FUELS

FUELS
THE NATURALLY OCCURING OR MANUFACTURED
COMBUSTIBLE SUBSTANCES WHICH ACT AS SOURCE
WHEN BURNT.

“THE FUEL UNDERGOES EXOTHERMIC REACTION

WITH OXYGEN PRODUCING HEAT.”
CLASSIFICATION OF FUELS:
Depending on their physical state may be classified into
Solid fuels
Liquid fuels
Gaseous fuels
They are further divided into
Primary or natural
Secondary or derived fuels
TYPE NATURAL (PRIMARY ) DERIVED (SECONDARY )

Solid Wood, lignite coal , Charcoal , coke.

anthracite

Liquid Crude petroleum Fuel oil , diesel,

gasoline, kerosene

Gaseous Natural gas Producer gas ,

water gas , coal gas
, bio gas .
CHARACTERISTIC OF FUEL :
High calorific value
Composition of the fuel
Specific heat of combustion
Flame temperature
Fire point
Flash point
Pour point
Cloud point
Explosive range
HIGH CALORIFIC VALUE3
of solid or liquid fuel or
1*10ˆ-6 at one atmosphere pressure of a
gaseous fuel is completely burnt in excess :
The total quantity of heat liberated , when 1*10ˆ-of air or
oxygen and the products of combustion cooled to room
temperature .

COMPOSITION OF FUEL: low moisture content , less volatile

matter, high carbon content or combustible substance, ballast
must be low.

FLAME TEMPERATURE: The minimum temperature to which

an object can be heated by a flame of fuel.
FIRE POINT : Temperature in which the oil vapor will catch fire
and continue to burn.
 FLASH POINT: It is the minimum temperature at which a
sample of a fuel oil gives off enough vapors to catch fire (but
don’t continue to burn) by the naked flame or electric
discharge . It depends on vapour pressure.

POUR POINT: The temperature at which cloudiness appear in

a sample of oil due to the separation of wax under standard
condition .

CLOUD POINT : The temperature at which oil ceases to flow ,

when cooled under standard conditions.

EXPLOSIVE RANGE : The limiting composition of a gas –air

mixture , beyond which the mixture will not igniteand
continue to burn .
 Quality of a good fuel

They should have high carbon content high calorific

value.
It should give low ash content or no ash or carbon.
Should possess low moisture and volatile matter.
Rate of combustion should be uniform and moderate.
Should have moderate ignition temperature.
Combustion should be easily controllable.
It should not produce toxic gases during combustion.
 GASEOUS FUELS
The important gaseous fuels are
Water gas
Coal gas
Producer gas
Acetylene
Bio gas
Liquefied petroleum gas etc..
Advantages of gaseous fuel:
Gaseous fuels have high calorific value.
Rate of combustion is very high but can be
easily controlled.
The higher temperature is obtained and can be
easily controlled.
It can be easily distributed through pipes from
the source of production.
They neither produce smoke nor ash .
Natural gas
Natural gas
It is found in nature in association with or
without petroleum deposits.
 COMPOSITION OF NATURAL GAS
80%
70%
60%
50%
40%
70%
30%
20%
10% 22%
0% 5% 3%
e e
a n a n gen AS
h h o G
et et dr RT
m hy E
IN
,&
S,N
2
, H
C O
2,
CO
APPLICATION
Used as an excellent industrial and domestic fuel.
Used as raw material for the manufacture of carbon
black and hydrogen gas.
Employed as a member of chemicals in various
synthetic processes.
ADVANTAGE OF NATURAL
GASES
 it can be conveyed to over large distances
through pipelines
 It burns with blue flame and gives no smoke
or ash.
 It has high calorific value 12000-14000
kcal/m3
 It is cheap and convenient fuel.
 Water gas
It is a mixture of combustible gas, CO, and
hydrogen with little non-combustible gases
like CO2 and nitrogen .
 composition of water gas

nitrogen carbon dioxide

4% 4%

hydrogen
51%
carbon monoxide
41%
Cup and
cone
MANUFACTURE
feeder
 PROCESS
1) C + H2O ----------> CO +H2 H=121.5 KJ
(STEAM) (WATER GAS)

2) C(s) +O2(g) -----------> CO2 (GAS)

3) 2C (s) + O2 (g) --------> 2CO
APPLICATION
Used as a source of hydrogen gas.
As a fuel gas and as an illuminating
agent.
In the manufacture of methanol and
synthetic petrol.
As reducing agent.
PRODUCER GAS
It is a mixture of carbon monoxide and
nitrogen.
 Composition of producer gas
oxygen saturated hydrocarbon unsaturated hydrocarbon
0% 3% 0%
hydrogen
18%

carbon monoxide
nitrogen 20%
49%

carbon dioxide
10%
 Calorific value
The calorific value of producer Gas is
1308kcal/m3
The low calorific value is due to the presence
of large excess of non combustible gases like
nitrogen and carbon dioxide.
Cup & cone
feeder
MANUFACTURE
Producer gas outlet

Refractory fire
bricks
Distillation zone
Reduction zone

Combustion zone

Ash zone
 PROCESS
C (s)+ O2(g) ----------->CO2(g)
H= -394 kj
CO2(g) +C (s)-------> 2CO(g) H= +163 kj

The overall reaction

2C(s)+O2(g)----------->2CO(g)
H= -231 kj
APPLICATION
It is used as a fuel for heating retorts in preparing coal
gas.
It is used as a fuel for heating open hearth furnace in
the manufacture of steel and glass.
It is used as a reducing agent in metallurgy.
BIO GAS
 BIO GAS
 Biogas is obtained by the degradation of
biological matter by the bacterial action in
the absence of free oxygen
COMPOSITION OF BIO GAS
nitrogen
2.6%

carbon dioxide
35%

methane
55%

Hydrogen
7.4%
PRODUCTION OF BIO GAS
ADVANTAGE OF BIO GAS
The production of biogas is more economical.
It also yields simultaneously excellent
manure. The nitrogen content of the manure
is about 2% as against 0.75% in farm yard
manure.
The biogas has all the advantages of gaseous
fuel.
It does not contain any poisonous gas like
carbon monoxide.
It can burn with pale blue flame and gives
temperature of 813K with proper burner.
LPG
LPG
 LPG is a mixture of lower hydrocarbon of C 3 and
C4, which are mainly propane, butane,
isobutylene and butylene with little or no
propylene and ethane.
 COMPOSITION
Hydrocarbon In a cylinder In bulk

n-butane 27.2% 68.9%

Iso-butane 24.7% 18.3%

Butylene 42.8% 1.2%

Propylene 2.5% ---

propane 2.8% 11.5%

Ethane ---- 0.1%

 APPLICATION
• It is widely used as a domestic fuel for
cooking.
• As industrial fuel.
• As motor fuel.
ADVANTAGES OF LPG
It has high calorific value.
It burns with a smokeless flame and does not
cause pollution.
It does not produce any poisonous gas on
combustion.
It is easy to handle and convenient to store.
ADVANTAGES OF LPG AS MOTOR FUEL
 It is less costlier than gasoline.
 It mixes easily with air and gives better
distribution.
 Residue and oil contamination is small as it burns
clearly.
 Engine life is increased.
DISADVANTAGE OF LPG AS MOTOR FUEL
Handling has to be done with utmost care.
Due to its faint odor, leakage can not be detected
easily.
It is advantageous only in engines working under high
compression ratio.
It has low octane number and road sensitivity is very
high.
THANK
YOU