DEPARTMENT OF MECHANICAL ENGINEERING IIT MADRAS
July-Nov 2025 ME-1100 Thermodynamics
Tutorial – 8
1. A heat engine is used to drive a heat pump. The heat transfers from the heat engine and from the heat pump
are used to heat water circulating through the radiators of a building. The efficiency of the heat engine is 29%
and the COP of the heat pump is 3.5. Evaluate the ratio of heat transfer to the radiator water to the heat
transfer to the heat engine. [1.725]
2. A reversible heat engine operates between two systems at constant temperatures of 600oC and 40oC. The
engine drives a reversible refrigerator, which operates between systems at constant temperatures of 40oC and
-20oC. The heat transfer to the engine is 2000 kJ and the net work output of the combined engine-refrigerator
is 350 kJ. Evaluate the heat transfers involving the refrigerator. [QC=3934.15 kJ, QH=4867.15 kJ]
3. A Carnot engine operates between two reservoirs at temperatures of T H K and TC K. The work output of the
engine is 0.6 times the heat rejected. Given that the difference in temperature between the source and sink is
200oC, calculate (i) the source temperature, (ii) the sink temperature, and (iii) thermal efficiency. [533.3 K,
333.33K, 0.375]
4. Which of the following two choices is the best way to increase the thermal efficiency of a reversible power
cycle operating between TH and TC? (a) Increase TH while keeping TC constant, or (b) Decrease TC while
keeping TH constant? Are there any limits to on the increase in thermal efficiency that might be achieved by
such means?
5. A refrigeration cycle having a COP of 3 maintains a computer laboratory at 18oC on a day when the outside
temperature is 30oC. The thermal load at steady state consists of energy entering through the walls and
windows at a rate of 30,000 kJ/hr and from the occupants, computers and lighting at a rate of 6000 kJ/hr.
Determine the power required by this cycle and compare with the minimum theoretical power required for
any refrigeration cycle operating under these conditions. [3.34 kW, 0.4124 kW]
6. Two reversible power cycles are arranged in series. The first cycle receives energy from a reservoir at TH and
rejects energy to a reservoir at an intermediate temperature T. The second cycle receives the energy rejected
by the first cycle to the reservoir at T and rejects energy to a reservoir at a temperature T C lower than T.
Derive an expression for the intermediate temperature T in terms of TH and TC, when (a) the net work of the
two cycles are equal; (b) the thermal efficiencies of the two cycles are equal. [T=(Th+Tc)/2,
T=(Th*Tc)0.5]
7. A constant volume tank contains 20 kg of air at 1000 K and a constant pressure device
contains 10 kg of air at 300 K. A heat engine placed between the tank and the device
extracts heat from the high temperature tank, produces work and rejects heat to the low
temperature device. Determine the maximum work that can be produced by the heat engine
and the final temperatures of the air in the tank and the device. [2504261.5 J, 609.1 K]
8. Two identical bodies of mass m and constant heat capacity C are initially at temperatures
T1 and T2 (T1 > T2). A reversible engine operates with these two bodies as reservoirs.
Derive an expression for the final temperature of the bodies as well as the work produced. [T f=(T1*T2)0.5,
W=mC[T1+T2-2(T1*T2)0.5]
9. An iron block of 10 kg mass and specific heat 500 J/kg K is initially at the ambient temperature of 300 K.
Evaluate the minimum work required for a refrigerator which reduces the temperature of the block to 250 K,
by pumping heat from the block to the ambient. Also determine the COP of the refrigerator.[W=23.482kJ,
COP=10.64]