Potential Energy in Compressed Air
Potential Energy in Compressed Air
(OP)
How would one calculate the potential energy content of compressed air at 25 degrees C (~room temperature) for a range of volumes and pressures? For example:
0.25, 0.5 and 1 cubic meter at 5, 10 and 25 Bar?
Please ignore all losses e.g. heat loss when pressurising.
0.25, 0.5 and 1 cubic meter at 5, 10 and 25 Bar?
Please ignore all losses e.g. heat loss when pressurising.





RE: Potential Energy in Compressed Air
WORK = CHANGE_IN_PRESSURE x VOLUME
POWER = CHANGE_IN_PRESSURE x VOLUME / TIME
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RE: Potential Energy in Compressed Air
What units should I use?
RE: Potential Energy in Compressed Air
If I understood your question, you refer to available energy, A.E.
Assuming it would do reversible work discharging to the surrounding atmosphere (Po =1), neglecting mechanical kinetic and gravitational energies, and air acting as an ideal gas (PV=RT), in kJ/kg:
For air R = 0.287 kJ/(kg.K)
P1 = 5, 10, 25 ata; Po = 1 ata
Examples:
For P1 = 5 ata
A.E. = (0.287)(273+25)[(1/5) -1 + ln(5/1)] = 69.2 kJ/kg
For P1 = 25 ata
A.E. = (0.287)(273+25)[(1/25) -1 + ln(25/1)] = 193.2 kJ/kg
With the densities known one can estimate the A.E. for each given volume.
RE: Potential Energy in Compressed Air
RE: Potential Energy in Compressed Air
I’m trying to find out what volume of compressed air I will need to accelerate a human body to around 2m/s (nearly 5mph). (Assuming body is on a frictionless sled and there are no losses)
Using ½ mV2 and a mass of 80kg I need to store and release about 17 J of energy.
Taking the first example posted by member “25362” above, 5 atmospheres of pressure and a density of air of roughly 1.23 kg/m3 I end up with a volume no bigger than a Rubik’s Cube!
I took Available Energy = 69.2 kJ/kg and I need 17 J so:
mass of air required = (17/69,200) = 0.000246 kg
volume of air required = (0.000246kg)/(1.25kg/m3)
= 0.000197 m3
which is a cube with sides of 5.8cm
Can is possibly be true that this much compressed air at 5 atmospheres can accelerate a man to nearly 5mph?
RE: Potential Energy in Compressed Air
I2I
RE: Potential Energy in Compressed Air
Many thanks to member “25362” above. That was very useful and I think I am almost there but I’m getting a funny result.
I’m trying to find out what volume of compressed air I will need to accelerate a human body to around 2m/s. (Assuming body is on a frictionless sled and there are no losses)
Using ½ mV2 and a mass of 80kg I need to store and release about 160 J of energy.
Taking the first example posted by user “25362” above, 5 atmospheres of pressure and a density of air of roughly 1.23 kg/m3 I end up with a volume a bit bigger than a Rubik’s Cube!
I took Available Energy = 69.2 kJ/kg and I need 160 J so:
mass of air required = (160/69,200) = 0.002312 kg
volume of air required = (0.002312kg)/(1.25kg/m3)
= 0.001849 m3
which is a cube with sides of 12.25cm
Can is possibly be true that this much compressed air at 5 atmospheres can accelerate a man to nearly 5mph?
RE: Potential Energy in Compressed Air
TTFN
RE: Potential Energy in Compressed Air
Swetenham,
the principle behind your calculation is OK. The work to be done on the body without friction to accelerate it horizontally from rest (vinit=0) to 2 m/s is indeed 1/2 mv2, e.g., the change in its kinetic energy.
However, as IRstuff pointed out, friction, μ, would have to be considered, and the force to overcome this friction would be
Assume the kinetic friction coefficient is 0.3, the energy needed to overcome this friction over 10 m length would be 0.3×784×10 = 2,352 J, about 15 times the previously estimated energy !
Once a teacher of physics said to us: "remember, the brakes stop only the wheels; it's road friction that stops the car."
RE: Potential Energy in Compressed Air
100 kJ/kg in a container with 10 kg compressed air, when it explodes the release of energy is equivalent to
RE: Potential Energy in Compressed Air
Do you really want to consider the person to be the piston, or should you consider the person to be an object in the path of the expanding air and use a drag coefficient approach?
The probability that a person is laying up against a container of compressed air *may* be pretty small, or it may not. If this is for a fabrication shop and they have to mark any leaks, it would not make sense. If it does make sense to your application, then a rule about making walkways and normal traffic access X feet from a pressure containing component may benefit your approach. In the plants I work in, it would not make sense just from the volume of pressure containing components there.
Does the -1 in the A.E. equation account for the work done by the expanding gas pushing back the surrounding air (not the person)?
Good luck,
Latexman
RE: Potential Energy in Compressed Air
The original formula for work on expansion = A.E. = PoΔV -ToΔS
Since ΔV = RTo (1/P1 - 1/Po)
and ΔS = R ln (P1/Po)
A.E. = RTo[(Po/P1)-1] +RTo ln (P1/Po) = RTo(ln P1/Po -1 + Po/P1)
RE: Potential Energy in Compressed Air
TTFN
RE: Potential Energy in Compressed Air
They may be equivalent, but I approach it differently.
The work the expansion can do = ∫PsystemdVsystem. Here you have to model the expansion as isentropic, adiabatic, or isothermal, if an analytical solution is wanted because P and V vary during the expansion. A "real" solution requires a numerical or graphical solution. Since the fluid is air at low reduced pressures and high reduced temperatures the analytical solution is likely close enough. Isothermal is the easiest, but adiabatic is probably closer to reality. Please pardon me from supplying an analytical equation now as my references are at the office.
The work done on the surroundings = ∫PsurroundingsdVsurroundings. This one is very straight forward. The work done on the surroundings = Patmosphere ΔV.
The work to accelerate the piston (person) = M/gc∫u du. This one is very straight forward too. The work done to accelerate the piston (person) from rest = Mv2/2gc.
This all rolls up to ∫PsystemdVsystem - Patmosphere ΔV = Mv2/2gc.
I'm still not sure you've accounted for the expansion having to push the surrounding atmosphere bach.
Good luck,
Latexman
RE: Potential Energy in Compressed Air
If the person isn't the piston, then you would have to use the entire mass of the failed containment vessel for a total loss of containment (that doesn't seem credible) or the fraction that is involved in the hypothetical failed area of a credible scenario. Right?
Good luck,
Latexman
RE: Potential Energy in Compressed Air
There may be some confusion about the OP's actual desires. His most recent postings involve propelling a person on purpose and not about a failed containment vessel.
TTFN
RE: Potential Energy in Compressed Air
The work in the expression I brought is indeed Workmax- Worksurr.
Studies have confirmed that with exploding vessels the work done by the expanding gas is associated with adiabatic expansions. The general expression being:
where n = k = Cp/Cv assumed constant, for adiabatic expansions, the subscripts 1 and 2 represent initial and final states. Rewriting the expression and replacing V2, the result is:
n, a bit smaller than k, for a polytropic expansion; for an isothermic expansion, W = P1V1 ln(P1/P2)
As for KE one doesn't need the conversion factor gc when using mass in kg, velocity in m/s, since the resulting kg.m2/s2 = J.
BTW, if the depressurizing is done adiabatically (thermally insulated containers) the remaining air in the containers would cool down by
RE: Potential Energy in Compressed Air
RE: Potential Energy in Compressed Air
RE: Potential Energy in Compressed Air
Where was I?
∫PdV = (P2V2 - P1V1)/(1 - k) Balzhiser, Samuels, and Eliassen agree with you.
Patmosphere = P2
ΔV = V2 - V1
(P2V2 - P1V1)/(1 - k) - P2(V2 - V1) = Mv2/2gc
V1 = 250 liters
P1 = 4.935 atm (5 bar abs)
P2 = 1 atm
k = 1.4
V2 = V1(P1/P2)1/k = 782 liters
Mv2/2gc = ((1)(782) - (4.935)(250))/(1 - 1.4) - (1)(782 - 250)
Mv2/2gc = 597 liter.atm
liter.atm x 101 = N.m
Mv2/2gc = 60335 N.m
M = 80 kg
gc = 1 kg.m/N/sec2
v = ((60335 N.m)(2)(1 kg.m/N/sec2)/(80 kg))1/2
v = 39 m/sec = 87 mph
Wow, that does seem unrealistic!
Using your equation:
Mv2/2gc = ((4.935)(250)/0.4)(1-(1/4.935)0.4/1.4
Mv2/2gc = 1129 liter.atm Hmmmmm, yours is different from mine by P2(V2 - V1) or (1)(782 - 250) or 532 liter.atm
1129 - 532 = 597
I think you are wrong. Your equation does not account for the work to push back the surroundings.
Good luck,
Latexman
RE: Potential Energy in Compressed Air
Latexman, please consider, for a moment, as the control volume only the compressed air in its well-insulated cylindrical container, and assume it pushes a piston until it reaches atmospheric pressure. Now consider the final and initial conditions of the air all the time inside the container.
We both agree on that the work the air has done against the piston on its adiabatic expansion = (P1V1-P2V2)/(k-1)
Where, using your figures:
P are pressures: P1=4.935 ata, and P2=1 ata,
V are the volumes: V1=250 L, and V2=782 L. Please note the gas is cooler.
K=1.4
Am I missing something ?
RE: Potential Energy in Compressed Air
Maybe.
The original post asked only about the potential energy content of compressed air, which your available energy equation answered very nicely.
Later, the original poster (OP) further explained that he was calculating how much compressed air was needed to accelerate a human body to a certain velocity. With this extra information on what the OP was doing, it became possible to progress and refine an answer, which I was working on. In my weekend post I asked, “Does the -1 in the A.E. equation account for the work done by the expanding gas pushing back the surrounding air (not the person)?”
You said, “The work in the expression I brought is indeed Workmax- Worksurr.”.
After I referred to my copy of Balzhiser, Samuels, and Eliassen at the office, I finished looking at the OP’s smallest volume of air at the lowest pressure in the original post to accelerate the human body. While doing this, it became obvious that the A. E. equation “does not account for the work to push back the surroundings”.
Your equation is correct for the potential energy content. To calculate the final velocity of the body (piston), the work for the piston to push back the surrounding atmosphere must be subtracted first.
The adding of additional information may have put us on different pages.
Good luck,
Latexman
RE: Potential Energy in Compressed Air
Latexman, you are right. In my first answer, with examples, I used the Gibbs free energy function: G = H-TS = U+PV-TS.
Although I neglected potential and kinetic energies, I took
Wmax=U1+PoV1-ToS1 and substracted Wsurr=Uo+PoVo-ToSo, considering the compressed air should overcome the resistance presented by the surrounding air's pressure Po.
The subindex o means the surrounding air, the subindex 1 refers to the compressed air. Since both U's are equal they cancel out, I finally got the expression:
which I thought (probably wrongly) it would include the energy needed to compress the surrounding air.
RE: Potential Energy in Compressed Air
this question is not very clear to me as the numbers are flying about fast and furious and i'm not sure i got the knowns and unknowns straight in my mind.
but i recently posted a javascript calculator on my thermo course web page for polytropic expansion / compression and it calculates the work involved in the process. which of course depends on how you do the expansion / compression.
the calculator is for students to compare to their homework answers.
possibly it is useful here (only in terms of work / energy in a mass of compressed gas).... possibly it is not.
the link to the page is here:
http://myweb.wit.edu/leod1/MECH240/polytropic.html
i hope this can be helpful, but again, the known and unknown variables in this problem are not clear to me.
daveleo