Chapter 3

Evaluating Properties
 Example - 1
Determine the enthalpy of 1.5 kg of water contained in a volume of 1.2
m3 at 200 kPa.

➢ Two independent & intensive properties are required to specify the

state of a simple substance.
➢ Pressure P is one intensive property and specific volume is another.
➢ Therefore, we calculate the specific volume.

3 3
Volume 12. m m
v= = = 0.8
mass 15
. kg kg
Using Table A-5 at P = 200 kPa,
 Using Table A-5 at P = 200 kPa,

vf = 0.001061 m3/kg , vg = 0.8858 m3/kg

Now,
Is v  v f ? No
Is v f  v  v g ? Yes
Is v g  v ? No

We see that the state is in the two-phase or saturation region. So we

must find the quality x first.

v = v f + x (v g − v f )
v − vf
x=
vg − v f
 v − vf
x=
vg − v f
0.8 − 0.001061
=
0.8858 − 0.001061
= 0.903 (What does this mean?)

Then,

h = h f + x h fg
= 504.7 + (0.903)(2201.6)
kJ
= 2492.7
kg
h = h f + x h fg
= 504.7 + (0.903)(2201.6)
kJ
= 2492.7
kg
 Example - 2
Determine the internal energy of refrigerant-134a at a temperature of
0C and a quality of 60%.

Using Table A-11, for T = 0C,

uf = 51.63 kJ/kg ug =230.16 kJ/kg

then,

u = u f + x (u g − u f )
= 51.63 + (0.6)(230.16 − 51.63)
kJ
= 158.75
kg
 Example - 3
Consider the closed, rigid container of water shown below. The pressure
is 700 kPa, the mass of the saturated liquid is 1.78 kg, and the mass of
the saturated vapor is 0.22 kg. Heat is added to the water until the
pressure increases to 8 MPa. Find the final temperature, enthalpy, and
internal energy of the water. Does the liquid level rise or fall?

m g, V g

Sat. Vapor

mf, Vf
Sat. Liquid
 System: A closed system composed of the water enclosed in the tank

Property Relation: Steam Tables

Process: Volume is constant (rigid container)

For the closed system, the total mass is constant and volume is constant,

the average specific volume of the saturated mixture during the process is given by

V
v = = constant
or
m
v2 = v1

Now to find v1 recall that in the two-phase region at state 1

 mg1 0.22 kg
x1 = = = 011
.
m f 1 + mg1 (178
. + 0.22) kg
Then, at P = 700 kPa

v1 = v f 1 + x1 (vg1 − v f 1 )
= 0.001108 + (0.11)(0.2728 − 0.001108)
m3
= 0.031
kg
State 2 is specified by:

P2 = 8 MPa, v2 = v1= 0.031 m3/kg

At 8 MPa = 8000 kPa,

at 8 MPa, v2 = 0.031 m3/kg.

Is v2  v f ? No
Is v f  v2  v g ? No
Is v g  v2 ? Yes

Therefore, State 2 is superheated!!!

Interpolating in the superheated tables at 8 MPa, v = 0.031 m3/kg gives,

T2 = 361 C
h2 = 3024 kJ/kg
u2 = 2776 kJ/kg
Since state 2 is superheated, the liquid level falls.
 Example - 4
An insulated piston-cylinder device initially contains 1.8-kg
saturated liquid water at 120C. Now an electric resistor placed
in the tank is turned on for 10 min until the volume quadruples.
Determine (a) the final volume of the tank, (b) the final
temperature, and (c) the electrical power rating of the resistor.
 Example - 5
Consider a piston–cylinder device with a piston surface area of 0.1 m2
initially filled with 0.05 m3 of saturated water vapor at the atmospheric
pressure of 100 kPa. Now cold water is poured outside the cylinder, and the
steam inside starts condensing as a result of heat transfer to the cooling
water outside. If the piston is stuck at its initial position, determine the
friction force acting on the piston and the amount of heat transfer when the
temperature inside the cylinder drops to 30C.
 Example - 6
Water is placed in a piston-cylinder device at 20 C, 0.1 MPa. Weights are
placed on the piston to maintain a constant force on the water as it is heated
to 400 C. How much work does the water do on the piston?

System: The water contained in the piston-cylinder device

System
Boundary
for water
Wb

Heat

Property Relation: Steam tables

Process: Constant pressure

Work Calculation:

Since there is no Wother mentioned in the problem, the net work is

Since the mass of the water is unknown, we calculate the work per unit mass.

At T1 = 20C, Psat = 2.339 kPa. Since P1 (= 0.1 MPa 100 kPa) > 2.339 kPa,
state 1 is compressed liquid. Thus,

v1  vf at 20 C = 0.001002 m3/ kg
At P2 = P1 = 0.1 MPa (= 100 kPa), T2 (=400 C ) >> Tsat at 0.1 MPa = 99.61C.

So, state 2 is superheated. Using the superheated tables at 0.1 MPa, 400C
v2 = 3.1027 m3/kg

wb ,12 = P( v2 − v1 )
m3 103 kPa kJ
= 0.1 MPa(3.1027 − 0.001002)
kg MPa m3kPa
kJ
= 310.2
kg
The water does work on the piston in the amount of 310.2 kJ/kg.
 Steam
10 5

10 4
400 C

10 3
P [kPa]

1 2
10 2

1
10

0
20 C
10
10 -4 10 -3 10 -2 10 -1 10 0 10 1 10 2
3
v [m /kg]
 Example - 7
A two-liter bottle of your favorite beverage has just been removed from the
trunk of your car. The temperature of the beverage is 35C, and you always
drink your beverage at 10C.
a. How much heat energy must be removed from your two liters of
beverage?
b. You are having a party and need to cool 10 of these two-liter bottles in
one-half hour. What rate of heat removal, in kW, is required? Assuming
that your refrigerator can accomplish this and that electricity costs 8.5
cents per kWh, how much will it cost to cool these 10 bottles?

System: The liquid in the constant volume, closed system container

System

boundary

My Qout
beverage The heat
removed
Property Relation: Incompressible liquid relations, let’s assume that the
beverage is mostly water and takes on the properties of liquid water. The
specific volume is 0.001 m3/kg, C = 4.18 kJ/kgK.

Process: Constant volume V2 = V1

Conservation of Mass:

Conservation of Energy:

The first law closed system is

Ein − Eout = E
Since the container is constant volume and there is no “other” work done on
the container during the cooling process, we have

The only energy crossing the boundary is the heat transfer leaving the
container.

Assuming the container to be stationary, the conservation of energy becomes

− Eout = E
−Qout = U = mCT

kJ
−Qout = (2 kg )(4.18 )(10 − 35) K
kg  K
−Qout = −209.2 kJ
Qout = 209.2 kJ
The heat transfer rate to cool the 10 bottles in one-half hour is

$0.085
Cost = (1162
. kW )(0.5 hr )
kW − hr
= $0.05
 Example - 8
Determine the specific volume of refrigerant-134a at 1 MPa and 50oC, using (a) the
ideal-gas equation of state and (b) the generalized compressibility chart. Compare
the values obtained to the actual value of 0.021796 m3/kg and determine the error
involved in each case.
(a) The specific volume of refrigerant-134a under the ideal-gas assumption
is

𝑚3
𝑅𝑇 0.0815 𝑘𝑃𝑎 323𝐾
𝑘𝑔𝐾
𝑣= = = 0.026325 𝑚3 /𝑘𝑔
𝑃 1000 𝑘𝑃𝑎

Therefore, treating the refrigerant-134a vapor as an ideal gas would result

in an error of

(0.026325 - 0.021796) / 0.021796 = 0.208 = 20.8%

(b) To determine the correction factor Z from the compressibility chart, we first
need to calculate the reduced pressure and temperature:

𝑃 1 𝑀𝑃𝑎
𝑃𝑅 = = = 0.246
𝑃𝑐𝑟 4.059 𝑀𝑃𝑎
Z = 0.84
𝑇 323 𝐾
𝑇𝑅 = = = 0.863
𝑇𝑐𝑟 374.2 𝐾
Thus,

v = Z videal = (0.84)(0.026325 m3/ kg) = 0.022113 m3/kg

The error is (0.022113 - 0.021796) / 0.021796 = 0.0145, or 1.45 percent

in this case.

The error in this result is less than 2%.

Therefore, in the absence of tabulated data, the generalized compressibility

chart can be used with confidence.
 Example - 9
A piston-cylinder device initially contains 0.2 kg of steam at
200 kPa and 300°C. Now, the steam is cooled at constant
pressure until it is at 150°C. Determine the volume change of
the cylinder during this process using the compressibility factor
and compare the result to the actual value.
 Example - 10
An ideal gas having an initial temperature of 25C under goes the two processes
described below. Determine the final temperature of the gas.

Process 1-2: The volume is held constant while the pressure doubles.
Process 2-3: The pressure is held constant while the volume is reduced to one-
third of the original volume.

T2
P
3
2

T3

Ideal T1
1
Gas

V
Process 1-3:

m1 = m3
or
PV PV
1 1
= 3 3
T1 T3
but V3 = V1/3 and P3 = P2 = 2P1

Therefore,

P3 V3
T3 = T1
P1 V1
2 P1 V1 / 3 2
T3 = T1 = T1
P1 V1 3
2
T3 = (25 + 273) K = 198.7 K = −74.3C
3
 Example - 11
Three kilograms of nitrogen gas at 27C and 0.15 MPa are compressed isothermally
to 0.30 MPa in a piston-cylinder device. Determine the minimum work of
compression, in kJ.

System: Nitrogen contained in a piston-cylinder device.

Process: Constant temperature

System P
Boundary

Nitrogen Wb
gas

P-V DIAGRAM for T = CONSTANT

 Check the reduced temperature and pressure for nitrogen. The critical state
properties are found in Table A-1.

T1 (27 + 273) K
TR1 = = = 2.38 = TR 2
Tcr 126.2 K
P 015
. MPa
PR1 = 1 = = 0.044
Pcr 3.39 MPa
PR 2 = 2 PR1 = 0.088
Since PR<<1 and T>2Tcr, nitrogen is an ideal gas, and we use the ideal gas equation
of state as the property relation.

PV = mRT
Work Calculation:

For an ideal gas in a closed system (mass = constant), we have

m1 = m2
PV PV
1 1
= 2 2
RT1 RT2

Since the R's cancel, we obtain the combined ideal gas equation.
Since T2 = T1,

V2 P1
=
V1 P2
The net work is
Wnet ,12 = 0 + Wb,12 = −184.5 kJ

On a per unit mass basis

Wnet ,12 kJ
wnet ,12 = = −615
.
m kg
The net work is negative because work is done on the system during the
compression process.
Thus, the work done on the system is 184.5 kJ, or 184.5 kJ of work energy is
required to compress the nitrogen.
 Example - 12
A tank contains nitrogen at 27C. The temperature rises to 127C by heat
transfer to the system. Find the heat transfer and the ratio of the final
pressure to the initial pressure.

System: Nitrogen in the tank. 2

P
System
boundary T1=
T2=127C
27C
1
Nitrogen gas
V
P-V diagram for a constant
volume process

Property Relation: Nitrogen can be taken as an ideal gas. The ideal gas
property relations apply. Let’s assume constant specific heats.

Process: Tanks are rigid vessels; therefore, the process is constant volume.

Conservation of Mass: m2 = m1
Using the combined ideal gas equation of state,
PV PV
2 2
= 1 1
T2 T1
Since R is the particular gas constant, and the process is constant volume,
V2 = V1
P2 T2 (127 + 273) K
= = = 1333
.
P1 T1 (27 + 273) K
Conservation of Energy:

The first law closed system is Ein − Eout = E

Qnet − Wnet = U

For nitrogen undergoing a constant volume process (dV = 0, thus no

boundary work, and Wother = 0), the net work is:
Using the ideal gas relations with Wnet = 0, the first law becomes (constant
specific heats)

The heat transfer per unit mass is

 Example - 13
Air is expanded isothermally at 100C from 0.4 MPa to 0.1 MPa. Find the
ratio of the final to the initial volume, the heat transfer, and work.

System: Air contained in a piston-cylinder device, a closed system

Process: Constant temperature

1
System
boundary P

2
Air Wb

T = const.
V

P-V diagram for T= constant

Property Relation: Assume air is an ideal gas and use the ideal gas
property relations with constant specific heats.

PV = mRT
u = CV (T2 − T1 )

Conservation of Energy:

Ein − Eout = E
Qnet − Wnet = U

The system mass is constant but is not given and cannot be calculated;
therefore, let’s find the work and heat transfer per unit mass.
Work Calculation:

Conservation of Mass: For an ideal gas in a closed system (mass =

constant), we have
m1 = m2
PV PV
1 1
= 2 2
RT1 RT2

Since the R's cancel and T2 = T1

V2 P1 0.4 MPa
= = =4
V1 P2 01
. MPa
Then the work expression per unit mass becomes

The net work per unit mass is

kJ
wnet ,12 = 0 + wb ,12 = 148.4
kg
Now to continue with the conservation of energy to find the heat transfer.
Since T2 = T1 = constant,

U12 = mu12 = mCV (T2 − T1 ) = 0

So the heat transfer per unit mass is

Qnet
qnet =
m
qnet − wnet = u = 0
qnet = wnet
kJ
= 148.4
kg

The heat transferred to the air during an isothermal expansion process

equals the work done.