Need help looking up thermal properties

In summary, the problem involves finding the specific enthalpy of a saturated liquid at 4.8Mpa and 40 degrees Celsius for water vapor/steam. The textbook example gives a value of 171.78KJ/Kg, but the student is unable to figure out how it was calculated. The enthalpy for a saturated liquid at 40ºC is actually 167.54KJ/Kg, leading the student to believe they may be missing something. They mention the possibility of needing to find the quality and use the equation h=hf+xhfg, but it is later clarified that the fluid is still a saturated liquid at point 3. Another method is suggested using the formula dh=v dP,
  • #1
bp123
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0

Homework Statement


I'm trying to look up the specific enthalpy (h) at 4.8Mpa and 40 degrees celcius for water vapor/steam. It should be a saturated liquid.


The Attempt at a Solution


I know the specific enthalpy should be ~171.78KJ/Kg but I can't for the life of me figure out how the textbook example comes up with that.
The value of specific enthalpy for a saturated liquid at 40ºC is 167.54KJ/Kg, obviously not quite right.. Any assistance would be great, probably a quick easy answer of something I'm missing / don't know.
 
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  • #2
If it was stated that it is a saturated liquid then your enthalpy would just be the hf value at 40C or 4.8 MPa.

If they did not state that it was a liquid, you might need to find the quality, x, and find the enthalpy using the equation h=hf+xhfg
 
  • #3
rock.freak667 said:
If it was stated that it is a saturated liquid then your enthalpy would just be the hf value at 40C or 4.8 MPa.

If they did not state that it was a liquid, you might need to find the quality, x, and find the enthalpy using the equation h=hf+xhfg
I guess a little more information may be needed.. This is part of a problem dealing with a simple rankine cycle, however the example also accounts for pump/turbine efficiencies and pressure/temperature drops along the lines. It gives the pressure directly out of the pump as 5Mpa and once the working fluid has reached the boiler (just before going in, this is point 3) it is now at the 4.8Mpa & 40ºC.

Because it just came out of the pump and has yet to go into the boiler I know for a fact that the fluid is still a saturated liquid. As well as that piece of information, if you enter the 4.8/40º into an online thermo table it will tell you the enthalpy is 171.78 and the quality is N/A. This is an example out of the book, the auther just failed to explain how they arrived at this number.

Online thermo calc for steam/water I found while trying to figure this out earlier.. 1bar=100kPa, so my pressure of interest is 48bar.
http://www.steamtablesonline.com/steam97web.aspx


Thanks for the quick reply!
 
  • #4
Oh you mean the point is outside of the curve if that is the case, then I think you need to use
dh=v dP

[tex]\int_3 ^4 dh = \int_3 ^4 vdP[/tex]

[tex]h_4 - h_3 = v_3 (P_4-P_3)[/tex]

where v3 is the specific volume at 3 (vf). Try that.
 
  • #5
rock.freak667 said:
Oh you mean the point is outside of the curve if that is the case, then I think you need to use
dh=v dP

[tex]\int_3 ^4 dh = \int_3 ^4 vdP[/tex]

[tex]h_4 - h_3 = v_3 (P_4-P_3)[/tex]

where v3 is the specific volume at 3 (vf). Try that.
I'm assuming you mean where state three is the values at saturation and 4 is what I'm looking for?

Substituting with that:
[tex]h_4 - 167.54 = .001008(4800-7.384)[/tex]
[tex]h_4=172.371KJ/Kg[/tex]

Still not quite the 171.77 they have, but its a lot closer then what I found. I'm curious how the online thermo calculator goes about doing it..
 
  • #6
I am not exactly sure how the calculators do it. That is how I learned to do the basic Rakine cycle. Point 4 was usually calculated using the formula I gave you. I do not know if the calculators use a different method or formula.
 

1. What are thermal properties?

Thermal properties refer to the characteristics of a material that determine its response to changes in temperature. These properties include thermal conductivity, specific heat capacity, and thermal expansion coefficient.

2. How do I look up thermal properties of a material?

There are several ways to look up thermal properties of a material. One option is to consult a materials database or handbook, which contains comprehensive information on various materials. Another option is to use online resources, such as the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) website, which provides access to a wide range of thermal property data for different materials.

3. What is thermal conductivity?

Thermal conductivity is the measure of a material's ability to conduct heat. It is defined as the amount of heat that passes through a unit area of a material of unit thickness in a unit time when there is a unit temperature difference between the two sides of the material. It is usually expressed in watts per meter-kelvin (W/m·K) in the International System of Units (SI).

4. How is specific heat capacity related to thermal properties?

Specific heat capacity is the amount of heat required to raise the temperature of a substance by one degree Celsius. It is an important thermal property as it determines the amount of heat a material can store or release. Materials with higher specific heat capacity can hold more heat and have a slower rate of temperature change compared to those with lower specific heat capacity.

5. Why is it important to know the thermal properties of a material?

Understanding the thermal properties of a material is crucial in many fields, including engineering, construction, and materials science. It allows us to predict how a material will behave under different temperature conditions and design systems that can effectively manage heat transfer. It also helps in selecting the right materials for specific applications, such as insulation, thermal barriers, and heat exchangers.

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