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Question 5.4.1: Energy Released on the Explosion of a Steam Tank A tank of v...

Energy Released on the Explosion of a Steam Tank

A tank of volume 0.1 m ^{3} that contains steam at 600°C and 1 MPa bursts. Estimate the energy of the blast. For comparison, the blast energy of trinitrotoluene (TNT) is 4600 kJ/kg.

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From the steam tables we have at the initial conditions that \hat{V}=0.4011 m ^{3} / kg , \hat{U}=3296.8 kJ / kg , and \hat{S}=8.0290 kJ /( kg K ) . \text { At } P=0.1 MPa =1 \text { bar } we have that \hat{S}=8.0290 kJ /( kg K ) at T=248^{\circ} C , \text { where } \hat{U} \approx 2731 kJ / kg . Consequently, 

M=\frac{0.1 m ^{3}}{0.4011 \frac{ m ^{3}}{ kg }}=0.2493 kg

and

-W=0.2493 kg \times(3296.8-2731) \frac{ kJ }{ kg }=141.1 kJ

This is equivalent to the energy released by 30.7 g of TNT.

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