Combustion Solutions

1)
Calculate for a natural gas with the composition by volume given below:
a) Calorific value
b) Relative density
c) Wobbe number
d) Theoretical air requirement
e) The volume of and % composition by volume of the dry combustion products with 10%
excess air at metric standard condition (msc).
COMPONENT
COMPONENTS

VOLUME (%)

Nitrogen (N2)
Carbon dioxide
(C02)
Methane (CH4)
Ethane (C2H6)
Propane (C3H8)
Butane (C4H10)
Pentane (C5H12)

2.53
0.52
91.43
4.10
0.99
0.33
0.10

CH4

0.0253
0.0052

CV
(MJ/M3)
-

RD
0.9668
1.5188

0.9143
0.0410
0.0099
0.0033
0.0010

37.71
66.35
93.94
121.80
149.66

0.5537
1.0378
1.5219
2.0059
2.4900

+ 2.0 O2 -----------> CO2 + 2 H2O

C2H6 + 3.5 O2 -----------> 2CO2 + 3 H2O

C3H8 + 5.0 O2 -----------> 3CO2 + 4 H2O
C4H10 + 6.5 O2 -----------> 4CO2 + 5 H2O
C5H12 + 8.0 O2 -----------> 5CO2 + 6 H2O

a) CV =38.7 MJ/m3
b) RD = 0.605

GROSS

R1

COMP

CV
(MJ/M3)
-

RD

O2

O2

CO2

H2O

0.024
0.008

0.052

34.48
2.78
0.93
0.40
0.15
38.68

0.506
0.043
0.015
0.007
0.0025
0.605

2.0
3.5
5.0
6.5
8.0

1.83
0.144
0.05
0.021
0.008
2.053

0.914
0.082
0.030
0.013
0.005
1.05

1.830
0.123
0.040
0.017
0.006
2.02

c) WN =

= 48.85 MJ/m3

d) Theoretical air =

= 9.78

e) 10% excess air (Dry)

1.1

9.78 = 10.758

Volume CO2 = 1.05

Volume N2 Air + N2 gas 8.499 + 0.0253 = 8.524
Volume of 10% O2 2.053

% CO2 =

0.1 = 0.205

100 = 10.57%

% O2 =

100 = 2.10%

% N2 =

100 = 87.21%

Flue gas
Vol %
Methane (CH4)
Ethane (C2H6)
Propane (C3H8)
Butane (C4H10)
Pentane (C5H12)
Hexane plus (C7H16)
N2
CO2

88.73
4.48
0.85
0.37
0.12
0.05
4.77
0.63
100

Req
O2/Vol
2.0
3.5
5.0
6.5
8.0
11.0

a) Air requirement = 2.01305

O2 Req

CO2

H2O

N2

1.7746
0.1568
0.0425
0.02405
0.0096
0.0055
2.01305

0.8873
0.0896
0.0255
0.0148
0.0060
0.0035
0.0063
1.0330

1.7746
0.1344
0.0340
0.0185
0.0072
0.0040
1.9727

0.0477
0.0477

= 9.5859

b) Theoretical Products:
1.033
1.973
N2 gas

0.048

N2 air

7.573
10.627

Total vol. wet = 10.624

Total vol. dry = 8.651

% Composition dry

% Composition Wet

CO2

CO2

N2

N2

100.00

O2

2)
Gases can be made up of a mixture of a number of gases and the CV can be found for each
individual gas using a calorimeter. Calculate the gross CV of a substitute natural gas with the
following composition

GAS
CO

CV MJ/m3
11.97

% by Vol.
3.0

0.36

CH4
C2H6
H2
C3H8

37.69
66.03
12.10
93.97
CV

34.1
12.9
38.4
11.6

12.85
8.52
4.65
10.90
37.28 MJ/m3

3)
For a natural gas with the % composition by volume given below, calculate
(a) Theoretical air requirement.
(b) The volume and percentage composition by volume at the theoretical combustion products.
(c) The % composition by volume of the dry combustion products with 10% excess air at metric
standard condition (msc).

(a)

CH4

+ 2.0 O2 -----------> CO2 + 2 H2O

C2H6 + 3.5 O2 -----------> 2CO2 + 3 H2O

C3H8 + 5.0 O2 -----------> 3CO2 + 4 H2O
C4H10 + 6.5 O2 -----------> 4CO2 + 5 H2O
C5H12 + 8.0 O2 -----------> 5CO2 + 6 H2O
C6H14 + 9.5 O2 -----------> 6CO2 + 7 H2O

GAS
CH4
C2H6
C3H8
C4H10
C5H12
C6H14
N2
CO2

(%)COMPOSITION
88.73
4.48
0.85
0.37
0.12
0.05
4.77
0.63

0.8873
0.448
0.0085
0.0037
0.0012
0.0005
0.0477
0.0063

OXYGEN
O2 REQ
2.0
3.5
5.0
6.5
8.0
9.5
-

ACTUAL
O2 REQ
1.7746
0.1568
0.0425
0.0241
0.0096
0.0048
2.0124

PRODUCED
CO2
0.8873
0.0896
0.0255
0.0148
0.0060
0.0030
0.0063
1.0325

Theoretical air requirement =

(b) Theoretical combustion products (wet)
Volume

N2

Total

CO2

1.0325

H2O

1.9722

Gas

0.0477

Air

7.5682
10.00

Percentage composition of combustion products.

7.6159

PROCUCED
H2O
1.7746
0.1344
0.0340
0.0185
0.0072
0.0035
1.9722

% CO2 -

9.72

% H2O

18.57

% N2

71.71

100.00
Dry

% composition
% CO2

11.94

% N2

88.05

99.99

(c) % composition by volume of the dry combustion products with 10% excess air.
Total air used with 10% excess air 9.58 1.1 = 10.538
Volume
CO2 = 1.0325
O2 = 0.2012
N2 = 8.3266
9.5603

% CO2 = 10.80
% O2

= 2.10

%N2

= 87.10
100.00

(d) Importance of CO2 in combustion products.

1. The combustion products from any fuel burned with theoretical air for complete
combustion (no excess), contains a fixed and characteristic quantity of CO2.
2. For pure dry carbon, this is 21% CO2 by volume.
3. Any air supplied in excess of theoretical, reduces the % CO2 proportionally.
4. The % CO2 can be measured using any suitable type of gas analysis equipment. The result
is usually reported on a dry basis.
5. With fuels containing free hydrogen or hydrocarbon gases, the carbon dioxide is lower
because the air supplied to burn the H2 forms water which condenses leaving the extra
nitrogen which dilutes the combustion products.
6. If the fuels contain sulphur, this turn to SO2 and is often analysed as CO2. The error is very
small with low sulphur fuels.
7. There must be very little CO2 and the

ratio is a very important parameter (<0.02).

4) A fuel oil is burned with 50 percent excess air, and the combustion characteristics of the fuel
oil are similar to C12H26. Determine the volumetric analysis of the products of combustion and
determine the dewpoint for the products of combustion (the last part of the question will be
covered in later modules).
Can you also suggest the relevance of the dewpoint temperature with respect to the products of
combustion?

C12 H 26 + (1.5)(18.5)O2 + (1.5)(18.5)(3.76)N2

12CO2 + 13H 2O + 104.3N2 + 9.25O2

The total moles of the products are:

12 + 13 + 104.2 + 9.25 = 138.55

CO2 =

12
= 0.0866
138.55

H2 0 =

13
= 0.0938
138.55

N2 =

104.2
= 0.7528
138.55

O2 =

9.25
= 0.0668
138.55

The partial pressure of water is (0.0938)(101)=9.47 kPa. The saturation temperature

corresponding to this pressure is 45C, which is also known as the dewpoint temperature. If the
temperature drops below this point, precipitation of water will occur. Should this occur, the
liquid water will contain dissolved gases, which can form a corrosive substance (sulphur in the
fuel). To prevent this, the temperature of the products of combustion is kept well above the
dewoint in smoke stacks and exhaust piping.