COMBUSTION CALCULATIONS

Solid & Liquid Fuels:

A
stoi
= 11.53*C + 34.34*(H
2
- (O
2
/8)) + 4.29*S
where
A
stoi
= Dry stoichiometric air required for combustion, lb/lb of fuel
C = weight fraction of Carbon in Solid/Liquid fuel
H
2
= weight fraction of Hydrogen in Solid/Liquid fuel
O
2
= weight fraction of Oxygen in Solid/Liquid fuel
S = weight fraction of sulfur in Solid/Liquid Fuel
Gaseous Fuels:
A
stoi
= 2.47*CO + 34.34*H
2
+ 17.265*CH
4
+ 13.3*C
2
H
2
+ 14.81*C
2
H
4
+ 16.12*C
2
H
6
+ 15.69*C
3
H
8
+ 15.44*C
4
H
10
- 4.32*O
2
where
A
stoi
= Dry stoichiometric air required for combustion, lb/lb of fuel
CO = weight fraction of Carbon Monoxide Gaseous fuel
H
2
= weight fraction of Hydrogen in Gaseous fuel
CH
4
= weight fraction of Methane in Gaseous Fuel
C
2
H
2
= weight fraction of acetylene in Gaseous Fuel
C
2
H
4
= weight fraction of ethylene in Gaseous Fuel
C
2
H
6
= weight fraction of ethane in Gaseous Fuel
C
3
H
8
= weight fraction of propane in Gaseous Fuel
O
2
= weight fraction of Oxygen in Gaseous fuel
HHV's (Higher Heating Value) for API fuel oils:
HHV = 17887 + 57.5*API - 102.2*S
where
API = Degree API of Fuel Oil (measure of specific gravity)
S = weight percent of sulfur in fuel oil
MM Btu method of combustion:
Examples for calculation of thoretical/stoichiometric Air:
Example 1:
A Fuel oil has the following characteristics:
Degree API 28 API
weight percent C = 87.5 %
weight percent H = 12.5 %
weight percent S = 0 %
weight percent O = 0 %
Calculate the amount of theoretical air required per million Btu fired for above fuel oil
This method for combustion is based on the concept that the weight of air required in the combustion of a unit
weight of any commercial fuel is more nearly proportional to the unit heat value than to the unit weight of the fuel.
Hence the quantity of air required is expressed in lb per million btu (lb/MMBtu) fired.
Page 1 of 6
COMBUSTION CALCULATIONS
Calculations:
HHV = 19497 Btu/lb
A
stoi
= 14.38 lb/lb fuel
1 MM Btu fired requires = 51.29 lb fuel
Hence air required per 1 MM Btu fuel = 737.6 lb
Example 2:
Natural gas is used as fired fuel for boiler. It has the following volumetric analysis:
CH
4
= 83.4 %
C
2
H
6
= 15.8 %
N
2
= 0.8 %
Calculate the amount of theoretical air required per million Btu fired for natural gas
Calculations:
Component volume %
Molecular wt
weight % wt fraction Combustion
Constants
or HHV,
Btu/lb
CH
4
83.4 16 72.89 0.7289 23876 yellow colored cell are inputs
C
2
H
6
15.8 30 25.89 0.2589 22320
N
2
0.8 28 1.22 0.0122 -
A
stoi
= 16.76 lb/lb fuel
HHV = 23181.0 Btu/lb
1 MM Btu fired requires = 43.14 lb fuel
Hence air required per 1 MM Btu fuel = 722.9 lb
Total Atmospheric Air required for Combustion in fired Heaters:
A
tot
= A
stoi
*(1000000/HHV of fuel)*(1+ H)*(1 + A
exc
)
where
A
tot
= total atmospheric air, lb/MM Btu
A
stoi
= Dry stoichiometric or theoretical air required, lb/lb fuel
HHV = Higher Heating Value, Btu/lb
H= absolute humidity of atmospheric air expressed as a fraction - lb of water vapor per 1 lb of dry air
A
exc
= excess air expressed as a fraction (10% excess air will be entered as 0.1, 15% = 0.15 etc.)
(to be calculated from % Relative Humidity (RH) & Dry Bulb Temperature using psychrometric chart,
example: at 105F & 100% RH, H = 0.0507 from Humid Air chart)
Page 2 of 6
COMBUSTION CALCULATIONS
Common Combustion Reactions & the Heats of Combustion:
Heating Value (Btu/lb)
HHV LHV
H
2
+ 1/2O
2
= H
2
O 61100 51600
C + O
2
= CO
2
14093 14093
C + 1/2O
2
= CO 4440 4440
CO + 1/2O
2
= CO
2
4345 4345
S + O
2
= SO
2
10160 10160
CH
4
+ 2O
2
= CO
2
+ 2H
2
O 23885 21500
C
2
H
6
+ 3.5O
2
= 2CO
2
+ 3H
2
O 22263 20370
C
3
H
8
+ 5O
2
= 3CO
2
+ 4H
2
O 21646 19929
C
4
H
10
+ 6.5O
2
= 4CO
2
+ 5H
2
O 21293 19665
Note that where no water is formed during combustion reaction the HHV & LHV are the same.
Heating Value (LHV(net) & HHV(gross)) @ 60F, 14.696 psia (Source: Fig 23-2, GPSA Engg. Data Book)
Btu/ft
3
,
ideal gas,
14.696
psia
Btu/lb
m
Liquid
Btu/ft
3
,
ideal gas,
14.696
psia
Btu/lb
m
Liquid
Btu/gal
Liquid
Methane 909.4 - 1010 - -
Ethane 1618.7 20277 1769.6 22181 65869
Propane 2314.9 19757 2516.1 21489 90830
Isobutane 3000.4 19437 3251.9 21079 98917
n-Butane 3010.8 19494 3262.3 21136 102911
Isopentane 3699 19303 4000.9 20891 108805
n-Pentane 3706.9 19335 4008.9 20923 110091
Neopentane 3682.9 19235 3984.7 20822 103577
n-Hexane 4403.8 19232 4755.9 20783 115021
Hydrogen 273.8 - 324.2 - -
Carbon
Monoxide
320.5 - 320.5 - -
Prepared by: Ankur Srivastava
Chemical Engineer
e-mail: ankur2061@yahoo.co.in
Disclaimer : The information and methods included within this spreadsheet are presented for combustion air
calculations. It is intended to be used by technically skilled persons at their own discretion. I do not warrant the
suitability or accuracy of these methods.
Heating Value, 60F
Net Gross
Compound
Page 3 of 6
COMBUSTION CALCULATIONS
2.47*CO + 34.34*H
2
+ 17.265*CH
4
+ 13.3*C
2
H
2
+ 14.81*C
2
H
4
+ 16.12*C
2
H
6
+ 15.69*C
3
H
8
+ 15.44*C
4
H
10
- 4.32*O
2
Page 4 of 6
COMBUSTION CALCULATIONS
Page 5 of 6
COMBUSTION CALCULATIONS
Disclaimer : The information and methods included within this spreadsheet are presented for combustion air
calculations. It is intended to be used by technically skilled persons at their own discretion. I do not warrant the
suitability or accuracy of these methods.
Page 6 of 6