What is the gas pressure in state 3 if the efficiency is 0.40?

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Homework Help Overview

The problem involves a thermodynamic cycle with an ideal diatomic gas, focusing on determining the gas pressure in state 3 given the cycle's efficiency. The cycle includes processes at constant pressure and adiabatic processes, with specific parameters provided, such as the lowest pressure and the efficiency value.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory, Conceptual clarification, Assumption checking

Approaches and Questions Raised

  • Participants discuss the relationship between temperature and pressure during adiabatic processes, with one participant seeking clarification on how to relate the two for the given cycle. Another participant questions the assumptions regarding the reversibility of the processes involved.

Discussion Status

Some participants have provided guidance on using a specific formula to relate pressure and temperature during adiabatic processes. There is an ongoing exploration of the assumptions regarding the reversibility of the cycle, with no explicit consensus reached yet.

Contextual Notes

The original poster notes a lack of information regarding the reversibility of the processes, which may impact the application of certain formulas. The problem context also includes constraints related to the provided efficiency and the specific states of the gas.

itsjorge
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Homework Statement


An engine works with an ideal diatomic gas (γ=1.40) according to a thermodynamic cycle consisting in four
processes that take the gas successively through the states 1, 2, 3 and 4. The processes 1 -> 2 and 3 -> 4 take
place at constant pressure and the two other processes are adiabatic. The cycle’s lowest pressure is 1 atm and
corresponds to the state 1.
a. Find an expression for the cycle’s efficiency exclusively in terms of the temperatures of the states 1,
2, 3 and 4.
b. If the efficiency is φ=0.40, what is the gas pressure in state 3?


2. The attempt at a solution

Ok, first part is easy (I guess) here's what I did http://imgur.com/hpBxIex if someone could give it a look I'd be very thankful. I'm sorry I cannot give you the P-V diagram because I don't know how to draw in this PC.
The second part is where it gets tougher because I only have 2 pieces of information and I really cannot relate them. If someone could sketch the solution I'd be very thankful.
 
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OK for part (a). For part (b), think of a way to relate T and P for the adiabatic processes.
 
Last edited:
Hello TSny, thanks for replying, thing is my professor didn't give us a way to relate P and T however I found this formula in wikipedia but I'm not sure if it's correct: (It's valid iff the process is reversible) P1-γ Tγ=const. What do you think?
The statement doesn't specify if the process is reversible actually...
 
Yes, that's the correct formula. For these types of questions you can generally assume that the entire cycle is reversible.
 

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