Unit VI
Fuel
Fuels
A substance which on combustion produce
large amount of heat is called Fuel.
e.g. wood, charcoal, coke, kerosene, LPG, etc.
During combustion process , carbon in the fuel
gets oxidized to carbon dioxides and hydrogen
converted to water vapour.
Fuels + Oxygen → combustion + Large amount product
of heat
Classification of Fuels
The fuels are classified on the basis of their
occurrence and physical state.
Fuels
/secondary fuel
Natural
/Primary fuel Liquid
Gaseous
Artificial
E.g. E.g. E.g. Coke E.g. E.g.
Solid fuel E.g. Crude oil Natural gas charcoal Petrol, LPG,
coal Solid fuel fuel Kerosene Biogas
Liquid fuel Gaseous fuel fuel
Properties of Fuels
The essential properties of fuels are
: Ignition temperature/Ignition
Point:
The minimum temperature at which active combustion of
the fuel takes place when the firing is once started is called
ignition temperature.
Calorific Value:
The total amount of heat produced by the complete
combustion of unit weight or unit volume of the fuel is called
calorific value.
It’s unit is Kcal/Kg in case of solid and liquid fuel while for
3
gaseous fuel Kcal/M .
In English system it’s expressed in British thermal unit per
pound.(B.Th.U/lb).
1Cal/gm = 1Kcal/kg = 1.8 B.Th.U/lb
Solid Fuels
Coal:
Coal is complex carbonaceous material. It is the
ultimate product of Slow decomposition of vegetable
matter Submerged underground due to geological
upheavals .
This process of transformation of vegetable
matter into coal is known as coalification or
alteration.
Coal is mainly composed of C,H,N and O along with
non-combustible matter.
During coalification process carbon increases as,
wood → Peat → Lignite→ Bituminous →
Anthracite
Classification of coal
The different type of coal formed during coalification are
as listed below:
Form of coal % of conten Kcal/Kg
carbon t Properties Uses
Calorific value
Lignite 60-70 % 6300- 7100
Bituminous 75-80 % 8000-
50-60 % 4125-
Peat 5400 8500
1.Low grade coal steam rising fuel (boiler)
2.Brown fibrous mass 1.Black hard coal
3.Burns with more smoke 2.Burn with smoky flame Used as
and ash Used as fuel. domestic fuel
1.Brownish black
2.High moisture content
3.Burns easily with smoky
long flames Used in power plants and
In
Anthracite 90-95% 8700 1.Black, lustrous metallurgical industry
and hard 2. Superior quality coal
3.Burn with minimum smoke
Analysis of Coal
Quality of coal is asses by Proximate analysis and Ultimate
Analysis. Proximate Analysis:
The analysis of coal sample in which the moisture, volatile matter,
ash content and carbon content are determined, is called proximate
analysis.
1) Percentage of Moisture:
1 gm. coal sample is heated at 1050C for 1 hour . The loss in weight
before and after heating is used to determine % of moisture in coal
sample.
% of moisture =loss in weight / weight of coal sample × 100
2) Percentage of Volatile matter:
Above moisture free sample is heated at 9250C for 7 minutes . The
loss in weight before and after heating is used to determine % of volatile
matter in coal sample.
% of Volitile matter = loss in weight / weight of coal sample × 100
3)Percentage of ash:
Above moisture and volatile matter free sample is heated
at 7500C for 1 hour in muffle furnace . The ash remain after
heating is used to determine % of ash in coal sample.
% of ash = weight of ash / weight of coal sample × 100
4) Fixed Carbon percentage:
% of carbon is calculated as follows:
% of Carbon = 100 - (%of moisture + % of Volatile matter+ % of ash)
Ultimate Analysis:
Ultimate analysis of coal sample involves determination
of carbon, hydrogen ,nitrogen, sulphur and oxygen.
1) Percentage of Carbon and Hydrogen : A known weight
of coal is heated in a combustion tube where carbon and
hydrogen present in coal are oxidized to CO2and H2O
respectively.
C + O2 → CO2: H2+1/2 O2 → H2O 12 44 2 18
Combustion tube is U- shaped tube containing anhydrous
CaCl2and KOH. H2O is absorbed in CaCl2tube and CO2is absorbed
in KOH tube . The increased in the weight both tube is used to
determine % of Carbon and hydrogen as follows,
Amount of Carbon : 12/44 × Increased in weight of KOH tube
% of Carbon :12/44 × Increased in weight of KOH tube × 100
weight of coal ample taken
Amount of Hydrogen : 2/18 × Increased in weight of CaCl2tube %
of Hydrogen :12/44 × Increased in weight of CaCl2tube × 100
weight of coal ample taken
2)Percentage of Nitrogen:
A known weight of coal is heated with conc.H2SO4,K2SO4 and
CuSO4in Kjeldahl’ flask till the solution become clear. The nitrogen
present in coal is converted into (NH4)2SO4 which on boiling with
50% NaOH liberate ammonia. The liberated ammonia is absorbed in
known volume of 0.1 N H2SO4. The unused acid is determined by
back titration with standard NaOH .
From the volume of acid used by ammonia liberated ,the
percentage of nitrogen in coal is calculated as:
1L of 0.1 N H2SO4 consumed= 0.1g molecule of NH3= 1.4 g of N
% of Nitrogen = Volume of acid used × Normality of acid × 1.4
weight of coal taken
3)Percentage of sulphur :
A known weight of coal is heated in bomb calorimeter . The sulphur
present in coal is treated with HCl followed by BaCl2solution to
precipitate as BaSO4. The ppt of BaSO4is filtered, washed, dried
and weight is used to determine % of sulphur.
S → H2SO4 → BaSO4
32 233
Amount of sulphur : 32/233 × weight of BaSO4formed % of
sulphur :12/44 × weight of BaSO4 × 100 weight of coal
ample taken
4) % of ASH : It is carried out as in proximate
analysis. 5)% of Oxygen :
% of Oxygen =100 – % of( C + H + N + ASH)
LIQUID FUEL
*Liquid fuel is mainly obtained from naturally occurring oil called
crude oil or petroleum oil . (Petra =Rocks and Oleum = Oil) *Crude
oil is composed of various hydrocarbon like paraffin, naphthalene,
olefin and aromatic with small amount of organic compound
containing oxygen, nitrogen and sulphur.
Refining of Petroleum oil or Fractional
distillation of Petroleum oil
The process by which petroleum is separated into
different fractions having different boiling point is called
refining of petroleum or fractional distillation of petroleum
oil.
The crude oil is heated at about 4000C in retort. The hot
vapors coming out of retort are pazzed through a tall vertical
tower called ‘fractionating Tover’.
*The tower is fitted with large number of horizontal
trays with chimney as shown in above diagram. *As the
vapour go up they become gradually cooler and
fractional condensation takes place at different height
of the column.
*High boiling point fraction condense first and
comparatively low boiling point fraction condense turn
by turn.
* The residue left in the retort above 4000C is a black
and tarry mass called Asphalt or pitch.
*Different fraction of petroleum and their uses are
shown in following table;
Sr. Name of Boiling Calorifi Approzim Uzez
N Fraction Range c at e
o value compozit
Kcal/g io n
1 Uncondense below m CH4 – Domestic or
d gas 200C C4H10 industrial fuel as
LPG LPG
27800
2 Petroleum 20 – 700C - C5H12- solvent and dry cleaning
Ether C7H16
3 Gasoline or 40-1200C 11250 C5H12- Automobile and
petrol C10H22 aero plane fuel ,
solvent
4 Kerosene 180 - 11110 C10H22 – Stoves and jet
2000C C16H34 engine fuel
,illuminant,
manufacturing of oil gas
5 Diesel or 250 – 13500 C15H32 – Diesel engine fuel
fuel oil 3200C C20H42
6 Heavy oil or 320 – - C20H42 – Lubricant, Vaseline,
Lubricating 4000C C30H62 ointments, candles,
oil shoe polishes .
7 Asphalt Above C30H60 Road making and
(Residue) 4000C above water proofing of
roof
*Cracking: The process of converting heavy hydrocarbon molecule
into lighter molecule (mainly gasoline or diesel) by means of heat
or catalyst is called cracking .
*Knocking: A good fuel on sparking burns steadily and completely
in a time at a definite compression ration. However compression
ration exceed a limit, all the fuel does not burn smoothly and a
part of fuel burns suddenly with explosive nature giving rise to
metallic rattle known as knocking.
The knocking may be prevented by adding tetraethyl lead
(TEL)which is known a anti knocking agent.
Octane Number:
A liquid such as iso-octane burns very smoothly without producing
any knock but n- heptane has very strong tendency to knock.
Therefore octane number scale is formed in which iso-octane is
rated 100 octane and n-heptane is rated zero.
*Octane number is defined as the proportion by volume of iso-octane in
an iso-octane and n-heptane mixture which show the same knocking
property as the fuel under test.
Higher the Octane number high is the quality of fuel /petrol and
less is knocking .
Cetane Number :
Cetane number is a measure of the ignition quality of diesel fuel . The
time interval between the beginning of injection and the start of
combustion I known as the ignition delay period.
Cetin ignites very quickly and thus has along ignition delay..
Therefore cetane number scale is formed in which cetane is rated 100
and n-methyl naphthalene is rated zero .
Cetane number is defined as the percentage of cetane in cetane and
methyl naphthalene mixture which show the same ignition delay as the
fuel under test.
Gaseous Fuel
Gaseous fuel contains combustible gases hich on
burning produces large amount of heat.
The important gaseous fuels are:
Natural Gas
LPG
CNG
Biogas
Water Gas
Producer Gas
Compressed Natural
Gas (CNG) CNG is nothing but natural gas (Mainly
methane) compressed for the use of transport sector.
CNG is made by compressing natural gas to less than
1 % of the volume it occupies at standard atmosphere
pressure. 1.8
of CNG
Compopsition
Propane 3.7 %
5.5 3.7 Butane 1.8 %
Other 1.5 %
88.5
Methane
88.5% Ethane
5.5 %
1.5
Properties of CNG:
* It is cheaper than petrol and diesel .
* It’s calorific value is 8000 to 14000 Kcal/m3
* It’s ignition temp is high hence does not catch fire as
quickly as petrol.
* Its light weight and odorless gas.
Uses of CNG:
1. It’s used as automobile fuel especially in cars.
2. It is a source of hydrogen gas and carbon
black.
3. It I also used in locomotive generators to generate
electricity that drives the motor of the train.
*Liquefied Petroleum Gas(LPG)
It is also known as Bottled Gas or Refinery Gas .
It’ s mainly consist of light paraffinic hydrocarbons upto C4
like Propane , Butane, propene and ethane.
The main constituent of LPG are propane and Butane. LPG
is obtained as a byproduct during distillation of
petroleum oil .
Composition of
57.3
LPG
41.1
1.4 Propane 57.30% Butane
41.10% Propene 1.40%
0.2 Ethane 0.20%
Properties of LPG:
1)It is highly inflammable.
3.
2)It’s calorific value is 27800 kcal/m
3)It is colourless and odourless gas.
4) It is slightly toxic and slightly anesthetic if inhaled in
large conc.
Uses of LPG:
1)LPG I mainly used as domestic and industrial fuel .
Liquid Butane is mainly used for domestic purposes while
liquid propane is mainly used for industrial purposes.
2) It is used as automobile fuel.
3) It is also used in aerosol industry.
Biogas
Biogas is produced by the degradation of biological
matter by the bacterial action in the absence of
oxygen.
Example :1) Gobar gas ( dung gas ) is produced by
the anaerobic fermentation of cattle dung. 2) Natural
gas is also biogas result after a long period decay of
animal and vegetable matter buried in earth.
Uses of Biogas
1) It is used as an efficient fuel for cooking food and
illuminant in villages.
2) To run engine and it provides ezcellent manure
during it’s manufacturing.
COMPOSITION OF BIOGAS
The average composition of biogas
is: Methane CH4 - 50-60% Carbon dioxide
CO2 - 30-40% Hydrogen H2 - 5-10%
Nitrogen N2 - 2-6% Hydrogen sulphide H2S
- traces
It's calorific value is 3400 kcal/kg.
*For more clarification go through :
*https://youtu.be/6ptSCmM252E (Type of fuel)
*https://youtu.be/C0del7U4WT4 (Proximate analysis)
*https://youtu.be/nhQWC4KwgRU ( ultimate analysis)
*https://youtu.be/NoRRcDf9Ijs ((bomb calorimeter )
*https://youtu.be/nhQWC4KwgRU
*https://youtu.be/JZdvsQzOKuk (Fractional distillation)
*https://youtu.be/alzTofTj7CQ ( Fractional distillation)
*https://youtu.be/8YnYHGdLgfQ (Gaseous fuel)
*https://youtu.be/rjIRTFyennU (natural gas) *
https://youtu.be/BJiUF4Ospj8 ( LPG)
*https://youtu.be/Q5v_YhW_IG0 cetane & octane number
