A gas of 1 kg mass is expanded polytropically from an initial pressure of 1 300 kPa and a temperature of 250 °C until it occupies a volume of 2 m and has a temperature of 37 °C. Take the gas constant R = 0,287 kJ/kg K.

Calculate the following:
2.1
The final pressure after expansion
2.2
The index of expansion
2.3
The initial volume
2.4
The work done during expansion

1 answer

To solve the problem, we need to apply the relationships between pressure, volume, temperature, and polytropic processes. Let's go through the calculations step by step:

Given Data:

  • Mass of the gas, \( m = 1 , \text{kg} \)
  • Initial pressure, \( P_1 = 1300 , \text{kPa} = 1300 \times 10^3 , \text{Pa} \)
  • Initial temperature, \( T_1 = 250 , \text{°C} = 250 + 273.15 = 523.15 , \text{K} \)
  • Final volume, \( V_2 = 2 , \text{m}^3 \)
  • Final temperature, \( T_2 = 37 , \text{°C} = 37 + 273.15 = 310.15 , \text{K} \)
  • Gas constant, \( R = 0.287 , \text{kJ/kg K} = 287 , \text{J/kg K} \)

2.1 Final Pressure after Expansion

Using the ideal gas equation:

\[ P = \frac{mRT}{V} \]

We can find the final pressure \( P_2 \) at the final state:

\[ P_2 = \frac{mRT_2}{V_2} \]

Substituting in the values:

\[ P_2 = \frac{(1 , \text{kg}) (287 , \text{J/kg K}) (310.15 , \text{K})}{2 , \text{m}^3} \]

Calculating:

\[ P_2 = \frac{287 \times 310.15}{2} = \frac{89119.05}{2} = 44559.525 , \text{Pa} \approx 44.56 , \text{kPa} \]

2.2 Index of Expansion (\( n \))

For a polytropic process, we have the relation for pressures and specific volumes:

\[ P_1 V_1^n = P_2 V_2^n \implies \left( \frac{P_1}{P_2} \right) = \left( \frac{V_2}{V_1} \right)^n \]

First, we need to find \( V_1 \) in the next step. We can find the initial volume using the ideal gas law.

2.3 Initial Volume (\( V_1 \))

Rearranging the ideal gas law for the initial state:

\[ V_1 = \frac{mRT_1}{P_1} \]

Substituting in the values:

\[ V_1 = \frac{(1 , \text{kg}) (287 , \text{J/kg K}) (523.15 , \text{K})}{1300 \times 10^3 , \text{Pa}} \]

Calculating:

\[ V_1 = \frac{287 \times 523.15}{1300000} \approx \frac{150045.05}{1300000} \approx 0.1154 , \text{m}^3 \]

Now we can find \( n \):

Using the relation for polytropic expansion:

\[ \frac{P_1}{P_2} = \left( \frac{V_2}{V_1} \right)^n \]

Substitute the known values:

\[ \frac{1300000}{44559.525} = \left( \frac{2}{0.1154} \right)^n \]

Calculating the left side:

\[ \frac{1300000}{44559.525} \approx 29.17 \]

Calculating the right side:

\[ \frac{2}{0.1154} \approx 17.31 \]

Therefore,

\[ 29.17 = (17.31)^n \]

Taking the logarithm of both sides:

\[ \log(29.17) = n \log(17.31) \]

Calculating:

\[ \log(29.17) \approx 1.466 \quad \text{and} \quad \log(17.31) \approx 1.237 \]

Thus,

\[ n = \frac{1.466}{1.237} \approx 1.187 \]

2.4 Work Done During Expansion

The work done in a polytropic process is given by:

\[ W = \frac{P_2 V_2 - P_1 V_1}{n - 1} \]

Now, substituting the values we calculated:

\[ W = \frac{(44559.525 , \text{Pa}) (2 , \text{m}^3) - (1300000 , \text{Pa}) (0.1154 , \text{m}^3)}{1.187 - 1} \]

Calculating:

\[ W = \frac{89119.05 - 150045.0}{0.187} \]

Calculating:

\[ W \approx \frac{-60825.95}{0.187} \approx -325,054.4 , \text{J} \approx -325.05 , \text{kJ} \]

Summary of results:

  • 2.1 Final Pressure after Expansion: \( P_2 \approx 44.56 , \text{kPa} \)
  • 2.2 Index of Expansion: \( n \approx 1.187 \)
  • 2.3 Initial Volume: \( V_1 \approx 0.1154 , \text{m}^3 \)
  • 2.4 Work Done during Expansion: \( W \approx -325.05 , \text{kJ} \)

The work done is indicated as negative, which means that work has been done by the system during expansion.