UNIVERSITY OF PORTSMOUTH

SCHOOL OF ENGINEERING

Thermo fluids laboratory experiment...Hilton Combustion Unit

1. Object:
To analyse the combustion of natural gas, to compare theoretical models of
combustion with results obtained by experiment and to carry out an energy
balance.
2. Equipment:
The unit is a combustion unit that can burn natural gas (also other gaseous and
liquid fuels but that is not part of the test). The gas fires into a stainless steel water
cooled chamber provided with observation ports. Instrumentation is provided to
read:

mass flows of air, fuel and water

temperatures of air entering the unit, gas outlet temperature, water
temperatures of the water flow entering and leaving the unit heat
exchanger.
the gas leaving the unit through the chimney is sampled to give oxygen,
carbon monoxide and carbon dioxide levels (%)

See the diagram at the end of this instruction sheet for more details
3. Experimental procedure:
(i).

Using the stoichiometric air fuel ratio calculated in the theory section
below, set up the equipment to run at this value. Note the difference
between air-fuel ratios by mass and volume! Calculate the required fuel
flow rate by setting the value required for the energy input to be
approximately 350 MJ/h ( 97 kW)...based on the fuel gross calorific
value of 55.35 MJ/kg. This value assumes the water vapour in the
exhaust has condensed to liquid water..
NB The lower calorific value of methane is 50.1 MJ/kg, This value assumes
the water vapour in the exhaust has NOT condensed. The enthalpy of
reaction of methane1 with the H2O in the vapour phase, is -802.31
MJ/kmol or -50.144 MJ/kg

(ii).
1

Adjust the water flow rate to give an outlet water temperature of 80 0C

This assumes that all the carbon in the fuel is burnt to carbon dioxide. When the mixture is fuel trich this
is not so...carbon monoxide is formed which itself can burn to carbon dioxide, hence the enthalpy of
reaction is reduced by this amount. See section 4.2.4

(iii).

Read the instruments listed above, using the table at the end of this
instruction sheet.

(iv).

At all stages note the flame and combustion conditions within the unit

(v).

Change the air flow setting to operate air rich i.e. at a higher air fuel
ratio than stoichiometric

(vi).

Change the air flow setting to operate fuel rich i.e. at a lower air fuel
ratio than stoichiometric

4. Analysis:
4.1 Combustion Equations:
The generalized combustion equation for the combustion of methane (CH4) in air
is, per kmol of fuel with A kmols of air, {0.21 A is the number of kmols of oxygen
and 0.79 A the number of kmols of nitrogen}. NB: A is the air-fuel ratio by volume
and a, b, c, d, e are the number of kmols of each product of combustion
Then
C H4 + 0.21 A O2 + 0.79 A N2 = a CO2 + b H2O + c N2 + d CO + e O2
However for stoichiometric combustion (chemically correct), there is no CO or O2
in the products of combustion, hence d = e = 0
Based on the concept that the atoms2 are not destroyed, but merely form into
new compounds, we balance the atoms i.e.
oxygen.0.21 (2A) = 2a + b
hydrogen..4 = 2b hence b = 2
carbon1 = a
nitrogen.0.79 (2 A) = 2 c
hence 0.42 A = 2 + 2 = 4
thus A = 9.523
Thus the air to fuel ratio by volume = 9.523
By mass the mass of air is 9.523 x 29 = 276.2 kg per kmol of fuel
The mass of methane is {(1 x12) + (4 x 1)} = 16 kg (per kmol)
Then the air to fuel ratio by mass is

Remember each kmol contains 6.034 x 10

carbon atom and 4 hydrogen atoms

26

276.2
= 17.261
16

molecules and, for example CH4, each molecule has 1

Note the exhaust gas analysis by volume is: a = 1 b = 2, c = 7.523

Total number of kmols = 10.523
Then exhaust gas analysis by volume is

CO2 = 9.5 %
H2O = 19.01 %
N2

= 71.49 %

If we want it by mass then remember to use m = nM

Exhaust
gas

Number of kmols Molecular mass (kg/kmol)

Mass kg
(m = nM)

% mass

CO2

44

44

15.14

H2O

18

36

12.39

7.523

28

210.64

72.47

N2

=1680.7 = 100%

For the air rich and fuel rich readings, note that you will need to read the gas
analysis meters and use those values as follow:
Air rich:
We do not expect any CO to be present (check meter readings), hence d is 0.
The combustion equation becomes:
C H4 + 0.21 A O2 + 0.79 A N2 = a CO2 + b H2O + c N2 + e O2
A is the actual value taken from the flow metersremember it is by volume. The
flue gas analysis is for a dry mixture i.e. we do not measure the percentage of
H2O.
gas

number of kmol

% of wet exhaust
gases

Test result %

CO2

a
abec

O2

e
abc d

N2

H2O

b
=a+b+c+e
Then

( x 100%)
e

Note that on the left hand side the total number of kmols cancels
The analysis then proceeds in a similar way to the stoichiometric analysis

Fuel rich:
We do not expect any O2 to be present (check meter readings), hence e is 0.
The combustion equation becomes:
C H4 + 0.21 A O2 + 0.79 A N2 = a CO2 + b H2O + c N2 + d CO
Then proceed as shown above
4.2 Energy analyses:
4.2.1

Energy absorbed by the water:

This is a heat transfer given by Q (m c p ) WATER ( t out t in )

where cp is calculated as the mean value between the two temperatures i.e
(c p at tout ) (c p at tin )
c pmean
2
4.2.2
Loss of energy in the exhaust gas:
Because the heat exchanger effectiveness is not 100%, the exhaust gas leaves at
quite a high temperature, wasting a large amount of energy. {This type of energy
is sometimes called sensible heat.} Hence, there is a lost amount of energy,
The H-T graph below assumes that the air and the methane enter at 25 0C. The
fact that the air is at a higher temperature is dealt with below.
reactants
H
products
r0
2

p0
25 0C
25250

t2
t

We can deal with this in two ways. The first is by using the enthalpy tables in
Rogers and Mayhew tables using the following equation:

Q = (H2 - Hr0) + (Hp0 Hr0)

where (H2 - Hr0) = n (h2 h0) for each gas in the exhaust where n is the kmol of
each gas and (h2 h0) is the enthalpy change for each gas in kJ/kmol.
Conveniently the tables has all h0 values as 0 at 298.15, so you need only need
the value at T2...note this is in Kelvin and interpolation may be necessary since the
temperatures are 200K apart for the higher values of T2
(Hp0 Hr0) is simply the enthalpy of reaction of the methane, with the products in
the vapour phase (see above).

Remember that to convert value expressed in kmol to those in kg, divide by the
molecular mass M {= 16 (kg/kmol) for methane}.
We can calculate the rate of heat transfer by the following:

Q = n (h2 - h0) + nmethane (H0 ) noting m n M

Method 2 is to use cp values for calculating the enthalpy change from po to 2

calculated by { m c ( t out t d )} for each exhaust gas. Note the cp value is the
p

(c p at t out ) (c p at t d )
for each gas. Again the error is small if
2
you use 300 K for the reference and lower temperature
mean value c pmean

4.2.3 Loss of energy due to the fact that the water vapour in the exhaust
has not condensed.
Each kg of water vapour would give up its latent heat (hfg) if it condensed to liquid
water. Here we are using hfg = 2442 kJ/ kg which is the value at 250C, an
important reference temperature in combustion. Hence there is another lost

amount of energy, calculated by m h fg where the mass flow rate is that of the H20
in the exhaust. This energy is not available unless the gas (including water
vapour) exit temperature was below about 100 0C. This is why condensing gas
boilers are more efficient than non-condensing ones.
4.2.4 Loss of energy due to the fact that there is carbon monoxide in the
exhaust: (fuel rich mixture)
When there is carbon monoxide in the exhaust, this represents lost energy since
the carbon monoxide can burn (with extra O2) to carbon dioxide. This would
release another 282,990 kJ/kmol or 10,107 kJ for each kg of CO and is termed

enthalpy of reaction (hO) Hence this energy is given by (m hR )CO where the

mass flow rate is that of the carbon monoxide. This value must be deducted from
the stoichiometric value of the enthalpy of reaction used above.
4.2.5 Energy Input
The majority of the energy input is from the combustion of methane which is
covered above.
There is also an air preheater that gives a relatively small heat input =

Q mair c pair (Ta Tin ) .

4.2.6 Sum of energies:

From the first law the energy input = energy output. The water gains heat as
calculated aboveand this should be equal to the heat lost by the combustion
gases+ the heat from the air preheater.
The difference between the energy input and the energy output is the unknown
energy transfers (convection and radiation heat transfers) + all the experimental
errors + any unburnt hydrocarbons not accounted for!
4.3

Heat exchanger efficiency:

This is the ratio of the actual heat transfer to the water in the heat exchanger, to

the energy input to the unit: i.e E water/ E Input

Results table:
Property
Room
temperature
Water
temperature into
the heat
exchanger
Water
temperature out
of the heat
exchanger
Air temperature
entering the
burner
Exhaust gas
temperature

units
o

Air flow rate

kg/h

Methane flow
rate

kg/h

Water flow rate

kg/h

% O2

by volume

% CO

by volume

% CO2

by volume

stoichiometric

air rich

fuel rich