Specific Heat Capacity PDF

ME 2842: Basic Thermal Sciences and Applications
Specific Heat Capacity of Ideal Gases
Dr. Manoj Ranaweera

Senior Lecturer
Department of Mechanical Engineering
Learning Outcomes
At the end of this session students should be

able to:
 Describe the two forms of specific heat capacities
for fluids
 Apply specific heat capacity relations of ideal
gases

Introduction
“The specific heat capacity is the amount of energy

required to raise the temperature of unit mass of a
substance by one degree”
 Note: above definition is valid for reversible

processes as the relationship temperature having
with irreversibilities cannot be clearly distinguished.
 Units: J /(kg K) or kJ /(kg K)
 Fluids, especially, gases could be heated in a number

of ways. Two common methods are constant
pressure and constant volume.
 Energy required in these two methods to raise the

temperature of a unit mass of a substance by one
degree is different.
Constant Volume Specific Heat
Capacity (Cv)
Consider a fixed volume of gas being heated

reversibly at constant volume. Apply 1st law
of thermodynamics.
Since the process is being done at constant
volume the boundary work is Zero. If the
process is reversible, there is no work
interactions with any irreversibility
∆𝑄 − ∆𝑊 = ∆𝑈
0
 From the definition of specific heat….
∆𝑄 = 𝑚𝐶𝑣 ∆𝑇
Constant Volume Specific Heat
Capacity (Cv)
By substitution….
𝑚𝐶𝑣 𝑑𝑇 = 𝑑𝑈
𝑑𝑢 = 𝐶𝑣 𝑑𝑇
By integration
𝑢 = 𝐶𝑣 𝑇 + 𝑘 ;
𝑤ℎ𝑒𝑟𝑒 𝑘 𝑖𝑠 𝑎 𝑐𝑜𝑛𝑠𝑡𝑎𝑛𝑡 𝑜𝑓 𝑖𝑛𝑡𝑒𝑔𝑟𝑎𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛
For ideal gases, when T = 0, u = 0. Therefore,

k =0

𝒖 = 𝑪𝒗 𝑻
Constant Pressure Specific Heat
Capacity (Cv)
Consider a fixed volume of gas being heated

reversibly at constant pressure. Apply 1st law
of thermodynamics.
Since the process is reversible, the only work
is the moving boundary work
∆𝑄 − ∆𝑊 = 𝑑𝑈
From the definition of specific heat….
∆𝑄 = 𝑚𝐶𝑝 𝑑𝑇

Capacity (Cv)
By substitution…
𝑚𝐶𝑝 𝑑𝑇 − 𝑃𝑑𝑉 = 𝑑𝑈
𝑚𝐶𝑝 𝑑𝑇 = 𝑃𝑑𝑉 + 𝑑𝑈
𝑃𝑑𝑉 + 𝑑𝑈 = 𝑑𝐻
𝑚𝐶𝑝 𝑑𝑇 = 𝑑H
𝐶𝑝 𝑑𝑇 = 𝑑h

Capacity (Cv)
By integration
ℎ = 𝐶𝑝 T + k
𝑘 𝑖𝑠 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑐𝑜𝑛𝑠𝑡𝑎𝑛𝑡 𝑜𝑓 𝑖𝑛𝑡𝑒𝑔𝑟𝑎𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛
𝑤ℎ𝑒𝑛 𝑇 = 0, ℎ = 0. 𝑇ℎ𝑒𝑟𝑒𝑓𝑜𝑟𝑒, 𝑘 = 0
𝒉 = 𝑪𝒑 𝐓

Specific Heat Capacity Relations
For ideal gases

𝑃𝑣 = 𝑅𝑇 (R – Gas constant)
From the definition of enthalpy

ℎ = 𝑢 + 𝑃𝑣
By substitution
ℎ = 𝑢 + 𝑅𝑇
𝐶𝑝 𝑇 = 𝐶𝑣 𝑇 + 𝑅𝑇
𝐶𝑝 = 𝐶𝑣 + 𝑅
Specific Heat Capacity Ratio
The ratio of Cv and Cp is denoted by gamma

(𝛾)
𝐶𝑝
𝛾=
𝐶𝑉
Usually 𝛾 = 1.4 most diatomic gases such as
CO, H2, N2, O2

Example 1
A perfect gas has a molar mass of 26 kg/ kmol

and 𝛾 = 1.26. Ru = 8.3145 kJ/ kg K. Calculate the
heat rejected:
i. When unit mass of the gas is contained in a

rigid vessel at 3 bar and 315 0C, and is then
cooled until the pressure falls to 1.5bar (Ans
361 kJ/kg)
ii. When unit mass flow rate of the gas enters a
pipeline at 280 0C, and flows steadily to the
end of the pipe where the temperature is 20
0C. Neglect changes in velocity of the gas in the
pipeline (Ans 403 kW)

Example 2
Air at 1.02 bar, 22 0C, initially occupying a

cylinder of volume 0.015m3 is compressed
reversibly and adiabatically by a piston to a
pressure of 6.8 bar. Calculate the final
temperature, the final volume, and the work
done on the mass of air in the cylinder.
Take 𝛾 = 1.4
P-V relation of an adiabatic process is 𝑃𝑣 𝛾 = 𝑘

Example 2
Air at 1.02 bar, 22 0C, initially occupying a

cylinder of volume 0.015m3 is compressed
reversibly and adiabatically by a piston to a
pressure of 6.8 bar. Calculate the final
temperature, the final volume, and the work
done on the mass of air in the cylinder.
Take 𝛾 = 1.4
P-V relation of an adiabatic process is 𝑃𝑣 𝛾 = 𝑘

Example 3
1 kg of a perfect gas is compressed from 1.1

bar, 27 0C according to a law 𝑃𝑣 1.3 =
𝑐𝑜𝑛𝑠𝑡𝑎𝑛𝑡, until the pressure is 6.6 bar.
Calculate the heat flow to or from the cylinder
walls if:
i. The molar mass of the gas is 30 kg/kmol and
Cp = 2.10 kJ/kgK
ii. The molar mass of the gas is 40kg/kmol and Cp
= 0.520kJ/kgK

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ME 2842: Basic Thermal Sciences and Applications

Specific Heat Capacity of Ideal Gases

Dr. Manoj Ranaweera

At the end of this session students should be

ME 2842: Basic Thermal Sciences and Applications

“The specific heat capacity is the amount of energy

 Note: above definition is valid for reversible

 Units: J /(kg K) or kJ /(kg K)

 Fluids, especially, gases could be heated in a number

 Energy required in these two methods to raise the

Consider a fixed volume of gas being heated

For ideal gases, when T = 0, u = 0. Therefore,

ME 2842: Basic Thermal Sciences and Applications

Consider a fixed volume of gas being heated

From the definition of specific heat….

ME 2842: Basic Thermal Sciences and Applications

ME 2842: Basic Thermal Sciences and Applications

ME 2842: Basic Thermal Sciences and Applications

For ideal gases

From the definition of enthalpy

The ratio of Cv and Cp is denoted by gamma

ME 2842: Basic Thermal Sciences and Applications

A perfect gas has a molar mass of 26 kg/ kmol

i. When unit mass of the gas is contained in a

ME 2842: Basic Thermal Sciences and Applications

Air at 1.02 bar, 22 0C, initially occupying a

P-V relation of an adiabatic process is 𝑃𝑣 𝛾 = 𝑘

ME 2842: Basic Thermal Sciences and Applications

Air at 1.02 bar, 22 0C, initially occupying a

P-V relation of an adiabatic process is 𝑃𝑣 𝛾 = 𝑘

ME 2842: Basic Thermal Sciences and Applications

1 kg of a perfect gas is compressed from 1.1

ME 2842: Basic Thermal Sciences and Applications

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