Unit-1 Combustion Thermodynamics: - Vtu News - Vtu Notes - Question Papers - Forums - Results
Unit-1 Combustion Thermodynamics: - Vtu News - Vtu Notes - Question Papers - Forums - Results
Unit-1 Combustion Thermodynamics: - Vtu News - Vtu Notes - Question Papers - Forums - Results
1.1 Introduction
All conventional fossil fuels, whether, solid, liquid or gaseous, contain basically carbon and
hydrogen which invariably react with the oxygen in the air forming carbon dioxide, carbon
monoxide or water vapour. The heat energy released as a result of combustion can be utilized for
heating purposes or for generation of high pressure steam in a boiler or as power from an engine or
a gas turbine.
The solid fuels are burned in beds or in pulversied from suspended in the air stream. The
liquid fuels are burned either by vaporising and mixing with air before ignition, when they behave
like a gaseous fuel. The gaseous fuels are either burned in burners when the fuel and air are
premixed or the fuel and air flow separately in to a burner or a furnace and simultaneously mix
together as combustion proceeds.
Consider a reaction
CH4 + 2O2 CO2 + 2H2O 1.1
(12+4.032) + 64 44 + 2 (2.032 + 16)
16.032kg of methane reacts with 64Kg of oxygen to form 44kg of carbon dioxide and
36.032kg of water. We can also simply state that 1Kmol of methane reacts with 2Kmol of oxygen
to form 1Kmol of carbon dioxide and 2K mol of water, this has advantage of permitting easy
conversion between the mass and volumetric quantities for the gaseous fuel and the product of
combustion. If the gases are considered ideal then according to Avogadro hypothesis, all gases
contain the same number of molecules per unit volume. It implies that 1K mole of any gaseous
substance occupies the volume of 22.4m3 at NTP i.e., 1.013bar and 273K.
CH4 + 202 CO2 + 2H2O 1.2
1 volume of methane reacts with 2 volume of oxygen to form one volume of CO2 and two volumes
of H2O. Therefore in any reactions, the mass in confirmed but the no. of mol or volumes may not
be considered.
A balanced chemical equation for complete Combustion of the reactions with no excess air
in the product is known as a stiochiometric equation. A stiochiometric mixture of the reactants is
one in which the molar proportions of the reactants are exactly as given by the stiochiometric
coefficients, so that no excess of any constituent is present. In general a chemical reaction may be
written as
aA + bB - cC + dD 1.3
Where the reactants A and B react to form the products C and D. The small letters a, b, c and d are
known as the stiochiometric coefficients.
For the combustion of any fuel the most common oxidizer is air which is a mixture of 21%
O2 and 79% N2 (on volume basis). One mol of oxygen is accompanied by 79/21 (3.76) mol of
Nitrogen. The Chemical equation for the stiochiometric combustion of carbon with air is written
as
The minimum amount of air required for the complete combustion of a fuel is known as
theoretical air. However in practice it is difficult to achieve complete combustion with theoretical
air. Therefore fuel requires some excess air for different application and may vary from 5% ~ 20%
and in gas turbine it may go up to 400% of theoretical quantity.
1.3 Theoretical air required for complete combustion.
If the fuel composition is known, the requirement of oxygen or air can be calculated either by mass
balance or by mole method.
Consider a equation
C + O2 CO2 1.5
(12) + (32) (44)
Or 1 + 8/3 11/3
Or 1 Kg C + 8/3 Kg O2 11/3 kg CO2
Similarly
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2C + O2 2CO 1.6
2(12) + (32) 2(28)
Or 1 Kg C + 32/24 Kg O2 56/24 kg CO
Or 1 Kg C + 4/3 Kg O2 7/3 kg CO
Similarly
On molal basis
If the composition of fuel is given on gravimetric (or weight) basis it can be converted to
volumetric (or mole) basis as follows. Divide the weight of each constituents of the mixture by its
molecular weight. This will give the relative volume (or mole) of each constituents. Add all the
relative volumes of the constituents then,
If the volumetric composition of a fuel is given, it can be converted to gravimetric (or weight) basis
as follows. Multiply the indivisual volume of each constituent by its molecular weight. This will
give relative weight of each constituent. Add all the relative weights of the constituents then
1.4.1 Calculation of the minimum amount of air for a fuel of known composition.
Example 1
Calculate the minimum volume of air required to burn one Kg of coal having the following
composition by weight
On weight basis:
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Taking 1kg coal as basis weight of oxygen required to burn 1kg of coal
C + O2 CO2
= Molecular weight
Volume
= P/RT = 1.013x105/287x273 = 1.29 kg/m3
Therefore volume of air required = 9.9(kg)/1.29(kg) = 7.67 m3
On mole basis
Consider 100kg of coal
Air required
Example 2
Calculate the volumetric analysis of the flue gases when coal burns with 20% excess air from the
previous calculation the actual air required 33.89K mol/100kg coal. Therefore the actual air is
33.89 x 120/100 = 40.67K mol/ 100 kg coal
The actual amount of O2 required was 7.118K mol excess O2 will appear in exhaust gas = 8.54
7.118 = 1.422K mol.
Therefore:
CO2 = 6.03K mol
SO2 = 0.028K mol
N2 = 32.13K mol (air) + 0.064 (fuel)
= 32.194K mol
O2 = 1.422K mol os excess oxygen.
Therefore the Total volume = (6.03 + 0.028 + 32.194 + 1.422)
= 39.674K mol
1.5 Calculation of the composition of fuel and excess air supplied from the exhaust gas
analysis:
Some times the composition of fuel is unknown and it becomes necessary to judge whether the
amount of air supplied is sufficient or not, or excess. This can be obtained by analyzing the sample
of exhaust gases.
Example 3
The composition of dry flue gases obtained by burning a liquid fuel containing only hydrogen and
carbon is CO2 10.7%, O2 5.1%, N2 84.2%. Calculate the composition of fuel by weight and excess
air used.
Solution: consider 100K mol of dry flue gases. They will contain 10.7K mol of O2 (from CO2) +
5.1K mole of (as max. oxygen) = 15.8K mol
Using nitrogen balance the actual air used 84.2 x 100/79 = 106.58K mol of dry flue gases and
oxygen in the air supplied 106.58 x 21/100 = 22.38K mol. Therefore the amount of O2 present in
the water produced by the combustion of H2 is 22.38 15.8 = 6.58K mol O2. We know that 1 K
mole of H2 combines with K mol O2 to produce water. Therefore the amount of hydrogen
present is 6.58x2 = 13.16K mol/100K mol of dry flue gases, and the carbon present is 12X10.7 =
128.4kg/100K mol of dry flue gas. Therefore the composition of fuel (by weight) is 128.4kgC
and 26.32Kg H2 on the %age basis.
C = (128.4/(128.4+26.32) x 100 = 82.99%
H = (26.32/(128.4+26.32) x 100 = 17.01%
The amount of O2 required to burn 10.7K mol C is 10.7K mol and to burn 13.16K mol H2 is 13.16
X = 6.58
Total O2 required = 10.7 + 6.58 = 17.28K mol/100K mol of dry flue gases
%age of excess air = (22.38 17.28)/(17.28) x 100 = 29.5%
Example 4
A blast furnace gas has the following volumetric analysis H2 CO-24%, CH4 2%, CO2-6%, O2-3%
and N2-56%
Solution: The volumetric analysis may be converted into mass or granite metric analysis by
completing the table as follows:
Constituent Volume in Molecular Proportional Mass in kg per kg of % by mass =
1m3 of mass (b) mass the gas (d)=(c)/ (d)x100
flue gas (c)=(a)x(b)
(a)
CO 0.24 28 6.72 6.72/18.48 = 0.36 36%
CH4 0.02 16 0.32 0.32/18.48 = 0.0173 1.73%
CO2 0.06 44 2.64 264/18.48 = 0.142 14.2%
O2 0.03 32 0.96 0.96/18.48 = 0.0519 5.19%
N2 0.56 14 7.84 7.84/18.48 = 0.42 42%
c = 18.48 (d) = 1 100
Example 5
Determine the fuel gas analysis and air fuel ratio by weight when fuel oil with 84.9% carbon,
11.4% hydrogen, 3.2% sulphur, 0.4% oxygen and 0.1% ash by weight is burnt with 20% excess
air, assume complete combustion.
Therefore:
O2 = (0.641/17.715)x100 = 3.618%
N2 = (12.871/17.715)x100 = 72.656%
Example 6
Solution:
% of volumetric analysis = 56 N2
Proportional mass of N2 = 56 x 28 = 1568 Kg.
C = (384/2650)x100 = 14.49%
H2 = (26/2650)x100 = 0.98%
O2 = (672/2650)x100 = 25.36%
N2 = (1568/2650)x100 = 59.17%
Example 7
The analysis of coal used in a boiler trial is as follows. 82% carbon, 6% hydrogen, 4% oxygen, 2%
moisture and 8% ash. Determine the theoretical air required for complete combustion of 1kg of
coal. If the actual air supplied is 18kg per kg of coal the hydrogen is completely burned & 80%
carbon burned to CO2 ,the reminder is CO, Determine the volumetric analysis of the dry products
of combustion.
O2 required is
For carbon - 0.82 = 2.186 kg of O2
For hydrogen - 0.006 = 0.48 kg of O2
Total O2 required = 2.666kg.
Net O2 supplied = Total O2 required O2 present in the fuel
= 2.66 0.004
= 2.662 kg/kg of coal
Theoretical minimum air required for complete combustion [C burns to CO2 totally]
Air supplied = 2.626x100/23 = 11.417 kg/kg of coal
O2 required by Hydrogen:
= 0.06 x 8 = 0.48 kg of O2.
In % of volume:
Every chemical species has a certain amount of "heat content," or enthalpy, H, which cannot be
measured. However, differences in enthalpy can be measured. The net energy change for a reaction
performed at constant pressure is the enthalpy change for the reaction. This enthalpy change, H ,
has units kJ/mol and is defined:
[C + H (fuel)] + [O2 + N2 (Air)] -> (Combustion Process) -> [CO2 + H2O + N2 (Heat)]
where
If energy is given off during a reaction, such as in the burning of a fuel, the products have less heat
content than the reactants and H will have a negative value; the reaction is said to be
exothermic. If energy is consumed during a reaction, H will have a positive value; the reaction
is said to be endothermic.
The enthalpy change for a chemical change is independent of the method or path by which the
change is carried out as long as the initial and final substances are brought to the same temperature.
This observation, known as HESS'S LAW, has important practical utility.
Thermochemical equations may be treated as algebraic equations: they may be written in the
reverse direction with a change in the sign of H even though the reverse reaction may not
actually occur; they may be added and subtracted algebraically; the equation and associated
H value may be multiplied or divided by factors. Hess's Law allows the calculation of enthalpy
changes that would be difficult or impossible to determine directly, i.e. by experiment.
cannot be determined directly because carbon dioxide will also form. However, H can be
measured for:
Multiplying equation (3) by 2 gives equation (5), and reversing equation (4) gives equation (6):
For a reaction in which a compound is formed from the elements, the enthalpy change is called
the heat of formation, Hf o, for the compound. The superscript "o" indicates standard conditions
of one atmosphere pressure. Equation (2) and (3) are such reactions. Some others:
In reactions (2), (3), (7), and (8) H for the reaction is Hf o for the compound. For the reaction:
the heat of reaction is associated with the formation of two moles of SO3. But heat of formation
is per mole of compound, so Hfo for SO3 is half of 790.4, or 395.2 kJ.
Extensive listings of heats of formation are available in handbooks. With these values of H of ,
you can calculate virtually any heat of reaction. The heat of a reaction is the sum of H f o values
for the products minus the sum of Hfo values for the reactants. Expressed as a formula:
Heats of formation for several compounds are given below. Note that the phase of the compound
o o
STANDARD HEATS OF FORMATION, H f , kJ/mole, at 25 C
EXAMPLE: Using H
f data calculate the heat of reaction for:
o
Using Hess' Law with appropriate equations from (13)-(18), above, calculate H for each
of the following reactions:
Using heats of formation values from page T-56 calculate H for each of the following
reactions:
Answers to Problems
1) +44.1 kJ 9) 76.9 kJ
2) +131.3 kJ 10) 19.2 kJ
3) 393.7 kJ 11) 130.8
4) 283.0 kJ 12) 111.7
5) 2414.2 kJ 13) 258.7
6) 1390.8 kJ 14) 58.7 kJ
7) 1089.5 kJ 15) 122.6
8) 592.2 kJ
1.9 Internal Energy of Combustion: It is defined as the difference between the internal
energy of the products and the internal energy of the reactants when complete
combustion occurs at a given temperature and pressure.
Uc = Up UR
= p ne (hf + h pv ) - R ni (hf + h pv )
Example 8
Consider the following reaction, which occurs in a steady state, steady flow processes.
The reactants and products are each at total pressure of 0.1Mpa and 25oC. Determine the
heat transfer for per K mol of fuel entering the combustion chamber.
Q = hf = p nehf - R nihf
Example 9
A small gas turbine uses C8H18 as fuel and 400% theoretical air. The air and fuel
enters at 25oC and the products of combustion leaves at 900K. The output of the engine
and the fuel consumption are measured and it is found that the specific fuel consumption
is 0.25kg/Sec of fuel per MW out put. Determine the heat transfer from the engine per K
mol of fuel. Assume complete combustion
Solution:
The combustion equation is
By first law
p ne (hf + h) = nCO2 (hf + h) CO2+ nH2O (hf + h) H2O + nO2 (h)O2 + nN2 (h)N2