Applied thermodynamics

Assignment 1
(Unit 1: Gas Power Cycles)

1) An ideal Otto cycle has a compression ratio of 8. At the beginning of the compression process,
the air is at 100 kPa and 17°C, and 800 kJ/kg of heat is transferred to air during the constant-
volume heat-addition process. Accounting for the variation of specific heats of air with
temperature, determine (a) the maximum temperature and pressure that occur during the
cycle, (b) the net work output, (c) the thermal efficiency, and (d ) the mean effective pressure
for the cycle.
2) Air flows into a gasoline engine at 95 kPa, 300 K. The air is then compressed with a
volumetric compression ratio of 10:1. In the combustion process 1300 kJ/kg of energy is
released as the fuel burns. Find the temperature and pressure after combustion using cold air
properties.
3) A 3.3 L minivan engine runs at 2000 RPM with a compression ratio of 10:1. The intake is at
50 kPa, 280 K and after expansion it is at 750 K. Find the highest T in the cycle, the specific
heat transfer added by combustion and the mean effective pressure.
4) A gasoline engine takes air in at 290 K, 90 kPa and then compresses it. The combustion adds
1000 kJ/kg to the air after which the temperature is 2050 K. Use the cold air properties (i.e.
constant heat capacities at 300 K) and find the compression ratio, the compression specific
work and the highest pressure in the cycle.
5) A diesel engine has an inlet at 95 kPa, 300 K and a compression ratio of 20:1. The combustion
releases 1300 kJ/kg.
a) Find the temperature after combustion using cold air properties.
b) Find the cycle efficiency and mean effective pressure for the cycle.
c) Determine the cut-off ratio for the cycle.
6) A diesel engine has a state before compression of 95 kPa, 290 K, and a peak pressure of 6000
kPa, a maximum temperature of 2400 K. Find the volumetric compression ratio and the
thermal efficiency.
7) A diesel engine has a compression ratio of 20:1 with an inlet of 95 kPa, 290 K, state 1, with
volume 0.5 L. The maximum cycle temperature is 1800 K. Find the maximum pressure, the
net specific work, the cut off ratio, and the thermal efficiency.
8) A] A gas-turbine power plant operating on an ideal Brayton cycle has a pressure ratio of 8.
The gas temperature is 300 K at the compressor inlet and 1300 K at the turbine inlet. Utilizing
the air-standard assumptions, determine (a) the gas temperature at the exits of the compressor
and the turbine, (b) the back work ratio, and (c) the thermal efficiency.
B] Assuming a compressor efficiency of 80 percent and a turbine efficiency of 85 percent,
determine (a) the back work ratio, (b) the thermal efficiency, and (c) the turbine exit
temperature of the gas-turbine cycle discussed in Problem A.
C] Determine the thermal efficiency of the gas-turbine described in Problem B if a regenerator
having an effectiveness of 80 percent is installed.
D] An ideal gas-turbine cycle with two stages of compression and two stages of expansion
has an overall pressure ratio of 8. Air enters each stage of the compressor at 300 K and each
stage of the turbine at 1300 K. Determine the back work ratio and the thermal efficiency of
this gas-turbine cycle, assuming (a) no regenerators and (b) an ideal regenerator with 100
percent effectiveness. Compare the results with those obtained in Problem A.
9) In the Otto cycle all the heat transfer QH occurs at constant volume. It is more realistic to
assume that part of QH occurs after the piston has started its downward motion in the
expansion stroke. Therefore, consider a cycle identical to the Otto cycle, except that the first
two-thirds of the total QH occurs at constant volume and the last one-third occurs at constant
pressure. Assume that the total QH is 2100 kJ/kg, that the state at the beginning of the
compression process is 90 kPa, 20°C, and that the compression ratio is 9. Calculate the
maximum pressure and temperature and the thermal efficiency of this cycle. Compare the
results with those of a conventional Otto cycle having the same given variables.
10) An air standard limited pressure cycle has a compression ratio of 15 and compression begins
at 0.1 MPa, 40°C. The maximum pressure is limited to 6 MPa and the heat added is 1.675
MJ/kg. Compute (a) the heat supplied at constant volume per kg of air, (b) the heat supplied
at constant pressure per kg of air, (c) the work done per kg of air, (d) the cycle efficiency, (e)
the temperature at the end of the constant volume heating process, (f) the cut-off ratio, and
(g) the m.e.p. of the cycle.