Chapter 2

Gas Properties
Properties of interest:

• Gas density
• Gas viscosity
• Continuity considerations for gases
Gas densities:
Ideal gas assumption: PV = nRT
n P
Gas density ---- =
V RT

Molar density at P = 1 atm and T = 298 K:

n 1 mol
= = 40.89 3
V 8.206 × 10 × 298
-5
m
Composition of air:

gm/mol
mol 28.97 gm mol kg
40.89 3 × = 1.184 3
m 1000 gm kg m
This will suffice for most basic calculations.
More detailed models may require inclusion
of minor species and impact of water vapour.
Combustion product gas compositions:
A general hydrocarbon CnHm:

 m 0.78084  m
Cn H m +  n +  O2 + ×  n +  N 2 + trace species →
 4 0.20948  4
m 0.78084  m
n CO 2 + H 2O + ×  n +  N 2 + trace species
2 0.20948  4
 With excess air expressed as a fraction, x:

 m  0.78084  m 
C n H m +  n +  (1 + x ) O 2 + ×  n +  (1 + x ) N 2 + trace species →
 4   0.20948  4  
m  m 0.78084  m 
n CO 2 + H 2O + x  n +  O 2 + ×  n +  (1 + x ) N 2 + trace species
2  4 0.20948  4 
Combustion of methane (CH4) – dominant species in
natural gas:

Assume: N2/O2 ratio ≈ 0.79/0.21 = 3.76

With n = 1 and m = 4:

CH4 + 2(1 + x) O2 + 7.52(1+x) N2 →

CO2 + 2H2O + 2x O2 + 7.52(1+x) N2

Table on page 21 of course notes:
Combustion product gas compositions (natural gas):

Molar density (wet basis) = 27.63 – 27.73 gm/mol

Molar density (dry basis) = 29.79 – 29.89 gm/mol

Compare this with value for air: 28.97 gm/mol

Error in assuming density of air in design calculations will

not be too large ( < 5%)
 XH2O = 0.174 --- 0.190

(corresponding to 10% and 0% excess air respectively)

5205.3
ln[PVAP ] = 18.6015 -
T
Fig. 1-2
100
100
80
Pvap, kPa

60 10

40
1
20

0 0.1
0 20 40 60 80 100 0.0025 0.0030 0.0035
o -1
T, C 1/T, K
 At Patm = 101.325 KPa,

PVap = 17.78 KPa (10% excess air), 19.37 KPa (0% excess air)

TDew point = 59.9OC at 0% excess air

TDew point = 58.1OC at 10% excess air
100
100
80
Pvap, kPa

10
TDew point >
60

40
1
20 TDew point >

0 0.1
0 20 40 60 80 100 0.0025 0.0030 0.0035
o -1
T, C 1/T, K
The dew point conditions create the “visible” plume
observed from many industrial stacks.
 Gas viscosities:
Fig. 2-2
0.0005

Air:
Gas viscosity, gm/cm-s

1
0.0004
µ = 1.62 × 10- 5 T 2 - 9.563 × 10- 5

0.0003 Dry combustion products:

1
Welty, Wicks and Wilson, µ = 1.63 × 10-5 T 2 - 11.08 × 10-5
0.0002 Air "Fundamentals of Momentum,
Heat and Mass Transfer", Wiley, 1984
Air Kenney, Sarjant and Thring,
"The viscosity of mixtures of
0.0001 Dry combustion gases at high temperatures"
product mixtures British Journal of Applied Physics,
Vol. 7, p. 324 - 329, 1956.

0.0000
200 400 600 800 1000 1200 1400

Gas temperature, K

The model for air will often suffice for preliminary design calculations
In transport processes we usually assume continuum
behaviour for a fluid … OK for liquids but …

12
2µ π R T 
Mean free path for a gas: λ=  
P  8 M g 

At T = 300 K and P = 101325 Pa (1 atm):

 2 × 1.84 × 10-5   π × 8314 × 300 1 2

λ =  
  = 6.7 × 10-8 m = 0.067 µm
 101325  8 × 29 

Hence λ is comparable to particle diameters with dP ≈ 0.1 µm

 The discontinuous nature of a gas relative to small
particles affects the form and friction drag relations
we will develop for fluid-particle behaviour

A measure of this effect is given by the Knudsen number:

Kn = λ/rP = 2λ/dP

And this will be part of our discussions next week …

Gas property summary

• Density and viscosity properties for many gas streams

are similar to air for preliminary design purposes.

• There are exceptions to this – e.g. operations handling

high density gases (Cl2 is an obvious example).

• Small size particulates respond to a different behaviour

from standard form and friction drag relationships.