January 2019 Semester

CDB 4323 : Energy and Process Utility Engineering

Lecturers : Dr. Shuhaimi Mahadzir

Lecture Time : Wednesday 8:00 – 10:00 am

: Friday 8:00 am – 10:00 am

Venue : 04-02-02
: 03-01-05
Adiabatic Flame Temperature

Dr. Shuhaimi Mahadzir

Adiabatic Flame Temperature

Definition
Combustion of fuel with air generates combustion products (flue gas) as well as
energy. If the combustion is adiabatic, no heat is lost in this process. Consequently,
the temperature of the combustion products is at highest temperature, which is called
the Adiabatic Flame Temperature (AFT).

Combustion with Oxygen Combustion with Air

Fuel
(oC) (oC)
Acetylene 3480 2500
Butane 1970
Carbon Monoxide 2121
Ethane 1955
Hydrogen 3200 2210
Fuel Gas 2927 2010
Methane 1950
Natural Gas 1960
Propane 2526 1967
LPG 1970
Dr. Shuhaimi Mahadzir
Example:

Certain industrial explosion may be mitigated by inerting, that is the addition of a third
compound that does not take part in the combustion process. The graph below shows the
limit of flame temperature for coal dust combustion. Three types of solid inert materials
were considered, namely sodium bicarbonate, monoammonium phosphate and
limestone. Suppose the minimum explosible concentration (MEC) for coal dust
combustion was set at 80 g/m3. If AFT for the fuel-inert composition were calculated to be
2150, 1950 and 1850 degrees celcius, respectively, which mixture of inert-coal would be
recommended?

AFT limestone-
coal 1850oC
oC

Solution :
Based on MEC of 80 g/m3, inert composition of limestone-coal is recommended.
Dr. Shuhaimi Mahadzir
Adiabatic Flame Temperature

Definition
Combustion of fuel with air generates combustion products (flue gas) as well as
energy. If the combustion is adiabatic, no heat is lost in this process. Consequently,
the temperature of the combustion products is at highest temperature, which is called
the Adiabatic Flame Temperature (AFT).

Why is the practical significance of AFT?

 It characterizes the quality of fuel

 It is used to determine suitability of fuel for an application.

 It is used determine how equipment running on a high quality fuel can

adapt to a lower quality fuel

 It aids engineers to make decision in design and scale-up wherever

heat transfer is a significant consideration

Dr. Shuhaimi Mahadzir

Hess’s Law

AFT is difficult to measure experimentally and most published values are obtained
through theoretical calculations.

From Hess’s Law, DHc = ∆H1 + ∆HoC + ∆H3 = 0

Standards Heats of Combustion (∆HoC) are available from literatures.

∆HoC

Dr. Shuhaimi Mahadzir

Hess’s Law

Cp (T) can be assumed a linear function between T and To.

An average value then can be used such that,
T0
∆H1 = nCp
∫ dT = (nCp)×DT

Tin
Average Cp values are available from literatures

Cp

Dr. Shuhaimi Mahadzir

Example:

Methane at 25oC is burned in stoichiometric amount of air, also at 25oC.

Calculate the theoretical flame temperature.

Solution :
Basis 1 kmol/h fuel,
CH4 + 2O2 CO2 + 2H2O.

Inlet Fuel + Air: Combustion Products

CH4 = 1 kmol CO2 = 1 kmol

O2 = 2 kmol H2O = 2 kmol
N2 = 7.52 kmol N2 = 7.52 kmol (inert)

Dr. Shuhaimi Mahadzir

Example:

(contd.)
T0
∆H1 zero because = ∆T = 0
∆H1 = Cp
∫ dT
Tin = T0
= 0
∆H1 nonzero when Tin > To

∆H2 = ∆HoC = -802,310 kJ/kmol

TFT

∆H3= Cp ∫
To
dT
(Guess TFT = 2000oC)

∆H3 = [(1x54.85) + (2x43.67) + (7.52x33.47)] x (TFT-298)

= 393.88x(TFT – 298)

Dr. Shuhaimi Mahadzir

Example:

(contd.)

Energy Balance DHc = 0;

-802,310 + 393.88x(TFT – 298) = 0

TFT = 2335 K
= 2062oC

Answer is within +/- 5% deviation from Guess TFT.

Calculated TFT is acceptable.

Dr. Shuhaimi Mahadzir

Example:

Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) is used as fuel to generate steam in a boiler. The
composition of LPG is 30 mol% propane and 70 mol% butane. The air fed is 20%
excess. The combustion is complete and the system is adiabatic.
Calculate the standard heat of combustion for one kmole LPG. Then calculate the
theoretical flame temperature if air is fed at 100oC and the fuel is at 25oC.

Propylene -2,058,000

Dr. Shuhaimi Mahadzir

Example:

Dr. Shuhaimi Mahadzir

Example:

Solution :
Basis one kmol LPG, the fuel contains 0.3 mole C3H8 and 0.7 mole C4H10. The individual
DHoC are -2,220,000 kJ/kmol and – 2877000 kJ/kmol, respectively.

Then,
DHoC,LPG = (0.3)(–2,220,000) + (0.7)(–2877000)
= – 2,679,900 kJ/kmol

Individual species stoichiometric balance:

C3H8 + 5O2 3CO2 + 4H2O

C4H10 + 6.5O2 4CO2 + 5H2O

Dr. Shuhaimi Mahadzir

Example:

(Contd.)

One kmol LPG fuel stoichiometric balance:

0.3C3H8 + 1.5O2 0.9CO2 + 1.2H2O
0.7C4H10 + 4.55O2 2.8CO2 + 3.5H2O

Chemical equation with 20% excess air:

0.3C3H8 + 1.8O2 + (3.76)1.8N2 0.9CO2 + 1.2H2O + 0.3O2 + (3.76)1.8N2
0.7C4H10 + 5.46O2 + (3.76)5.46N2 2.8CO2 + 3.5H2O + 0.91O2 + (3.76)1.8N2

0.3C3H8 + 0.7C4H10 + 7.26O2 + 27.3N2

3.7CO2 + 4.7H2O + 1.21O2 + 27.3N2

Dr. Shuhaimi Mahadzir

Example:

(Contd.)

Combustion
Inlet Fuel (25oC):
Combustion Products (TFT):
C3H8 0.3 kmol
Process CO2 3.7 kmol
C4H10 0.7 kmol
H2O 4.7 kmol
O2 1.21 kmol N2
Inlet Air (100oC):
27.3 kmol
O2 7.26 kmol
N2 27.3 kmol

zero
To = 25oC T0

∆H1 = (7.26x29.66 + 27.3x29.19)

∫ dT
Tin = 100oC
+ CpLPG ∫dT
Tin = T0
= – 99,044 kJ

Dr. Shuhaimi Mahadzir

Example:

(Contd.)

∆H2 = (1 kmol LPG) ∆HoC,LPG = – 2,679,900 kJ

TFT
∆H3= Cp
∫ dT
To

(First Guess TFT = 1500oC)

∆H3 = [(3.7x53.13) + (4.7x41.41) + (1.21x34.43) + (27.3x32.60)]

x (TFT-298)
= 1322.85x(TFT – 298)

Dr. Shuhaimi Mahadzir

Example:

(Contd.)

Energy Balance DHc = 0;

= (– 99,044) + (– 2,679,900) + (1322.85x(TFT – 298)) = 0

TFT = 2398.7 K
= 2126oC

Answer deviates by more than 5% from Guess TFT.

TFT not acceptable.

Dr. Shuhaimi Mahadzir

Example:

(Contd.)

Iteration
(Second Guess TFT = 2100oC)
∆H3 = [(3.7x 55.14) + (4.7x44.05) + (1.21x35.42) + (27.3x33.61)] x (TFT-298)
= 1371.5x (TFT – 298)

Energy Balance

(– 99,044) + (– 2,679,900) + (2460.5x(TFT – 298)) = 0

TFT = 2324.2 K
= 2026oC

Answer is within +/- 5% deviation from Guess TFT.

Calculated TFT is acceptable.

Dr. Shuhaimi Mahadzir

Dr. Shuhaimi Mahadzir