6.

A tank containing 50 kg of liquid water initially

at 45◦ C has one inlet and one exit with equal mass
Q̇CV = −8.0 kW
flow rates. Liquid water enters at 45◦ C and a mass
flow rate of 270 kg/hr. A cooling coil immersed in
the water removes energy at a rate of 8.0 kW. The
water is well mixed by a paddle wheel so that the
water temperature is uniform throughout. The power water tank
ṁ ṁe
input to the water from the paddle wheel is 0.6 kW. i
e
"
The pressures at the inlet and exit are equal and all i
"
kinetic and potential energy effects can be ignored.
Determine the variation of water temperature with CV

time. Give a computer-generated plot of temperature ẆCV = −0.6 kW

versus time.
Given: m=50 kg, T0 = 45 ◦ C, Ti = 45 ◦ C, ṁ = 270
kg/hr, ẆCV = −0.6 kW, Q̇CV = −8.0 kW
kJ
Assumptions: ∆P = 0, ∆KE = 0, ∆P E = 0, perfect mixing, cp = 4186 kg·K
dT
Find:
dt
This solution follows much the same course as Example 6.7 in Professor Powers’s notes. The

45
first law is found as Eq. (6.100) in Professor Powers’s notes:
dECV ! !
= Q̇CV − ẆCV + ṁi htot,i − ṁe htot,e (4)
dt
dECV
Our control volume is undergoing transient energy transfer, so %= 0. The energy in
dt
the control volume is
ECV = UCV = mucv .
We will assume from mass conservation that
ṁi = ṁe = ṁ = 270 kg/hr

and we will also assume that the total enthalpy for the water is
dhtot = cp dT.
Putting all this into Eq. (4),
d
(mucv ) = Q̇CV − ẆCV + ṁ(hi − he )
dt
Since ducv = cv dT and m and cv are constant, the above equation becomes
dT
mcv = Q̇CV − ẆCV + ṁ(hi − he )
dt
where T is the temperature of the tank of water. The enthalpy difference between the inlet
and the exit is
hi − he = cp (Ti − T )
because the water supplied at the inlet is always a constant temperature of Ti = 45 ◦ C. For
liquid water,
cp = cv = c
Simplifying, the standard form of the differential equation is

dT Q̇CV − ẆCV + ṁc(Ti − T )

=
dt mc

To solve this first-order, linear, inhomogeneous differential equation, we can use separation
of variables. Consulting a differential equations textbook5 , you will find that you can solve
the equation by using separation of variables. The differential equation can be rewritten as

dT Q̇CV − ẆCV ṁ
= + (Ti − T )
dt mc m
dT
= a + b(Ti − T )
dt
5 Goodwine, Bill, 2010, Engineering Differential Equations: Theory and Practice, Springer: New York.

46
 Q̇CV − ẆCV ṁ
The latter equation is equivalent to the one above it with a = and b = . It
mc m
will make solving the problem much easier. Separating the variables of the latter equation:
dT
= dt (5)
a + b(Ti − T )
Now we must do u# -substitution (I use u# here so that you don’t get confused with specific
internal energy, u). If u# = a + b(Ti − T ),

du# = −bdT
1
− du# = dT. (6)
b
Substituing Eq. (6) and u# = a + b(Ti − T ) into Eq. (5) reveals
1 du#
− = dt
b u#
ln(u# ) = −bt + C
u# = C exp(−bt)
Substituting for u# gives
a + b(Ti − T ) = C exp(−bt)
then for b
ṁ ṁ
a+ (Ti − T ) = C exp(− t)
m m
and finally for a
Q̇CV − ẆCV ṁ ṁ
+ (Ti − T ) = C exp(− t).
mc m m
Rearrange the above equation to give T as a function of t:

Q̇CV − ẆCV ṁ
T (t) = Ti + − C # exp(− t) (7)
ṁc m
where C # is a constant that must be solved for using initial conditions, T (t = 0 s) = T0 =
45 ◦ C = 318 K. The units of some material properties have to be made compatible. The
mass flow rate ṁ is % &
1 hr
ṁ = 270 kg/hr = 3/40 kg/s
3600 s
Plugging into Eq. (7),

Q̇CV − ẆCV ṁ
T (t = 0) = T0 + − C # exp(− t)
ṁc m % &
−8.0 kW − (−0.6 kW) # 3/40 kg/s
318 K = 318 K + kJ
− C exp − (0)
(3/40 kg/s)(4186 kg·K ) 50 kg
−8.0 kW − (−0.6 kW)
0 = 0+ kJ
− C # (1)
(3/40 kg/s)(4186 kg·K )

47
Solving for C # we find
−8.0 kW − (−0.6 kW)
C# = kJ
(3/40 kg/s)(4186 kg·K )
−7.4 kW
C# =
313.95 kW
K
C# = −23.57 K
Thus the expression for T(t) is

Q̇CV − ẆCV ṁ
T (t) = Ti + + (23.57 K) exp(− t).
ṁc m
or, numerically,
1
T (t) = 294.4 K + (23.57 K) exp(−0.0015 t).
s
The plot of T (t) is Figure 4.

Temperature of Water in Tank

45

40
T(t) [°C]

35

30

25

20
0 20 40 60
Time [min]
Figure 4: Plot for Problem 8.6.

48