Question

Two mass streams of the same ideal gas are mixed in a steady-flow chamber while receiving energy by heat transfer from the surroundings. The mixing process takes place at constant pressure with no work and negligible changes in kinetic and potential energies. Assume the gas has constant specific heats.

a. Determine the expression for the final temperature of the mixture in terms of the rate of heat transfer to the mixing chamber and the inlet and exit mass flow rates.
b. Obtain an expression for the volume flow rate at the exit of the mixing chamber in terms of the volume flow rates of the two inlet streams and the rate of heat transfer to the mixing chamber.
c. For the special case of adiabatic mixing, show that the exit volume flow rate is the sum of the two inlet volume flow rates.

Answer 1

(a)The final temperature of mixture is T₃ =m₁T₁/m₃+ m₂T₂/m₃ + Qin/m₃Cp

(b) The final volume is V₃ =V₁ + V₂ + RQin/P₃Cp

(c) The volume flow rate at exit is V₃ =V₁ + V₂

Step-by-step explanation:

Solution

Now

The system comprises of two inlets and on exit.

Mass flow rate enthalpy of fluid from inlet -1 be m₁ and h₁

Mass flow rate enthalpy of fluid from inlet -2 be m₂ and h₂

Mass flow rate enthalpy of fluid from exit be m₃ and h₃

Mixing chambers do not include any kind of work (w = 0)

So, both the kinetic and potential energies of the fluid streams are usually negligible (ke =0, pe =0)

(a) Applying the mass balance of mixing chamber, min = mout

Applying the energy balance of mixing chamber,

Ein = Eout

min hin =mout hout

miCpT₁ + m₂CpT₂ +Qin =m₃CpT₃

T₃ = miCpT₁/m₃CpT₃ + m₂CpT₂/m₃CpT₃ + Qin/m₃CpT₃ +

T₃ =m₁T₁/m₃+ m₂T/m₃ + Qin/m₃Cp

The final temperature of mixture is T₃ =m₁T₁/m₃+ m₂T₂/m₃ + Qin/m₃Cp

(b) From the ideal gas equation,

v =RT/PT

v₃ = RT₃/P₃

The volume flow rate at the exit, V₃ =m₃v₃

V₃ = m₃ RT₃/P₃

Substituting the value of T₃, we have

V₃=m₃ R/P₃ (=m₁T₁/m₃+ m₂T₂/m₃ + Qin/m₃Cp)

V₃ = R/P₃ (m₁T₁+ m₂T₂ + Qin/Cp)

Now

The mixing process occurs at constant pressure P₃=P₂=P₁.

Hence V₃ becomes:

V₃=m₁RT₁/P₁ +m₂RT₂/P₂ + RQin/P₃Cp

V₃ =V₁ + V₂ + RQin/P₃Cp

Therefore, the final volume is V₃ =V₁ + V₂ + RQin/P₃Cp

(c) Now for an adiabatic mixing, Qin =0

Hence V₃ becomes:

V₃ =V₁ + V₂ + r * 0/P₃Cp

V₃ =V₁ + V₂ + 0

V₃ =V₁ + V₂

Therefore the volume flow rate at exit is V₃ =V₁ + V₂