SUBMITTED TO:

Prof. VASANTHAKUMAR PAI

SIR
Dept.of
INDUSTRIAL CHEMISTRY
KUVEMPU UNIVERSITY,

SUBMITTED BY:
ASHA.E
3rd SEMESTER,
INDUSTRIAL
CHEMISTRY
KUVEMPU

Fuels and Combustion

Introduction
Type of fuels
Combustion
Conclusion

Introduction

Fuels and combustion

The Formation of Fuels

Solar energy is converted to chemical
energy through photo-synthesis in
plants
Energy produced by burning wood or
fossil fuels
Fossil fuels: coal, oil and natural gas
3

CLASIFICATION OF
FUELS CHEMICAL
FUELS
SECONDARY
OR DERIVED
FUELS

PRIMARY OR
NATURAL
FUELS
SOLID:
Wood,coal,
lignite

LIQUID:
Crude oil
GASEOUS:
Natural gas

SOLID:
coke,charcaol
,petroleum

LIQUID:
Petrol,kero
sene,diesel.

GASEOUS:c
oal gas,
water gas,
biogas

Introduction

Fuels and combustion

Calorific value

Calorific value is the total quantity of heat

liberated when a unit mass of fuel burn
completely.

Measured at 25C.

Heat or energy produced

Gross calorific value (GCV): vapour is fully

condensed

Net calorific value (NCV): water is not fully

condensed.

NCV = GCV (mass %hydrogen)(9)(v)kJ/kg

v latent heat of water vapour at reference

Introduction

Fuels and combustion

Units of calorific values:

For solid and liquid calorific value are
Joules/kg
[ in SI system]
calori / gram
[ in cgs system]
kcalori/kg
[ in mks system]
B.T.U/lB
[ British system ]
Relation
1kcal/kg = 1.8B.T.U/lB.
For gases; kcal/cubic meter.
BTU/cubic feet.
Relation
1kcal/cubic meter = 0.107BTU/IB.
6

Fuels and combustion

Introduction
Type of fuels
Combustion
Conclusion

Type of Fuels

Fuels and combustion

Liquid Fuels
Usage
Used extensively in industrial applications

Examples
Furnace oil
Light diesel oil
Petrol
Kerosine
Ethanol
LSHS (low sulphur heavy stock)

Type of Fuels

Fuels and combustion

Liquid Fuels
Density
Ratio of the fuels mass to its volume at 15 oC,
kg/m3
Useful for determining fuel quantity and quality

Type of Fuels
Liquid Fuels
Fuels and combustion

Specific gravity
Ratio of weight of oil volume to weight of same
water volume at a given temperature
Specific gravity of water is 1 at 4C.
Hydrometer used to measure
Table 1. Specific gravity of various fuel oils
Fuel oil
type

LDO
(Light Diesel Oil)

Furnace oil

LSHS (Low Sulphur

Heavy Stock)

Specific
Gravity

0.85-0.87

0.89-0.95

0.88-0.98
10

Type of Fuels

Fuels and combustion

Liquid Fuels
Viscosity
Measure of fuels internal resistance to flow
Most important characteristic for storage and use
Decreases as temperature increases

Flash point
Lowest temperature at which a fuel can be
heated so that the vapour gives off flashes when an
open flame is passes over it
Flash point of furnace oil: 66oC

Type of Fuels
Liquid Fuels
Fuels and combustion

Pour point
Lowest temperature at which fuel will flow
Indication of temperature at which fuel can be
pumped

Specific heat
kCal needed to raise temperature of 1 kg oil by
1oC (kcal/kgoC)
Indicates how much steam/electricity it takes to
heat oil to a desired temperature
12

Type of Fuels
Liquid Fuels
Fuels and combustion

Sulphur content
Depends on source of crude oil and less on the
refining process
Furnace oil: 2-4 % sulphur
Sulphuric acid causes corrosion

Ash content
Inorganic material in fuel
Typically 0.03 - 0.07%
Corrosion of burner tips and damage to
materials /equipments at high temperatures

13

Type of Fuels

Fuels and combustion

Liquid Fuels
Carbon residue
Tendency of oil to deposit a carbonaceous solid
residue on a hot surface
Residual oil: >1% carbon residue

Water content
Normally low in furnace oil supplied (<1% at
refinery)
Free or emulsified form
Can damage furnace surface and impact flame

14

Type of Fuels
Liquid Fuels
Fuels and combustion

Calorific value:
Typical GCVs of some of the commonly used
liquid fuels are given below:

15

Type of Fuels
Liquid Fuels
Fuels and combustion

Typical specifications of fuel oils

Properties

Fuel Oils
Furnace Oil

L.S.H.S

L.D.O

Density (Approx.
g/cc at 150C)

0.89-0.95

0.88-0.98

0.85-0.87

Flash Point (0C)

66

93

66

Pour Point (0C)

20

72

18

G.C.V. (Kcal/kg)

10500

10600

10700

Sediment, % Wt.
Max.

0.25

0.25

0.1

Sulphur Total, %
Wt. Max.

< 4.0

< 0.5

< 1.8

Water Content, %
Vol. Max.

1.0

1.0

0.25

Ash % Wt. Max.

0.1

16
0.1

0.02

Type of Fuels

Fuels and combustion

Liquid Fuels
Storage of fuels
Store in cylindrical tanks above or below
the ground
Recommended storage: >10 days of
normal consumption
Cleaning at regular intervals

17

Type of Fuels
Solid Fuels
Fuels and combustion

DEFINITION
Coal is a highly homogeneous matter.
Coal is the most important fossil fuel.
In india, most of the calories are
situated in madhya pradesh,West Bengal,

18

Type of Fuels

Fuels and combustion

Solid Fuels
Coal classification
Anthracite: hard and geologically the
oldest
Bituminous
Lignite: soft coal and the youngest
Further classification: semi- anthracite,
semi-bituminous, and sub-bituminous
19

Type of Fuels
Solid Fuels
Fuels and combustion

Physical properties
Heating or calorific value (GCV)
Moisture content
Volatile matter
Ash

Chemical properties
Chemical constituents: carbon, hydrogen,
20
oxygen, sulphur

Type of Fuels

Fuels and combustion

Solid Fuels (Physical properties)

Heating or calorific value
The typical GVCs for various coals are:
Parameter

GCV
(kCal/kg)

Lignite
(Dry
Basis)

Indian
Coal

Indonesian
Coal

4,500

4,000

5,500

South
African
Coal
6,000

21

Type of Fuels
Solid Fuels (Physical properties)
Fuels and combustion

Moisture content
% of moisture in fuel (0.5 10%)
Reduces heating value of fuel
Weight loss from heated and then cooled powdered
raw coal

Volatile matter
Methane, hydrocarbons, hydrogen, CO, other
Typically 25-35%
Easy ignition with high volatile matter
Weight loss from heated then cooled crushed coal

22

Type of Fuels

Fuels and combustion

Solid Fuels (Physical properties)

Ash
Impurity that will not burn (5-40%)
Important for design of furnace
Ash = residue after combustion

Fixed carbon
Fixed carbon = 100 (moisture + volatile matter +
ash)
Carbon + hydrogen, oxygen, sulphur, nitrogen
residues
Heat generator during combustion

23

Type of Fuels
Solid Fuels (Physical properties)
Fuels and combustion

Proximate analysis of coal

Determines only fixed carbon, volatile matter,
moisture and ash
Useful to find out heating value (GCV)
Simple analysis equipment

Ultimate analysis of coal

Determines all coal component elements: carbon,
hydrogen, oxygen, sulphur, other
Useful for furnace design (e.g flame temperature,
flue duct design)
Laboratory analysis

24

Type of Fuels

Fuels and combustion

Solid Fuels (Physical properties)

Proximate analysis
Typical proximate analysis of various coals
(%)
Indian
Coal

Indonesian
Coal

South African
Coal

Moisture

5.98

9.43

8.5

Ash

38.63

13.99

17

Volatile
matter

20.70

29.79

23.28

Fixed Carbon

34.69

46.79

51.22

25

Type of Fuels

Fuels and combustion

Solid Fuels (Chemical Properties)

Ultimate analysis
Typical ultimate analysis of coal (%)
Parameter
Moisture
Mineral Matter (1.1 x Ash)
Carbon
Hydrogen
Nitrogen
Sulphur
Oxygen

GCV (kCal/kg)

Indian Coal, %
5.98
38.63
41.11
2.76
1.22
0.41
9.89

4000

Indonesian Coal, %
9.43
13.99
58.96
4.16
1.02
0.56
11.88

5500

26

Type of Fuels

Fuels and combustion

Solid Fuels (Chemical Properties)

Storage, Handling & Preparation
Storage to minimize carpet loss and loss due
to spontaneous combustion
Reduce carpet loss: a) a hard surface b)
standard concrete/brick storage bays
Coal preparation before use is important for
good combustion

27

Type of Fuels

Fuels and combustion

Gaseous Fuels
Advantages of gaseous fuels
Least amount of

handling

Simplest burners systems

Burner systems require least
maintenance
Environmental benefits: lowest GHG
and other emissions
28

Type of Fuels
Gaseous Fuels
Fuels and combustion

Classification of gaseous fuels

(A) Fuels naturally found in nature
-Natural gas
-Methane from coal mines
(B) Fuel gases made from solid fuel
-Gases derived from coal
-Gases derived from waste and biomass
-From other industrial processes
(C) Gases made from petroleum
-Liquefied Petroleum gas (LPG)
-Refinery gases
-Gases from oil gasification
(D) Gases from some fermentation

29

Type of Fuels

Fuels and combustion

Gaseous Fuels
Calorific value
Fuel should be compared based on the net
calorific value (NCV), especially natural gas
Typical physical and chemical properties of various gaseous fuels
Fuel
Gas

Relative
Density

Higher Heating
Value kCal/Nm3

Air/Fuel
ratio m3/m3

Flame
Temp oC

Flame
speed m/s

Natural
Gas

0.6

9350

10

1954

0.290

Propane

1.52

22200

25

1967

0.460

Butane

1.96

28500

32

1973

0.870
30

Type of Fuels

Fuels and combustion

Gaseous Fuels
Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG)
Propane, butane and unsaturates, lighter C2

and heavier C5 fractions

Hydrocarbons are gaseous at atmospheric
pressure but can be condensed to liquid state
LPG vapour is denser than air: leaking gases
can flow long distances from the source

31

Type of Fuels

Fuels and combustion

Gaseous Fuels
Natural gas
Methane: 95%
Remaing 5%: ethane, propane, butane,
pentane, nitrogen, carbon dioxide, other gases
High calorific value fuel
Does not require storage facilities
No sulphur
Mixes readily with air without producing smoke or
soot

32

Type of Fuels

Fuels and combustion

Comparing Fuels
Fuel Oil

Coal

Natural
Gas

Carbon

84

41.11

74

Hydrogen

12

2.76

25

Sulphur

0.41

Oxygen

9.89

Trace

Nitrogen

Trace

1.22

0.75

Ash

Trace

38.63

Water

Trace

5.98

33

Fuels and combustion

Introduction
Type of fuels
Combustion
Conclusion

34

Combustion
Principles of Combustion
Fuels and combustion

Combustion: rapid oxidation of a fuel

Complete combustion: total oxidation of
fuel (adequate supply of oxygen needed)
Air: 20.9% oxygen, 79% nitrogen and other
Nitrogen: (a) reduces the combustion
efficiency (b) forms NOx at high
temperatures
Carbon forms (a) CO2 (b) CO resulting in
less heat production
35

Combustion

Fuels and combustion

Principles of Combustion
Control the 3 Ts to optimize combustion:

Water vapor is a by-product of burning fuel

that contains hydrogen and this robs heat
from the flue gases

36

Combustion
Principle of Combustion
Fuels and combustion

Oxygen is the key to combustion

37

Combustion

Fuels and combustion

Stochiometric calculation of air

required
Stochiometric air needed for combustion of
furnace oil
Theoretical CO2 content in the flue gases
Actual CO2 content and % excess air
Constituents of flue gas with excess air
Theoretical CO2 and O2 in dry flue gas by
volume
38

Combustion
Concept of Excess Air

Excess air (%)

Fuels and combustion

Measure CO2 in flue gases to estimate

excess air level and stack losses

Carbon dioxide (%)

39

Combustion
Concept of Excess Air

Excess air (%)

Fuels and combustion

Measure O2 in flue gases to estimate

excess air level and stack losses

Residual oxygen (%)

40

Fuels and combustion

Introduction
Type of fuels
Combustion
Conclusion

41

CONCLUSION
Fuels and combustion

FUELS:
A combustible substance, containing carbon
as main constituent which on proper burning, it gives
amount of heat which can be used for domestic and
industrial purposes. example: wood,cal,etc.,
COMBUSTION:
o Combustion is an unit processin which oxidation
reaction takes place.
oThe union of carbon,hydrogen, and sulphur with
oxygen.
oDuring combustion of a fuel, the atoms of carbon ,
hydrogen,etc., combine with the oxygen and
liberates heat at a rapid rate.
42

Fuels & Combustion

43