Module 5
Module 5
Module 5
Fuels
❑ Combustible substance (may be solid, liquid or gas) having carbon as major
constituent gives energy while burning.
Energy: Heat or Light
❑ Reacts with oxygen leading to the formation of the product with the evolution of
heat at a rapid rate.
Fuel + O2 → Products + Heat
❑ The energy liberated as heat can be used economically for domestic and industrial
purpose. Example wood, charcoal, kerosene, petrol, natural gas etc.
Classification of Fuel
Calorific values of solid and liquid fuels are usually expressed in calories per
gram (Cals/g) or Kilocalories per kilogram (Kcals/Kg) or British Thermal Units
per pound (B. Th. U./lb.);
whereas the calorific values of gases are expressed as Kilocalories per cubic
metre (K cals/m3) or British thermal units per cubic foot (B. Th. U./ft3) or
Centigrade Thermal Units per pound (C.H.U./lb) or C.H.U./ft3.
• Hydrogen is present in all most all the fuels & when the calorific value of
the fuel is determined experimentally, hydrogen is converted into steam.
• It is the net heat produced when unit mass or volume of fuel has been
burnt completely and the products of combustion are allowed to
escape.
• In actual use of any fuel, the water vapour and moisture etc. escape
as such along with hot combustion gases. Since they are not
condensed. Hence a lesser amount of heat is available.
H2 + O → H2O
2g 16g 18g
A known mass of the fuel is burnt and the quantity of heat produced is
absorbed by water & measured, then the quantity of heat produced by
burning unit mass of fuel is calculated.
Bomb Calorimeter
Beckmann’s
thermometer Oxygen
valve
Electrically
Electrodes to operated stirrer
which Mg
wire is
attached Copper
calorimeter
Copper calorimeter
• The bomb is kept in a copper calorimeter having known quantity of water.
• Cotton Thread corrections: Cotton thread is used for the ignition of fuel,
so its burning also generates heat & it should be deducted.
• From the volume of gas burnt, the volume of water collected and
mean rise in temperature of water, the calorific value of gaseous
fuel can be calculated.
Construction
A burner situated in chimney which is the
centre of the annual vessel.
= W(t2-t1)
Determine the GCV & NCV of the gaseous fuel per cubic meter at NTP, provided
that the heat liberated in condensation of water vapour and cooling the condensate is
587 Kcal/kg
SOLUTION:
ANS:
GCV= 3750 kcal/m3
LCV= 3603 kcal/m3
Coal
• Coal is a fossil fuel found under the earth crust commonly known as coal beds or
coal seams. It is formed from the dead plants and animals by a process called
coalification.
• All coals are of vegetable origin and are the remains of prehistoric forests.
• Dead plants and animals are first converted into peat which in turn is converted
into lignite, after that bituminous coal and then anthracite.
Analysis of Coal
The analysis of coal done to determine the coal’s energy value. Coal’s heating value
is an important factor for deciding the usage of coal.
• High percentage of moisture lower the calorific value of coal; moisture in coal
consumes more heat in the form of latent heat of evaporation. Hence more heat
is to be supplied to the coal.
Procedure:
• The weight of empty crucible is taken, and 1 gm of coal sample is taken in it
(W1 gm).
• The crucible is kept in an oven at 105-110º C for a period of 60 min. The
crucible is then withdrawn from the oven & kept in a desiccator for cooling.
After cooling weight of the crucible is again taken (W2 gm).
• The presence of volatile matter is undesirable since they don’t add to the heating
value. Coal with high volatile content burns with long flame, high smoke & has
low calorific value.
Procedure:
• After the analysis of moisture content, the crucible with residual coal sample is
covered with a lid and it is heated at 950 +/- 20º C for 7 minutes in a muffle
furnace. The crucible is taken out & air cooled inside the desiccator and weighed (W3
gm).
Procedure:
• After the analysis of volatile matter, the crucible with residual coal sample
is heated without lid at 700 +/- 50º C for 1 hour in a muffle furnace. The
loss in weight of the sample is found out and the % of ash content is calculated
as,
% Ash Content = Weight of Ash formed *100 / Weight of coal sample
Fixed Carbon Content:
• Carbon and hydrogen contents: % of C is the basis for the classification of coal,
higher the %C, better the quality of coal. % of H is associated with the volatile matter
and affects the usability of coal, lower the %H, better the quality of coal.
• Oxygen content: High Oxygen content coals have high moisture & low calorific
value. Thus, a good quality coal should have low % of oxygen.
Determination of Carbon & Hydrogen
A known quantity of coal is burnt in the current of dry oxygen when carbon and
hydrogen in coal are oxidised to CO2 & H2O respectively.
C + O2 → CO2
H 2 + ½ O2 → H2O
A gaseous product of combustion are passed through CaCl2 tube and potash bulbs.
The CaCl2 tube contains weighted amount of anhydrous CaCl2 absorbs water.
CaCl2 + 7 H2O → CaCl2.7.H2O
Digestion:
Sample (N)+
Conc. H2SO4 +
K2SO4
(NH4)2SO4
Determination of Nitrogen
Determination of Sulphur
A known amount of coal (W1 gm) is burnt completely in bomb calorimeter
in the current of oxygen, by which sulphur is oxidised to sulphates.
The ash from the bomb calorimeter is extracted with dil. HCl. The acid
extracted is treated with BaCl2 to precipitate sulphate as BaSO4.
S + O2 → SO42- → BaSO4
Determination
Determinationof Oxygen
ofen
• Oxygen is present in combined form with hydrogen in coal and thus
hydrogen available for combustion is lesser than the actual one.
• High Oxygen content coals have high moisture & low calorific value.
Thus a good quality coal should have low % of oxygen.
35
Dulong’s Formula
Depending upon the chemical composition of fuel, calorific value can be
estimated using Dulong’s formula
1 é æ Oö ù
HCV = ê8080 *C + 34500 * ç H - ÷ + 2240 * Sú kcal/kg
100 ë è 8ø û
9
𝐿𝐶𝑉 = 𝐻𝐶𝑉 − 𝐻 𝑥 587 = 𝐻𝐶𝑉 − 0.09𝐻 𝑥 587 𝑘𝑐𝑎𝑙/𝑘𝑔
100
Problem
A coal has following composition by weight: C= 90%; O=
3%; S= 0.5%; N= 0.5% and Ash= 2.5%. NCV of coal = 8490.5
Kcal/gm. Calculate the % of H and HCV.
%H= 3.5
HCV= 8675.4 kcal/Kg
Problem