TransWikia.com

Enthalpy Change during Throttling

Physics Asked on January 21, 2021

From the videos I could find over internet, it is written that a liquid at high pressure always cools when throttled through a nozzle or restricted path(this is used in refrigeration). And that Enthalpy also remains constant. I have the Steady flow Energy Equation:
$delta Q + U_{1}+ K.E._{1} + P.E._{1} + P_{1}nu_{1} = delta W + U_{2}+ K.E._{2} + P.E._{2} + P_{2}nu_{2}$

$delta Q$ = Heat exchanged during the sudden expansion
$U$ = Internal Energy
$K.E.$ = Kinetic Energy
$P.E.$ = Potential Energy
$delta W$ = Work done
$nu$ = specific volume
$Pnu$ = flow work
$P $= Pressure
How can I prove the conclusions stated above?
My progress:
I know that $delta Q=0$, $delta W=0$, $P.E._{1} = P.E._{2}$(same datum). But I have no clue after this. How to proceed after this?

One Answer

As long as kinetic and gravitational potential energy effects are negligible and the flow is at steady state, the enthalpy change will be zero. Your equation already told you that. If there are constricted passages, or even if the pipe is of constant diameter (so that there is a viscous pressure loss), a liquid will typically heat up. This is because enthalpy is a function of temperature and pressure, so if the pressure decreases (say for an incompressible liquid), the temperature must increase.

In the case of a gas, the situation is a little different. When you have a nozzle, there can be changes in kinetic energy of the gas. So, if the kinetic energy increases, the enthalpy can decrease. But in the case of a highly restricted flow, such as a porous plug or a constricted valve, the kinetic energy changes are typically going to be negligible, and the enthalpy will be constant through the device. But here is where non-ideal gas effects come into play. For an ideal gas, if the enthalpy is constant, the temperature is constant. For a real gas, the enthalpy is a function both of temperature and pressure. So even at constant enthalpy, the temperature can change. Depending on the deviation of the gas from ideal behavior and the specific operating pressures, the gas temperature can either increase of decrease. This is the Joule-Thomson effect.

Answered by Chet Miller on January 21, 2021

Add your own answers!

Ask a Question

Get help from others!

© 2024 TransWikia.com. All rights reserved. Sites we Love: PCI Database, UKBizDB, Menu Kuliner, Sharing RPP