Thermal efficiency of a heat engine

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Homework Help Overview

The discussion revolves around the thermal efficiency of a heat engine operating on an ideal-gas cycle, involving processes of cooling, heating, and adiabatic expansion. Participants are tasked with deriving the thermal efficiency formula based on given conditions and equations related to adiabatic processes.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory, Mathematical reasoning, Problem interpretation

Approaches and Questions Raised

  • Participants discuss the application of the first law of thermodynamics and the ideal gas law to derive expressions for heat transfer and work done. There is a focus on manipulating equations to express thermal efficiency in terms of volume and pressure ratios.

Discussion Status

Some participants have provided insights into the relationships between temperature changes and heat capacities, while others are exploring how to connect these with the ideal gas law. There is an acknowledgment of the complexity in deriving the desired expression, with no explicit consensus reached on the next steps.

Contextual Notes

Participants are working under the assumption of constant heat capacities and ideal gas behavior, and there is mention of potential algebraic challenges in simplifying expressions related to thermal efficiency.

Mangoes
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Homework Statement



A possible ideal-gas cycle operates as follows:
(i) from an initial state (p1,V1), the gas is cooled at constant pressure to (p1,V2)
(ii) the gas is heated at constant volume to (p2,V2)
(iii) the gas expands adiabatically back to (p1,V1).
Assuming constant heat capacities, show that thermal efficiency is given by:

1 - γ\frac{(V_1/V_2) - 1}{(p_2/p_1) - 1}

2. Homework Equations


For adiabatic processes:
PV^γ = constant

The Attempt at a Solution



For a cyclic process, ΔU = 0, so denoting Q_h as heat coming in system and Q_l as heat leaving system,

W = Q_h - Q_l

Thermal efficiency is defined as

η = W/Q_h = 1 - \frac{Q_l}{Q_h}

(i) has heat flowing out of the system, (ii) has heat flowing in the system, (iii) is adiabatic so heat is zero.

For (i), p is constant and I assume ideal gas

W = -p(ΔV) = -nR(T_2 - T_1)

ΔU = nC_VΔT

By first law,

Q_l = nC_VΔT + nR(T_2 - T_1) = n(R + C_V)(T_2 - T_1) = nC_p(T_2 - T_1)

For (ii) V is constant so work must be zero. That means change in internal energy is equal to heat gained,

Q_h = nC_V(T_3 - T_2)

Here's where I'm getting stuck. If I stick this in into my definition of thermal efficiency,

η = 1 - \frac{C_p(T_2 - T_1)}{C_V(T_3 - T_2)}

I'm aware that since (iii) is adiabatic, it is true that

T_3V^{γ-1}_2 = T_1V^{γ-1}_1

I've tried using the above to write an expression for T3 to eliminate it in my expression for thermal efficiency, but it ends up being a huge mess and I don't see how I can take out gamma from the exponent into a multiplying factor as is seen in the result I'm supposed to get to, leading me to think one of my steps is wrong. Would appreciate any help/insight in this.

EDIT: Fixed a step where I mixed U - W with W - U. Had a negative sign that didn't belong.
 
Last edited:
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Mangoes said:
η = 1 - \frac{C_p(T_2 - T_1)}{C_V(T_3 - T_2)}

Good so far. Don't forget the ideal gas law. :smile:
 
Well, my goal is pretty much getting from

\frac{T_2 - T_1}{T_3 - T_2}

to

\frac{(V_1/V_2) - 1}{(P_2/P_1) - 1}

Applying ideal gas law would make my expression in terms of different Δ(PV). I'm not sure if there's something obvious with the algebra I'm missing. I'm not really seeing how I can express T3 in terms of either the second or first state.
 
Mangoes said:
\frac{T_2 - T_1}{T_3 - T_2}

Divide numerator and denominator by T2.
 

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