THERMODYNAMIC LAB: SPECIFIC HEAT CAPACITY OF AIR LAB REPORT

NAME: Mohd Afrizhan Bin Nasip

MATRICS NO: BK16110189

GROUP NO: 5

UNIVERSITY MALAYSIA SABAH/FAKULTY OF ENGINEERING/HK08-MECHANICAL

ENGINEERING.

ABSTRACT

This experiment was conducted to determine the specific heat capacity of air by any
convenient steady flow process (i.e. heating or cooling) provided that there is no
change in the moisture content of the air. The air in the air conditioning unit has to
pass through four parts and four heater. Four experiments were carried out in which
each experiment in the condition with the heater is switch on or off.

INTRODUCTION:

Moist air is a mixture of dry air and water vapor that content at atmosphere (Eastop
& McConkey, 1993) . This water vapor will effect the the specific heat capacity of air
obtained and thus cause the specific heat capacity of air varies and change due to
different temperature and pressure this experiment were carried out to determine
and compare the experimental specific heat capacity of air to average value of heat
capacity of air.

OBJECTIVE: To detemine specific heat capacity of air by any convenient steady flow
process(i.e. heating or cooling) provided that there is no change in the moisture
content of the air.

PROCEDURE:

1) The air conditioning unit were switched on and the air were set flow to a
convenient value and the pre-heaters were switched to give 2kW (nominal)
heating.
2) The orifice differential pressure were set to 4mm
3) When conditions have stabilized, the following observations should be made,
4) Dry bulb temperature at the fan inlet,
5) Dry bulb temperature after pre-heaters,
6) Dry bulb temperature after re-heating,
7) Wet bulb temperature after re-heating,
8) Orifice differential pressure, Z
9) Supply voltage,
10) Fan supply voltage,
11) The procedures were repeated using the re-heaters across section C to D
 RESULT:
2
Local Atmospheric Pressure: 101 kN/m .

TEST REF. 1 2 3 4
o
A AIR AT FAN INLET DRY T1 C 27.2 27.9 28.2 28.4
o
WET T2 C - - - -
B AFTER PRE-HEAT OR DRY T3
o
C 47.9 49.5 69.6 65.6
STEAM INJECTION
o
WET T4 C 43.4 45.6 60.0 62.7
C AFTER COOLING o
DRY T5 C 21.0 23.6 29.3 28.3
DEHUMIFICATION
o
WET T6 C 19.7 26.0 30.5 30.6
o
D AFTER RE-HEATING DRY T7 C 21.2 45.6 44.4 68.9
o
WET T8 C 22.2 36.8 39.0 52.7
o
Evaporator outlet temperature T13 C
o
Condenser Inlet temperrature T14 C
o
Condenser outlet temperrature T15 C
Supply Volts: L1 to N (415V) or L2 VL V AC 220 220 220 215
to N (220V)
-2
Evaporator Outlet Pressure (gauge) P1 kNm 270 300 320 325
-2
Condenser Inlet Pressure P2 kNm 1150 1225 1300
1320
-2
Condeser Outlet Pressure P3 kNm 1150 1200 1290 1300

Duct Differential Pressure Z MmH 20 4 4 4 4

Fan Supply Voltage VF 90 90 90 85

Condensate Collected ME - - -

Time Interval X s 60 60 60 60

R134a Mass Flow Rate ref G/s 13 13 13 13

 SYSTEM HEATER RESISTANCES

Boiler, Lower 2kW Rb Ώ 25.3

Boiler, Upper 2kW Rb Ώ 24.3

Boiler, 1kW Rb Ώ 57.4

st
1 Preheater, 1kW Rb Ώ 46.1
nd
2 Pre heater,1kW Rb Ώ 45.6
st
1 Re heater,1kW Rb Ώ 45.1
nd
2 Re heater,1kW Rb Ώ 45.0

DISCUSSION:

This experiment is about the air-water vapour mixture,which is the most

commonly encountered gas-vapor mixture in practice.Air that contain no water
vapour is called dry air.In the temperature range encountered in air-conditionng
applications,both the dry air and the water vapour can be treated as ideal gases.From
this experiment, the percentage value that we got have a slightly high value in
experiment 1,2 and 4 which has a percentage value of 50.94％,52.89％,and 51.14％
respectively. the value of this three experiment is bigger than 50% percentage
different,which is the value is not accuracy. For experiment 3, has a value of 41.89％
,which is lower accuracyIn this experiment,we got the value of percentage different is
quietly high which is the result is not accurate and this is may because of the
surrounding factors such as prolonged operation of the A660 Air Conditioning
Laboratory Unit which caused the reading of the temperature to be erratic and
unstable. Moreover, in this experiment, we didn’t maintain the reading of Z,which is
should be at 4mm all the time through this experiment.

CONCLUSION

In conclusion, the average value of specific heat capacity that we obtained

from this experiment is 0.510 kJ/kg.K and the average percentage difference is 49.25
％.The value obtained from this experiment is high ,which is the result is not
accurate.This is happen because we can not avoided the errors during the
experiment. To improve the experiment,we need to focus while doing the experiment
and reduced the errors by taking care of precaution.

REFERENCES

Y.A. cengel, M.A Boles, thermodynamics an Engineering Approach 5th Edition,

2006,
McGraw-Hill Higher EducationCecilia A. Hernández-Hall, 2005, Physics
Laboratory
APPENDICES

1) Air mass flow rate using formula : ma = 0.0517 Z

v
Where Z is orifice differential pressure

Where V is specific volume of air at the orifice

2) Apply the steady flow energy equation :

FanPower + Q = m(hb-ha) , where Qp is electrical power for pre heaters

2 2
Qp = V L/RP1 + V L/RP2

Cpair = (FanPower + Qp)/(m(t3-t1)

3) Compare value with the average of Cp air = 1.005 kJ/kgK.

Calculation:
st
Experiment 1 (1 Pre heater,1kW)
3
From psychometric chart, v = 0.857 m /kg
Air mass flow rate, ma = 0.0517 Z = 0.0517 4
v 0.857 0.1117

Given VL = 220 V, Rp1= 46.1Ώ

V ^2 220^2
1049.89W
Electrical power for pre-heaters, Qp = Rp1 46.1

o o
Given VF =90, t1 = 27.2 C, t3=47.9 C

90 1049.89 0.493kJ / kgK

V Q
For re heater,Cp air= 0.1117(47.9 27.2)
m(t3 t1)

st st
Experiment 2 (1 Pre heater,1kW, 1 Re-heater, 1kW )
Air mass flow rate, ma = 0.0517 Z = 0.0517 4
v 0.86 0.1115

Given VL = 220 V, Rp1= 46.1Ώ

V ^2 220^2
1049.89W
Electrical power for pre-heaters, Qp = Rp1 46.1

Given VL = 220 V, Rr1= 45.1Ώ

V ^2 220^2 1073.17W
Electrical power for re-heaters, Qp =
Rp1 45.1

o o
Given VF =90, t1 = 27.9 C, t3=49.5 C
V Q
 90 1049.89
0.1115(49.5 27.9) 0.473kJ / kgK
For pre heater,Cp air= m(t3 t1)

o o
Given VF =90, t5 = 23.6 C, t7=45.6 C
90 1073.17
V Q
For re heater,Cp air= m(t7 t5) 0.1115(45.6 23.6) 0.474kJ / kgK

0.473 0.474 0.4735kJ / kgK

Average value of Cp ar =
2

st st nd
Experiment 3 (1 Pre heater,1kW, 1 Re-heater, 1kW, 2 Pre-heater, 1kW )
Air mass flow rate, ma = 0.0517 Z = 0.0517 4
v 0.861 0.1114

Given VL = 220 V, Rp1= 46.1Ώ, Rp2 = 45.6Ώ

V ^2 220^2 220^2
V ^2 2111.30W
Electrical power for pre-heaters, Qp = Rp2 46.1 45.6
Rp1

Given VL = 220 V, Rr1= 45.1Ώ, R = 45.1 Ώ

V ^2 220^2 1073.17W
Electrical power for re-heaters, Qp =
Rr1 45.1

o o
Given VF =90, t1 = 28.2 C, t3=69.6 C
90 2111.30
V Q
For pre heater,Cp air= m(t3 t1) 0.1114(69.6 28.2) 0.477kJ / kgK

o o
Given VF =90, t5 = 29.3 C, t7=44.4 C
V 90 1073.17 0.691kJ / kgK
For re heater,Cp air=
Q 0.1114(44.4 29.3)
m(t7 t5)

0.477 0.691 0.584kJ / kgK

Average value of Cp ar =
2

st st nd nd
Experiment 4 (1 Pre heater,1kW, 1 Re-heater, 1kW, 2 Pre-heater, 1kW, 2
Re-heater,1kW )
3
From psychometric chart, v= 0.864 m /kg
Air mass flow rate, ma = 0.0517 Z = 0.0517 4
v 0.864 0.1112

Given VL = 215 V, Rp1= 46.1Ώ, Rp2 = 45.6Ώ

V ^2 215^2 215^2
V ^2 2016.42W
Electrical power for pre-heaters, Qp = Rp2 46.1 45.6
Rp1
Given VL = 215 V, Rr1= 45.1Ώ, R = 45.0 Ώ
V ^2 215^2 215^2
V ^2 2052.16W
Electrical power for re-heaters, Qp = Rr2 45.1 45.0
Rr1

o o
Given VF =85, t1 = 28.4 C, t3= 65.6 C
85 2016.42
V Q
For pre heater,Cp air= m(t3 t1) 0.1112(65.6 28.4) 0.508kJ / kgK

o o
Given VF =85, t5 = 28.3 C, t7=68.9 C
V 85 2052.16 0.473kJ / kgK
For re heater,Cp air=
Q 0.1112(68.9 28.3)
m(t7 t5)

0.508 0.473 0.491kJ / kgK

Average value of Cp ar =
2

COMPARISION
EXPERIMENT 1
1.005 0.493
x 100％=50.94％
Percentage Difference = 1.005

EXPERIMENT 2
1.005 0.4735
x 100％=52.89％
Percentage Difference = 1.005

EXPERIMENT 3
1.005 0.584
x 100％=41.89％
Percentage Difference = 1.005

EXPERIMENT 4
1.005 0.491
x 100％=51.14％
Percentage Difference = 1.005
 The average value of all the experiment for Cp air = (0.493+0.4735+0.584+0.491)/4
= 0.510

The average percentange difference of Cp air = (1.005-0.510)/1.005 x 100％ = 49.25

％