22-Mec-B3 Energy Conversion and Power Generation: December 2016

Paper format. 07-Mec-B3 Energy Conversion and Power Generation, National Examinations, December 2016. Three hours, closed book. Two sections: Section A is calculative (Questions 1–4) and Section B is descriptive (Questions 5–6). Candidates answer three questions from Section A and one from Section B; four questions of 15 marks each constitute a complete paper (60 marks). Reference data for individual questions are bound in as attachments on pages 9–14, reference formulae and constants on pages 15–18, and Granet & Bluestein steam tables are supplied. All six questions are solved below, because the set is a study resource rather than a timed attempt.

Reference texts.

• Granet, I. and Bluestein, M., Thermodynamics and Heat Power, 6th ed. — the steam tables issued with this paper, and the vapour-cycle and gas-cycle chapters.
• Çengel, Y. A. and Boles, M. A., Thermodynamics: An Engineering Approach, 9th ed. — Brayton and Rankine cycles, regeneration, combined cycles, gas-power cycles.
• El-Wakil, M. M., Powerplant Technology — heat recovery boilers and pinch behaviour, condensers, cooling towers and their evaporative loss charts, fuel characteristics.
• Lamarsh, J. R. and Baratta, A. J., Introduction to Nuclear Engineering, 4th ed. — fission, reactor components, heat removal from a core.
• Heywood, J. B., Internal Combustion Engine Fundamentals — the fuel-air cycle with modified specific heats and the loss chain from ideal to brake power.

Where the paper's own attachments carry data that duplicate a computed result — the 392 °C exhaust in Question 2, the 177 °C boiler gas outlet, the 13 kg/s fuel flow, the torque curve on page 9 — those printed values are used as independent checks and the agreement is quoted in each answer.