MECE 4240U - Applied Thermal & Fluids Engineering (Winter 2015)

Final Exam
Professor: Brendan D. MacDonald
Date: April 21, 2015

Name:

Student ID #:

Instructions:
This is a closed book and closed notes exam. A calculator may be used.
Formula sheets and property tables are provided.
This exam paper contains 9 short answer/multiple choice questions and 3 problems.
Solve all questions directly on the exam paper (fill in the boxes for multiple choice).
There is 1 bonus question that is optional.
The exam is marked out of a total of 50 marks.
Get clarification from the instructor about any ambiguities during the exam.
Nobody is allowed to get up without permission from the instructor or invigilators.
Talking to anybody except the instructor and invigilators carries severe penalty.
Check the calculations, units, and final results carefully.
UOITs policies on academic dishonesty apply strictly in this examination.
All electronic devices must be left at the front area and turned off (except calculators).

Question # Mark Obtained Full Mark

19 25

10 7

11 11

12 7

Total 50

1
Short Answer/Multiple Choice (25 marks)
Question 1: The figures below are four T -s diagrams for thermodynamic cycles. In the box
below each figure place the letter from the list of cycles below that corresponds to the cycle
in each T -s diagram. (2 marks)

(a) Diesel Cycle.

(b) Brayton Cycle.
(c) Ericsson Cycle.
(d) Stirling Cycle.
(e) Rankine Cycle.
(f) Otto Cycle.
(g) Brayton Cycle with intercooling.
(h) Brayton Cycle with regeneration.
(i) Rankine Cycle with reheating.
(j) Rankine Cycle with intercooling.
(k) Vapour-Compression Refrigeration Cycle.

Question 2: (i) What is the value of the relative humidity in the outside air if it has
been raining for a while? (1 mark) (ii) If you were to measure the dry bulb and wet bulb
temperatures in this situation explain which one you would expect to have a higher value
and why. (1 mark)

(i)

(ii)

2
Question 3: A turbine is required for a situation with high flowrate and low head. (i)
Would you select a turbine with a high or low specific speed (Ns )? (1 mark) (ii) What
type of turbine would you select for this situation (flow orientation)? (1 mark) (iii) If you
were told that the flowrate could substantially decrease at times, would this still be a good
choice? Explain why or why not. (1 mark)

(i)

(ii)

(iii)

Question 4: The T -s diagram for a heat pump is given below. A reversing valve allows
this heat pump to operate in both heating and cooling modes. (i) Describe the temperatures
shown in the figure with respect to the operational temperatures they refer to. (3 marks)
(ii) Explain how the reversing valve switches between heating and cooling mode with respect
to the evaporator and condenser. (1 mark)

(Cooling) (Heating)

(i) T1 :

T2 :
T3 :

(ii)

3
Question 5: (i) What is the main difference between the Otto and Diesel cycles? (1 mark)
(ii) To account for this difference, what is the resulting change we make to the thermodynamic
cycle for a Diesel engine in comparison to an Otto engine? (2 marks)

(i)

(ii)

Question 6: In the space provided below list whether the flow through the turbomachines
shown in (a) and (b) below represent a pump or a turbine, and explain how you determined
this. (2 marks)

4
Question 7: (i) For hydrocarbon fuels in a fractionating column, explain why the fuels at
the top have a higher specific energy. (1 mark) With reference to this effect list the fuel
with the most favourable energy content and describe one of its downsides. (2 marks)
(i)

(ii)

Question 8: (i) A cross section of a blade from an impulse turbine is shown below. For what
angle would the shaft work be a maximum? (1 mark) (ii) Explain one of the physical
challenges associated with this value of . (1 mark)

(i)

(ii)

5
Question 9: Using the psychrometric chart given in the figure below, answer the following
questions. (i) What process is occurring from point A to point B? (1 mark) (ii) What
is the value of the dry bulb temperature, specific humidity, and relative humidity at point
A? (1 mark) (iii) What is the value of the dry bulb temperature, specific humidity, and
relative humidity at point B? (1 mark) (iv) Give an example of how you could physically
accomplish this process? (1 mark)

ASHRAE Psychrometric Chart No. 1

Normal Temperature
Barometric Pressure: 101.325 kPa

1992 American Society of Heating, 0.36

Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers, Inc.
30
Sea Level
100 28 0.40

0.9
30
1.0 1.0

4

0.8 1.5
10.0 0.7 2.0 5.0 120
0.6 4.0 2.0 26
Sensible heat 90
0.5 4.0
HS
= 30
Total heat HT 2.0 0.0
5.0 0.4 1.0 0.45
1.0 24
0
3

4.0
0.

0.2

.5
0.2

80
0.1

=
HT
HS
110

0.9
r
ai

Humidity ratio ( ) grams moisture per kilogram dry air

22

2v
y
2.0

dr 0.50
3.0

olu
2.5

am

Sensible heat
gr

me

Total heat
Enthalpy lo 70
ki
h 25
= 20

cub
Humidity ratio er
sp 0.55

ic m
ule
jo 100
lo

eter
ki 25
) w et b 18
(h

per
%

60 ulb 0.60
py
90

tem

0.9
al

kilo
per
th ature

0
En

gra
%

C 16
80

0.65

md
C
re

ry a
50 20
tu

90
ra

70

0.70
pe

ir
m

14
te

%
60
n

0.75
tio

20
0.8
ra
tu

40 0.80
Sa

0% 12
5 0.85
15 80 0.90
% 10 0.95
30 40
0.8

15 1.0
6

10 30% 8
20 70
0.8

10
4

6
5 20%
0.8

5
2

4
midity
lative hu
0 10% re 60
0.8
0

2
0.7
8

0 10 20 30 40 50
Dry bulb temperature C

(i)

(ii)

(iii)

(iv)

6
Problems (25 marks)

Question 10: Water is to be pumped from one large open tank to a second large, open
tank, as shown in the figure. The pipe diameter is 6 in, and the total length of the pipe
between the pipe entrance and exit is 200 ft. Minor loss coefficients for the entrance, exit,
and elbow are given, and the friction factor for the pipe can be assumed constant at 0.02.
A pump with performance curve shown in the figure below has been suggested as a good
pump for this situation.
(a) With this pump what would the flow rate be between the two tanks? (5 marks)
(b) Is this pump a good choice? Explain. (2 marks)

7
(Extra page for Question 10)

8
Question 11: For this question consider an ideal jet-propulsion cycle.
(a) Assume that the jet fuel has the same properties as n-Dodecane (C12 H26 ). The fuel
enters the combustion chamber at 25 C where it is mixed and burned with 50% excess
air at 280 K. The combustion products exit at 1200 K. Assuming complete combustion
and that water exits as vapour, determine the heat transfer as a result of this combustion
(kJ/kmol fuel). (4 marks)
(b) A turbojet aircraft is flying with a velocity of 320 m/s at an altitude of 9150 m, where
the ambient conditions are 32 kPa and -32 C. The pressure ratio across the compressor
is 12, and the temperature at the turbine inlet is 1400 K. Air enters the compressor at a
rate of 60 kg/s. Assuming ideal operation for all components, determine the propulsive
power and the amount of heat required. (5 marks)
(c) Calculate the flow rate of n-Dodecane fuel that is required to provide the propulsive
power in part (b). The molar mass of n-Dodecane is 170 kg/kmol. (2 marks)

9
(Extra page 1 of 2 for Question 11)

10
(Extra page 2 of 2 for Question 11)

11
Question 12: Consider the multipurpose refrigeration system shown in the figure below.
The refrigerant is R-134a, which enters the evaporator in the fridge at a temperature of -6 C,
and the evaporator in the freezer at a temperature of -28 C. The compressor pressurizes the
refrigerant up to a pressure of 1.6 MPa.

(a) If the compressor consumes 3 kW of power, determine the mass flow rate of the refrig-
erant. (3 marks)
(b) For a situation where all of the refrigerant is diverted to the freezer and travels through
the alternative path (point A) shown in the figure, calculate the amount of heat removed
by the freezer. (2 marks)
(c) For a situation where the amount of heat removed from the fridge equals the amount
removed from the freezer (QL,R = QL,F ), calculate the amount of heat removed from the
refrigerator. (2 marks)

12
(Extra page for Question 12)

13
Bonus: The turbomachine in the figure below was shown at the start of the first lecture on
turbomachines. What is it? (1 bonus mark)

14
(Extra page)

15