ENV 4101/5105 Elements of Air Pollution

Combustion
Basics
Prepared by: Ying Li

12/15/2014

Aerosol & Particulate Research Laboratory

Combustion Basics

Fuel
Combustion Stoichiometry
Air/Fuel Ratio
Equivalence Ratio
Air Pollutants from Combustion

12/15/2014

Aerosol & Particulate Research Laboratory

Fuel
Gaseous Fuels
Natural gas
Refinery gas

Liquid Fuels

Kerosene
Gasoline, diesel
Alcohol (Ethanol)
Oil

Solid Fuels
Coal (Anthracite, bituminous, subbituminous, lignite)
Wood

12/15/2014

Aerosol & Particulate Research Laboratory

Fuel
Properties of Selected Fuels
CH4

C2H6

C3H8

Other HCs

H2S

Heating Value
(106 J/m3)

(wt%)

Natural gas (No.1)

87.7

5.6

2.4

1.8

2.7

43.2

Natural gas (No.2)

88.8

6.4

2.7

2.0

0.0004

41.9

(Ultimate analysis)

Heating value
(106 J kg-1)

(wt%)

Gasoline (No.2)

86.4

(Approximate analysis)
Anthracite

(PA)

Bituminous

(PA)

Subbituminous
Lignite

(ND)

Carbon

(CO)

12.7

0.1

Volatile matter

0.1
Moisture

0.4-0.7
Ash

Heating value
(106 J kg-1)

(%)

(%)

(%)

(%)

77.1

3.8

5.4

13.7

27.8

70.0

20.5

3.3

6.2

33.3

45.9

30.5

19.6

4.0

23.6

30.8

28.2

34.8

6.2

16.8

Which one has a higher energy density per mass?

Do they burn in the same way?
Data from Flagan and Seinfeld, Fundamentals of Air Pollution Engineering, 1988, Prentice-Hall.

12/15/2014

Aerosol & Particulate Research Laboratory

Combustion Stoichiometry
Combustion in Oxygen

Cn H m O2 CO2 H 2O
1.
2.

Can you balance the above equation?

Write the reactions for combustion of methane and
benzene in oxygen, respectively.

Answer
m
m

Cn H m n O2 nCO2 H 2O
4
2

CH 4 2O2 CO2 2 H 2O
C6 H 6 7.5O2 6CO2 3H 2O

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Aerosol & Particulate Research Laboratory

Combustion Stoichiometry
Combustion in Air (O2 = 21%, N2 = 79%)

Cn H m (O2 3.78 N 2 ) CO2 H 2O N 2

1.
2.

Can you balance the above equation?

Write the reactions for combustion of methane and benzene
in air, respectively.

Answer
m
m
m

Cn H m n (O2 3.78 N 2 ) nCO2 H 2O 3.78 n N 2

4
2
4

CH 4 2(O2 3.78 N 2 ) CO2 2 H 2O 7.56 N 2

C6 H 6 7.5(O2 3.78 N 2 ) 6CO2 3H 2O 28 .35 N 2
1. What if the fuel contains O, S, Cl or other elements?
2 Is it better to use O2 or air?
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Aerosol & Particulate Research Laboratory

Air-Fuel Ratio
Air-Fuel (AF) ratio
AF = m Air / m Fuel

Where:

m air = mass of air in the feed mixture

m fuel = mass of fuel in the feed mixture

Fuel-Air ratio: FA = m Fuel /m Air = 1/AF

Air-Fuel molal ratio

AFmole = nAir / nFuel
Where:

nair = moles of air in the feed mixture

nfuel = moles of fuel in the feed mixture

What is the Air-Fuel ratio for stoichiometric combustion of

methane and benzene, respectively?
12/15/2014

Aerosol & Particulate Research Laboratory

Air-Fuel Ratio
Rich mixture
- more fuel than necessary
(AF) mixture < (AF)stoich
Lean mixture
- more air than necessary
(AF) mixture > (AF)stoich

Most combustion systems operate under lean conditions.

Why is this advantageous?
Consider the combustion of methanol in an engine. If the Air-Fuel
ratio of the actual mixture is 20, is the engine operating under rich
or lean conditions?
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Aerosol & Particulate Research Laboratory

Equivalence Ratio
Equivalence ratio: shows the deviation of an actual
mixture from stoichiometric conditions.

( FA) actual ( AF ) stoich

( FA) stoich ( AF ) actual

The combustion of methane has an equivalence ratio =0.8
in a certain condition. What is the percent of excess air (EA)
used in the combustion?

How does temperature change as increases?

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Aerosol & Particulate Research Laboratory

Formation of NOx and CO in Combustion

Thermal NOx
- Oxidation of atmospheric N2 at high temperatures

N 2 O2 2 NO
NO 12 O2 NO2
- Formation of thermal NOx is favorable at higher temperature
Fuel NOx
- Oxidation of nitrogen compounds contained in the fuel
Formation of CO
- Incomplete Combustion
- Dissociation of CO2 at high temperature

CO2 CO 12 O2
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Aerosol & Particulate Research Laboratory

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Air Pollutants from Combustion

Source: Seinfeld, J. Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics of Air Pollution.

How do you explain the trends of the exhaust HCs, CO,

and NOx as a function of air-fuel ratio?
How do you minimize NOx and CO emission?
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Aerosol & Particulate Research Laboratory

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Quick Reflections

Fuel
Combustion Stoichiometry
Air/Fuel Ratio
Equivalence Ratio
Air Pollutants from Combustion

12/15/2014

Aerosol & Particulate Research Laboratory

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