How Is Work Calculated in a Piston-Cylinder Device with a Linear Spring?

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Homework Help Overview

The discussion revolves around calculating work in a piston-cylinder device containing steam, with a linear spring involved. The initial state of the steam is given, and the problem involves changes in pressure and volume due to heat transfer. Participants are exploring how to determine the final temperature and total heat transferred, along with the work done during the process.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory, Conceptual clarification, Mathematical reasoning, Problem interpretation

Approaches and Questions Raised

  • Participants discuss the relationship between initial and final states of the steam, questioning how to calculate the final temperature and total heat transferred. There is a focus on using the ideal gas equation and thermodynamic tables to find necessary values.

Discussion Status

Some participants have provided guidance on using equations relating pressure, volume, and temperature to find the final temperature. Others have pointed out the limitations of applying ideal gas laws to steam and suggested using thermodynamic tables for accurate results. The discussion is ongoing with multiple approaches being considered.

Contextual Notes

There is uncertainty regarding the applicability of certain equations due to the nature of the steam as a non-ideal gas. Participants are also navigating the implications of the process not being isothermal or adiabatic, which affects their calculations.

bruceflea
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A frictionless piston-cylinder device initially contains steam at 200 kPa, 200oC and 0.5 m3. At this state, a linear spring (F ∝ x) is touching the piston but exerts no force on it. Heat is now slowly transferred to the steam, causing the pressure and the volume to rise to 500 kPa and 0.6 m3, respectively.

Calculate the work done, final temperature and the total heat transferred.

I've been given a superheated water table.I've calculated work done to be -113.5kJ

But I'm not sure how to calculate the final temperature and total heat transferred.

For the total heat transferred I know that q = du + w. That would require me to know the change in internal energy but I can't calculate that without knowing the final temperature (i think?).

OR

is this is an isothermal process which means that the final temperature is 200oC and heat transferred is -113.5kJ?

Thanks for your help...
 
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bruceflea said:
That would require me to know the change in internal energy but I can't calculate that without knowing the final temperature (i think?).

You know P1,V1,T1,P2 and V2. You need to find T2. Do you know an equation relating these variables?
 
P1*v1/t1 = P2*v2/t2?
 
bruceflea said:
P1*v1/t1 = P2*v2/t2?

Yes, that's the one. Now you can find T2 and hence change in Internal Energy.
 
siddharth said:
Yes, that's the one. Now you can find T2 and hence change in Internal Energy.

That equation is only applicable for perfectly ideal gas case , and steam in this case is not perfect gas , so you need to use the thermodynamic-tables to find out the solution.

The given process is nether isothermal nor adiabatic.Calculate the specific volume of steam initially , from there you get the mass of steam which would also be the mass in final conditions, get the specific volume from final conditions because you know the mass and voulme, now find out the state of water using tables, and corresponding temperature.

Work done will be to expand against the extrenal spring.Once work done is calculated, use the first law to calculate the heat transferred.

BJ
 

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