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n engineer is regyvired to compress nitrogen isothermall fron latm 7 atm. He kno

ID: 3307902 • Letter: N

Question

n engineer is regyvired to compress nitrogen isothermall fron latm 7 atm. He knows that he cannot achieve this practically, so he instead 7 Carries Ou t the conpression through step process so barica compresses the gas and then isockoricaly compresses it to the isotherm that passe th rough the nilial state of the gas . rror here ,be iso barically conpresses the jes once more and then iseckoricall reaches 7 atm! What are the inter mediate voumes and presseres of -the gas so that the least work is exerted on it? What is the r tio of the engineer's wor k to the ideal isotlermal work?

Explanation / Answer

Initial Pressure P1 = 1 atm

initial volume    V1 = 1 cu.m

Final pressure   P2 = 7 atm

Final volume on the isothermal V2 = 1/7 cu.m   ( P1V1 = P2V2 , isothermal process)

Let Pi , Vi are the intermediate pressure and volume on the isothermal

P1V1 = P2V2 = PiVi

Step-1 , isobaric process const pressure P1 = 1 atm

Work done W1 = P1(V1-Vi)

step-2 , isbaric process, const pressure Pi

           inital volume - Vi

              final volume V2

Work done W2 = Pi(Vi-V2)

Total work done   W = W1 + W2 = P1(V1-Vi)+Pi(Vi-V2)

                                                   = 2P1V1 - (P1Vi + P1V1V2/Vi) - - - ( replace PiVi = P1V1=P2V2 )

To minimise W set it first derivative wrt Vi to 0

dW/dVi   = P1 - P1V1V2/Vi2 =0

Vi = (V1V2)1/2 = 0.378 cu.m

Pi   = 1/0.378 = 2.646 atm

work done   W = 2P1V1 - (P1Vi + P1Vi) ( put v1v2 = Vi2 )

                        = 2*101000(1 - 0.378 )

                        = 125644 J

work done in isothermal process   = nRT ln(V2/V1) = P1V1 *ln(V2/V1)   = 101000*1 * ln(1/7) = -196537 J

ratio of work done   = 125644/196537 = 0.639