Two storage tanks (0.1 m3 each) contain air at 2 bar. They are connected across a small reversible compressor. The tanks, connecting lines, and compressor are immersed in a constant temperature bath at 280 K. The compressor will take suction from one tank, compress the gas, and discharge it to the other tank. The gas is at 280 K at all times. Assume that air is an ideal gas with CP = 29.3 J/mol-K.
(a) What is the minimum work interaction required to compress the gas in one tank to 3 bar?
(b) What is the heat interaction with the constant temperature bath?