MALAYAN COLLEGES LAGUNA

PROCESSES OF IDEAL GASES

ISOMETRIC (Isochoric) PROCESS - Constant Volume Process
Isometric process is a reversible constant volume process.
P T
2 T
2

2
V=C
P2 1 1 T
1

P1 Q
V S
1
S
2
S
V
1
= V
2

a.) Relationship between P and T.
T
1
/T
2
= P
1
/P
2

b.) Non-flow work.
W
n
=



c.) The change of internal energy
U = mc
v
(T
2
T
1
)
d.) The heat transferred
Q = mc
v
(T
2
T
1
)
e.) The change of enthalpy
H = mc
p
(T
2
- T
1
)
f.) Irreversible non-flow constant volume process
Q = U + W
n

where: For reversible non-flow, Wn = 0
For irreversible nonflow, Wn 0
Wn = non-flow work

PROBLEMS
1. A reversible, non-flow, constant volume process decreases the internal energy
by 316.5kJ for 2.268 kg of a gas for which R=430J/kg-K and k=1.35. For the
process, determine a) the work, b) the heat, and c) the change of enthalpy if
the initial temperature is 204.4
o
C.
2. Twenty kilojoules of heat is added at constant volume to 2.5 kg ideal gas
(k=1.25, R=320 J/kg-K). The initial temperature of the gas is 32C. Compute
for a) Wnf, b) T2, c) the change of internal energy, d.) the change of enthalpy.
(0, 311K, 20KJ, 25KJ)
3. A gas whose composition is not known has 42.2kJ of paddle work input at
constant volume of 566L. Initially, P
1
=138kPa, t
1
=26.7
o
C, finally t
2
=82.2
o
C,
What are (a.) the change of internal energy, and (b.) the heat transferred if
k=1.21?
4. The mass of a gas is 1.8 kg, for which R = 0.38 kJ/kg.K and k = 1.23
undergoes a constant volume process where P
1
= 650kPa and t
1
= 70
o
C. The
final pressure is P
2
= 1950 kPa. The process resulted to additional 111
kJ of heat when the gas is stirred internally. Calculate (a )final temperature, T
2
,
(b) the work, and (c) the change of internal energy.

ISOBARIC PROCESS Constant Pressure Process
Isobaric process is a reversible constant pressure process of a substance.

P 1 2 T 2 T
2

P = C

P 1 T
1

Q




V
1
V
2
V S
1
S
2
S


a) Relationship between V and T
T
1
/T
2
= V
1
/V
2

b) Nonflow work
Wn = = P(V
2
V
1
) = mR(T
2
T
1
)
c) Change of internal energy
U = mc
v
(T
2
T
1
)

d) Heat transferred
Q = mc
p
(T
2
T
1
)
e) Change of enthalpy
H = mc
p
(T
2
T
1
)
PROBLEMS:
1. A certain gas with R = 320 J/kg-K and k = 1.3 undergoes a constant pressure
process where the initial temperature is 30
o
C. If 150 kJ are added to 4 kg of
this gas, determine; a) T
2
, b) change of enthalpy, c) change of internal energy,
d) work for non-flow process.
2. An ideal gas (R=2,075 J/kg-K & k=1.659) goes through a reversible constant
pressure process where 525KJ are added to 2.3kg of the gas. The initial
temperature of the gas is 310K. Compute for a) T2, b) Wnf, c) U, d) H
(353.7K, 208.7KJ)
3. If 120 kJ are added to 3.0 kg of nitrogen gas at constant pressure when the
initial temperature is 32
o
C, find (a) T
2
, (b) H, (c) U, and (d) work for a non-
flow process. (R=0.2969 KJ/kg-K, k=1.399)
4. Hydrogen gas expands from 5 cu ft and 80
o
F to 15 cu ft while the pressure
remains constant at 15.5 psia. Compute (a) T
2
, (b) H, (c) U and (d) S. (e)
For a reversible non-flow process, what is the work?



ISOTHERMAL PROCESS Constant Temp. Process
An isothermal process is reversible constant temperature process of a
substance.
T P
1
1 2
T PV= C
2




S
1
S
2
S V
1
V
2
V

(a.) Relationship between P and V
P
1
V
1
= P
2
V
2

(b.) Nonflow work
W
n
= P
1
V
1
lnV
2
/V
1
= mRT
1
lnV
2
/V
1


(c.) The change of internal energy
U = O
Q
(d.) The heat transferred
Q = W
n
= P
1
V
1
lnV
2
/V
1
= mRT
1
lnP
1
/P
2

(e.) The change of enthalpy
H = 0

PROBLEMS
1. During a reversible process there are abstracted 317 kJ/s from 1.134 kg/s of
a certain gas while the temperature remains constant at 2.7
o
C. For this gas,
C
p
= 2.232 and C
v
= 1.713 kJ/kg-K. The initial pressure is 586 kPa. For a
non-flow (PE = 0, KE = 0) process, determine (a) V
1
,V
2
and P
2
, (b) the
work and Q, ( c ) H.
2. A 3.6 kg mass of air goes through an isothermal process with a temperature
of 305K. The initial and final pressures of the air are 550KPa and 135KPa,
respectively. Compute for a) Wnf, b) U and H c.) the heat. (442.64KJ, 0)
3. During an isothermal process at 88
o
F, the pressure on 8 lb of air drops from
80 psia to 5 psig. For an internally reversible process, determine (a) the
pdV or the work of a nonflow process, (b) Q,, (c) U and H.
4. Air flows steadily through an engine at constant temperature, 400 K. Find
the work per kilogram if the exit pressure is one-third the inlet pressure and
the inlet-pressure is 207 kPa. Assume that the kinetic and potential energy
variation is negligible.


ISENTROPIC PROCESS
An isentropic process is a reversible adiabatic process. Adiabatic simply means no
heat. A reversible adiabatic is one of constant entropy.

P T
1 1
PV
K
= C
2



2
V
1
V
2
V S
1. Relationship among P, V and T.
(a) Relationship between P and V
P
1
V
1
k
= P
2
V
2
k
= C
(b) Relation between T and V
From P
1
V
1
k
= P
2
V
2
k

and P
1
V
1
/T
1
= P
2
V
2
/T
2
, we have
T
2
/T
1
= [V
1
/V
2
]
k-1

(c ) Relation between T and P
T
2
/T
1
= [p
2
/p
1
]
(k-1)/k

2. Nonflow work.
From PV
k
= C, P = CV
-k

W
n
= PdV = C
-k
dV = C V
-k
dV
Integrating and simplifying
W
n
= P
2
V
2
P
1
V
1
/ (1- k) = mR(T
2
T
1
) / (1 k)

3. The change of internal energy.
U = mC
v
(T
2
T
1
)
4. The heat transferred.
Q = 0
5. The change of enthalpy.
H = mC
p
(T
2
T
1
)
6. The change of entropy.
S = 0

PROBLEMS
1. An ideal gas having a mass of 2 kg. at 465K and 415 KPa expands in a
reversible adiabatic process (isentropic). The gas constant R is 242 J/kg-K
and k = 1.4. Determine (a) C
p
and C
v
, (b) the work, (c) the U, and (d) Q.
2. In an isentropic process, the volume of an ideal gas (C
v
= 0.65 KJ/kg-K and
k = 1.29) initially 2m
3
was expanded to 3.4m
3
. The pressure and the
temperature of the gas before the process was 190KPa & 110C,
respectively. Find (a) U; (b) H; (c) W
n
& (d) Q
3. In an isentropic process, the volume of 500 gm. of an ideal gas (C
p
= 0.52
KJ/kg-K, C
v
= 0.32 KJ/kg-K) was increased from 20L to 100L. If the initial
pressure of the gas was 760KPa, compute for (a) P
2
; (b)T
2
; (c) U & (d) W
n
.
4. From a state defined by 300 psia, 100 cu ft and 240
o
F, Helium undergoes
and isentropic process to 0.3 psig. Find (a) V
2
and t
2
, (b) U and H, (c)
pdV,, (d) Q and S and (e) the work if the process is non-flow.
5. The internal energy of a certain ideal gas is given by the expression
u=850+0.529PV Btu per lb, where p is in psia. Determine the exponent k in
PV
k
=C for this gas undergoing an isentropic process. (Ans. k=1.53)

POLYTROPIC PROCESS
A polytropic process is an internally reversible process during which
PV
n
= C and P
1
V
1
n
= P
2
V
2
n
= P
1
V
1
n

P T
1 1
PV
n
= C PV
n
= C
2
Q 2

V S

where n is any polytropic exponent or constant.
1. Relationship among p, V, and T
(a) Relation between P and V
P
1
V
1
n
= P
2
V
2
n

(b) Relation between T and V
T
2
/T
1
= [V
1
/V
2
]
n-1
(c) Relation between T and p
T
2
/T
1
= [p
2
/p
1
]
(n-1)/n


2. Nonflow work
W
n
= pdV = P
2
V
2
P
1
V
1
/ 1-n = mR(T
2
-T
1
) / 1-n
3. The change of internal energy.
U = mC
v
(T
2
T
1
)
4. The heat transferred.
Q = U + W
n

= mc
v
(T
2
T
1
) + mR (T
2
T
1
)/(1 - n)
= m [(c
v
nc
v
+ R)/(n 1)] (T
2
T
1
)
= m [(c
p
nc
v
)/(1 n)] (T
2
T
1
)
= mc
v
[(k n)/(1 n)] (T
2
T
1
)
Q = mC
n
(T
2
T
1
)
C
n
= C
v
[(k n)/(1 n)], the polytropic specific heat
5. The change of enthalpy
H = mC
p
(T
2
T
1
)

PROBLEMS
1. An ideal gas (R = 0.19 KJ/kg-K, C
p
= 0.8 KJ/kg-K) with a mass of 4.5 kgs.
undergoes a polytropic process that changed its state from 135 KPa and
280K to 825 KPa and 445K. Calculate (a) n; (b) U; (c) H; (d) W
n
; and
(e) Q. (Ans: 1.342, 453KJ, 594KJ, -412.5KJ, 41.5KJ)

2. Four and a half kg. of an ideal gas ( R=210J/kg-K and C
p
= 1.04KJ/kg-K )
initially at 138 KPa and 278K goes through a polytropic process so that its
pressure and temperature becomes 827KPa and 445K. Calculate (a) n;
(b) U; (c) H; (d) W
n
and (e) Q

3. During a polytropic process, 10 lb of an ideal gas, whose R = 40 ft.lb-R
and Cp = 0.25 Btu/lb-R, changes state from 20 psia and 40
o
F to 120
psia and 340
o
F. Determine (a) n; (b) U; (c) H; (d) Q, (e) pdV.
(1BTU = 778 ftlb
f
)

4. In a polytropic process with n = 1.4, 4.3 m
3
/s of an ideal gas ( Cv = 0.66
KJ/kg-K, k = 1.2 and = 1.169 kg/m
3
) has an initial and final temp. of
60C and 220C, respectively. Calculate (a) Work non-flow per unit time;
and (b) Heat flow rate

5. Compress 4 kg/s of CO
2
gas polytropically (PV
1.2
= C) from P1 = 103.4
kPa, t
1
= 60
o
C to t
2
= 227
o
C. Assuming ideal gas action, find P
2
, W, and Q
for a non-flow process.

4.