =
= = 2
2

Turbomachinery:

̇ → = ̇ ( − ) ̇ → = ̇ (ℎ − ℎ ) = ̇ ( − )

= = = = − ℎ
=
ℎ,

Aero piston engines:

= +
= =
4

̇ = ̇ ̇ = ̇ =
Φ=

̇ , = ̇ , =
120 60

− −
= − = = =
1− 1−

Propellers:

1 1
= ( − )= ̇( − ) = = ( + )
2 2

̇ = = ( +∆ )
=
4 ∆ =− + +
2 4 2

=
̇
+ +
2 4 2

Rocket engines:

Ae = ̇ + ( − )
̇ = e= I t = FN tb
A*

FN FN 2 Ve V0 Ttc - Te
I sp º Veff = hp = hn =
m& g m& Ve2 + V02 Ttc - Te¢

R Tc
C* = A éP P ù k ( 10 -5 Pc ) n
g +1 FN V
æ 2 ö 2 (g -1) CF º = e + e* ê e - 0 ú rb =
g çç ÷÷
*
Pc A C * A ë Pc Pc û 1,000
è g + 1ø

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THIS CHART FORMS PART OF THE ANSWER TO QUESTION 1. IT IS TO BE DETACHED AND ATTACHED TO YOUR
EXAMINATION SCRIPT with a treasury tag.

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THIS CHART FORMS PART OF THE ANSWER TO QUESTION 2. IT IS TO BE DETACHED AND ATTACHED TO YOUR
EXAMINATION SCRIPT with a treasury tag.

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