How Much Dry Steam Is Required to Melt Ice in an Open System?

Join the discussion
Registration is free. Start your own thread to ask a follow-up.
1 reply · 3K views
chopper
Messages
1
Reaction score
0
I need a kick start for the following question. We're studying open/closed systems at the moment.

"450kg of ice at -18 degrees C is to be removed from a freezer using a jet of steam. How much dry steam at 100 degrees C is required if the final temp of the effluent is 5 degrees C?"

This is what I've sussed out so far.. because mass is being added to the system (the mass of the steam) I assume this is an open system problem. I haven't been given any information regarding enthalpy of either the ice or the steam so I'm assuming it's a simple matter of working out how much energy I need to bring the ice up to 5 degrees and introducing that energy into the freezer in the form of steam that will be giving up energy as it cools down to 5 degrees.

Can anyone point me in the right direction?

Cheers
Chopper
 
Last edited:
Physics news on Phys.org
chopper said:
I need a kick start for the following question. We're studying open/closed systems at the moment.

"450kg of ice at -18 degrees C is to be removed from a freezer using a jet of steam. How much dry steam at 100 degrees C is required if the final temp of the effluent is 5 degrees C?"

This is what I've sussed out so far.. because mass is being added to the system (the mass of the steam) I assume this is an open system problem. I haven't been given any information regarding enthalpy of either the ice or the steam so I'm assuming it's a simple matter of working out how much energy I need to bring the ice up to 5 degrees and introducing that energy into the freezer in the form of steam that will be giving up energy as it cools down to 5 degrees.
It should be a simple matter of algebra. Just set up the expression for heat h needed to raise the temperature of 450 kg of ice to 5 degrees and the heat lost by a mass m of stream. Equate the two and solve for m.

AM