DONGUIZ, Shiela Marie Fiakwachang

ES 31 – THERMODYNAMICS AND HEAT TRANSFER

Laboratory Exercise

1. The pressure gage on a 2.5-m3 oxygen tank reads 500 kPa. Determine the amount of
oxygen in the tank if the temperature is 28˚C and the atmospheric pressure is 97 kPa.
Given:
Pgage = 500 kPa
T = 28˚C
V = 2.5-m3
Patm = 97 kPa
Gas constant for oxygen (R) = 0.2598 kJ/kg.K

Solution:
* Pabs = Patm + Pgage
Pabs = 97 kPa + 500 kPa
= 597 kPa

* pV = mRT
(597 kPa) (2.5 m3) = (m) (0.2598 kJ/kg) (28˚C + 273)
m = 1492.5 / 78.1998
m = 19.086 kg

2. A 400-L rigid tank contains 5 kg of air at 25˚C. Determine the reading on the pressure
gage if the atmospheric pressure is 97 kPa.
Given:
V = 400-L= 0.4 m³
m = 5 kg of air
T = 25°C+ 273.15=298 K
Patm = 97 KPa

Solution:
P = mRT/V
P = 5kg (0.287 KPa.m³/kg.K)(298.15K)/0.4m³
P = 1069.6 KPa
Pgage = P – Patm = 1069.6 KPa – 97 KPa=972.6 KPa

3. A 1-m3 tank containing air at 25˚C and 500 kPa is connected through a valve to another
tank containing 5 kg of air at 35˚C and 200 kPa. Now the valve is opened, and the entire
system is allowed to reach thermal equilibrium with the surroundings, which are at
20˚C. Determine the volume of the second tank and the final equilibrium pressure of air.
 Given:
V at tank A= 1m3
T at tank A= 25˚C=298K
P at tank A= 500kPa
m at tank B= 5kg
T at tank B=35˚C=308K
P at tank B= 200kPa
Surrounding temperature= 20˚C=293K

Solution:
Rgas= 0.287Kj/kmol*K
mA= PAVA/RTA=500X1/0.287X298
mA=5.8462 kg

VB=mBRTB/PB=5kgX0.287X308K/200kPa
VB=2.2099 m3

V=VA+VB=1+2.2099m3=3.2099m3
m=mA+mB=5.8462kg+5kg=10.8462kg

P=mRTsurr/V=10.8462X0.287X293K/3.209
P=284.1421kPa

4. The pressure in an automobile tire depends on the temperature of the air in the tire.
When the air temperature is 25˚C, the pressure gage reads 210 kPa. If the volume of the
tire is 0.025 m3, determine the pressure rise in the tire when the air temperature in the
tire rises to 50˚C. Also, determine the amount of air that must be bled off to restore
pressure to its original value at this temperature. Assume the atmospheric pressure is
100 kPa.

Given:
Pabs = Pgage+Patm
= 210+100 = 310kPa
P2 = (T2/T1) (P1)
= (323K/298K) (210kPa)
P2 = 336kPa
∆P = P2-P1
= 336-310
=26kPa
Solution:
m1 = P1V/RT1
= (310kPaX0.025m3) / [(0.287kJ/kg*K) (1kPa*m3/1kJ) (298K)]
m1 = 0.0906kg

m2 = P2V/RT2
= (310kPaX0.025m3)/ [(0.287kJ/kg*K) (1kPa*m3/1kJ) (323K)]
m2 = 0.0836kg

∆m = m1-m2
= 0.0906kg - 0.0836kg
=0.0070kg