Question

This is a problem involving an engine with a three thermodynamic process cycle. We have an monatomic ideal gas in a cylinder that can expand and contract. The cylinder can be connected to a hot thermal reservoir at temperature, TH, and also can be connected to a cold reservoir at temperature, TC. We start out at temperture, TH, with Pressure P1 and volume V1.

a)Keeping the cylinder connected to the hot reservoir we expand isothermaly to a new volume V2. What is the new pressure, P2?

b)Now, we connect to the cold reservoir through a controllable thermal link which allows us to compress back to the opriginal volume, V1, while keeping the pressure constant at P2. Finally, keeping the volume constant at V1 we break the connection to the cold reservoir, reconnect to the hot reservoir and allow the system to re-equilbrate to its original state. How much work is done in going around the cycle? How much heat enters the system from the hot reservoir? How much heat does the system exhaust
into the cold reservoir?

c) What is the efficiency of this engine?

Answer 1