EML 6451 Mid-Term Exam Information Time and Place : Feb 28, 2014, 3:00-5:00 pm in CISE Building E118.

Open book and Notes. All the thermal properties needed in the problem solving will be provided, so you do not need to include any tables, charts, and figures in your books and notes. You need to bring a scientific and engineering calculator. No computer and cell phone Materials covered : the exam will include all the materials covered in classes up to the Wednesday, February 26 lecture (Lecture 1 to lecture 22). Only the topics included in class and in homeworks will be in the exam. Exam Format Part A : 40% five questions aiming at the fundamental understanding of the physics and engineering principles. Sample review questions are given next. Part B : 60%, three problem comparable to your HW problems. They will involve setting up the solution methods and perform simple calculations to obtain numerical answers. Review questions for Part A : 1. The thermal energy has both quantity and quality issues. How do you assess the quality aspect of energy ? You may give a simple example to show your point. 2. First, discuss the factors that control the power density (volumetric heat generation rate) in a nuclear reactor core. Can we design the power density as high as we want ? If not what are the factors that limit the power density and which one is the most significant one ? 3. Please explain the physics of a fast nuclear reactor. Most of the time a fast nuclear reactor is designed to be a breeder reactor. Describe how the breeding is achieved and also define the breeding ratio. What the breeding ratio should be for a breeder reactor ? 4. For a combined Brayton-Rankine cycle, explain how the two subsystems are coupled and what are the limitations. Explain why a combined system enhances the overall efficiency. 5. In a Brayton cycle system with regeneration, discuss under what conditions regeneration would be more beneficial ? Also explain why there are situations regeneration actually results in lower efficiency than that without regeneration.

6. For a Brayton cycle gas turbine system, please explain when you decrease the scale of the compressor and turbine, mainly what will be affected and why ? 7. For an ideal Brayton cycle, when you add the intercooling and reheating only what always happen to the back work ratio and thermal efficiency ? Why ? 8. For an ideal Brayton cycle, when you add only the regeneration what always happen to the back work ratio and thermal efficiency ? Why ?

9. For an ideal Brayton cycle, when you add the intercooling, reheating and also regeneration what always happen to the back work ratio and thermal efficiency ? Why ? 10. Between a typical Rankine cycle and a typical Brayton cycle, explain why the Brayton cycle has a very large back work ratio, but it still manages to have a relatively higher thermal efficiency ? 11. What are the major advantages for the Rankine and Brayton cycles respectively ? 12. Please outline the general concept for optimizing a Brayton cycle ? 13. For absorption refrigeration, it actually involves two cycles working together to achieve the cooling effects. Please draw a diagram to show this combination. 14. Explain in general, why a co-gen plant releases less CO 2 than the sum of CO 2 releases from the two stand alone systems ? 15. What are the three groups of fission energy materials and their respective definitions ? Please explain why most nuclear power plants are based on thermal reactors and fast reactors are usually associated with breeding functions rather than producing power ?

Please note the above are sample questions that guide your preparation. Do not assume that all five Part A questions will come from the above.