Steam in a piston-cylinder system expands from an initial volume of 0.01 m^3 to
ID: 1859143 • Letter: S
Question
Steam in a piston-cylinder system expands from an initial volume of 0.01 m^3 to a final volume of 0.03 m^3 (sketched below). The expansion is counteracted by a spring (initially not compressed), with a spring coefficient of 5 kN/m (assume the spring to
linear such that F=kx where F is the force and x is the displaced distance), which is attached to the 30 cm diameter piston. The initial temperature and pressure in the cylinder is known to be 700 C and 2.5 MPa, respectively. Assume an atmospheric pressure of 100 kPa acting on the top of the piston. Determine the work done by the system as the steam expands and the magnitude and direction of the heat transfer that has occurred during this process.
Steam 5 kNExplanation / Answer
28.494kJ