GASEOUS FUELS

Dr G NAGARAJAN Professor Department of Mechanical Engg.

Anna University Chennai

Chennai 600 025

GASEOUS
ADVANTAGES

FUEL

- Consistency in Quality

- Easily Combustible
- Absence of Mineral Impurities - High Efficiency of Combustion

 Naturally
-

T Y P E S

Occurring

Natural Gas Methane from Coal Mines

Manufactured from Solid Fuels

Wood Gas

2 Coal Gas

3
5

Producer Gas

4 Water Gas

Blast Furnace Gas

 Manufactured from Petroleum

-

Refinery Gas

- Liquefied Petroleum Gas ( L P G )

- Gases from Oil Gasification Process

Fermentation of Organic Wastes

-

Methane Gas / Biogas

CLASSIFICATION
( based on Calorific Value )

(a) H I G H B T U G A S
1 2 Liquefied Petroleum Gas :

1 25 610 kJ / nm3

Natural Gas

35 170 38 102 kJ / nm3 18 842 22 190 kJ / nm3

(b) M E D I U M B T U G A S
1 Town Gas 2 :

Industrial Fuel Gas : 9 210 12 980 kJ / nm3

(c) L O W B T U G A S
1

Producer Gas

4 000 k J / n m 3

NATURAL GAS
Paraffinic Hydrocarbon
Principal Content M

ethane

High Btu gas ( C V : 35 000 kJ / nm3 & above )

It occurs naturally in gas fields

and also in association with Crude Petroleum in oil fields.

NATURAL GAS COMPOSITION

Components (% vol) Helium Nitrogen Carbon Dioxide Methane Ethane Propane Butane Pentane Hexane Density (kg/m ) Calorific Value (MJ/m ) (MJ/kg) Wobbe Index Methane Number H/C Ratio Air / Fuel Ratio Stoichiometric (m /m ) (kg/kg) Inert Mass
3 3 3 3

Test 0.6 90.2 8.5 0.6 0.1 0.78 38.4 49 94.4 75 3.82 10.22 16.86 1

Italian 0.31 0.02 99.59 0.04 0.01 0.03 0.72 35.8 49.7 48 98 4 17.12 0.6

Russian 0.02 0.93 0.2 97.32 0.94 0.37 0.14 0.04 0.04 0.74 36.1 48.4 47.8 90 3.95 16.81 2.1

Dutch 0.04 3.1 1.33 90.3 3.89 0.89 0.26 0.08 0.11 0.8 36.3 45.6 46.3 80 3.86 15.68 8.2

Algerian 0.16 5.43 0.16 83.66 7.75 1.93 0.64 0.15 0.1 0.84 37.9 47.1 47.1 70 3.73 15.49 8.5

ENERGY CONSUMPTION DIESEL vs NATURAL GAS

40 Increase in energy consumption (%)

30

20

10

0
ECE R49 Duty Cycle Refuse Collection

Bus

Truck

Average

LOWER CALORIFIC VALUE AND DENSITY OF DIFFERENT FUELS

Lower calorific value Fuel Gasoline Diesel Fuel Methanol Ethanol Natural Gas 200 bar MJ/kg 40 43 20 27 50 MJ/dm3 29.9 36 16 21 6.3 Density kg/dm3 0.748 0.840 0.794 0.792 0.128

Hydrogen 200 bar

Hydrogen 700 bar Liquid Hydrogen Biodiesel Rape Seed Oil

120
120 120 37 38

1.9
5.0 8.5 33 35

0.016
0.042 0.071 0.88 0.92

NATURAL GAS ENGINE

COMPRESSION IGNITION OF A NATURAL GAS/AIR MIXTURE NOT FEASIBLE (TO HIGH AUTOIGNITION TEMPERATURE) DUAL FUEL OPERATION ALLOWS DIESEL-LIKE COMPRESSION RATIOS, BUT TWO COMPLETE FUEL AND FUEL STORAGE - SYSTEMS ARE REQUIRED COMPLICATED OPERATION. NATURAL GAS TO BE USED IN SPARK IGNITION ENGINES EITHER WITH ONE OF THE FOLLOWING GAS ADMISSION SYSTEMS SINGLE POINT MULTI POINT DIRECT INJECTION

NATURAL GAS ENGINE

NATURAL GAS ENGINES SUITABLY APPLICABLE FOR CITY BUSES, DELIVERY VEHICLES AND GARBAGE COLLECTING VEHICLES AS WELL AS STATIONARY APPLICATIONS (GEN SETS, ETC).

DUE TO FUEL STORAGE (COMPRESSED NATURAL GAS) NOT SUITED FOR LONG - DISTANCE HAULAGE
IT WAS SUGGESTED TO ENTER THE HYDROGEN USAGE BY USING A MIXTURE OF NATURAL GAS AND HYDROGEN IN ROAD VEHICLES. THIS COULD BE DONE TECHNICALLY BUT WILL HAVE NEGATIVE EFFECT ON FUEL COST.

EMISSIONS COMPARED TO EUROPEAN STANDARDS

FUEL STORAGE RATIO - CNG

200 bar
200 bar Diesel 200 bar 200 bar 200 bar

FUEL STORAGE RATIO - LNG

Diesel

-162OC

= 0.83 kg/litre

= 0.35 kg/litre

PRODUCER GAS
Combustible gaseous mixture obtained
by blowing of air through an incandescent

bed of Solid Carbonaceous fuel

Plant in which it is made is called as

GASIFIER
It is a fuel of low calorific Value
mainly containing C O & N 2

 Bituminous coal, anthracite and coke are used as the raw material in gas producers. With minor variations, Peat & Lignite can also be used.
2 C + O2 + 3.76 N 2
2 C O + 3.76 N 2- 5 8 7 3 0 kcal

M E R I TS
1 GASEOUS FUEL
2 CHEAP 3 EASE OF PRODUCTION
Most widely used industrial fuel gas where cheap solid fuels are abundant.

principal component
1

If air alone

- (i) CO - (ii) N2

2 If air + steam
- (i) CO

- (ii) N2
- (iii) H2

COMPOSITION
Composition % by volume CO2 Cm Hm ( unsaturated ) O2

Produces Gas Mixed Blast Coal Coke

% by volume With Anthracite

CO
H2 CH4

N2
Gross CV, kJ / nm3, dry Specific gravity ( air = 1 )

4.0 0.4 29.0 12.0 2.6 52.0 6500 0.87

(ii)

5.0 29.0 11.0 0.5 54.5 5550 0.90

6.0 26.0 17.0 1.2 49.8 6000 0.85

Advantages (i) Cheapness

Ease of Production

DEMERITS
(i)

Low Calorific Value :

4500

kJ / nm3

( producer gas is a mixture of 33 % CO & 67 % N2 )

(ii) Low

Cold Gas Efficiency <

70

(iii)

3 0

% of heating value of carbon is during the reaction. This

liberated

causes local heating & ash fusion.

BLAST FURNACE GAS

Blast furnaces may be regarded as gas producers in which a few other reaction reactions. take place in

addition to the usual producer The resultant gas has higher C O

and lower H2 content.

 In

Blast

Furnaces

combustion

gases raise thro the descending burden of coke, ore & flux Carbon Reduces C O 2 t o C O &

Decomposes Steam to H 2 and C O

Resultant gas known as Blast Furnace Gas leaves the furnace at 200
0

COMPOSITION C O M P O U N D % by vol. CO2 11 CO 27

H2 N2

2 60
kJ /
3 nm

CV= 3500

Gas Yield

2 4 0 0 nm3 / ton of pig iron

Higher dust content

2 0 - 3 0 g / m3.

Due its low C V it is necessary to preheat the gas before usage

2 0 % used for preheating 8 0 % for

the blast

Steam Raising / Open Hearth Firing / Reheating Furnaces / Coke Ovens

REFINERY GAS

IT INCLUDES
i) Gases obtained during distillation, cracking and other processing of

petroleum and petroleum fractions.

ii) Contains Ethane & paraffins Olefins like like Methane, Ethylene,

Propene, H 2 S , H 2 , etc.,

COMPOSITION
COMPOUND
H 2S H2 CH4 C 2H 4 + C 2H 6 C 3H 6 + C 3H 8

C 4 H 8 + C 4 H 10

6-8 6-8 8 -10 8 -12 40-55 < 30

3

CV

8 5 0 0 0 kJ / nm

LIQUEFIED PETROLEUM GAS

In the gaseous hydrocarbons, C3 & C4 compounds can be liquefied at room temperature and it can be stored. It is known as L P G

Prepared from Wet Natural Gas, Associated Gas & Refinery Gas

Lighter grade

Composition
C3H8 + C3H6 Butane & iso - butane Ethane & Ethylene Higher grade < < 10 % 2% = 90 %

Butane, iso butane & Butene

Propane & Propene Ethane & Ethylene

=
< <

80 90 %
20 % 2%

APPLICATIONS
1 Domestic Cooking Butane major component Storage pressure 3 atm 2 Industrial Usage for Thermal Propane major component Storage pressure 10 atm

3
4

In IC Engines as fuel .
Refinery process in the production of

Petrochemicals.

W O O D G A S

Carbonization of Wood at

400 C

Gas yield

1 2 5 nm3 / ton of dry wood

CALORIFIC VALUE

1 3 8 7 0
CO2 -

k J / m3

C O M P O S I T I O N
20 % 5
%
CO CH4 -

25 %
14
%

C nH m N2 -

Rest

H2

20

HYDROGEN
CAN BE USED IN I.C. ENGINES AND IN FUEL CELLS HYDROGEN IS NOT AN ENERGY SOURCE .... BUT AN ENERGY CARRIER WHICH HAS TO BE PRODUCED AND THIS REQUIRES ENERGY

EU COMMISSION WANTS TO FORCE EUROPE INTO A HYDROGEN ECONOMY BY THE YEAR 2050

HYDROGEN
PRODUCTION OF HYDROGEN BY: - HYDROLYSIS WHICH SHOULD UTILISE REGENERATIVE ELECTRICITY (SUN, WIND, HYDRO, GEOTHERMAL) - STEAM REFORMING OF NATURAL GAS OR GASOLINE - THERMAL SPLITTING OF WATER IN A HIGH-TEMPERATURE NUCLEAR REACTOR

- COAL GASIFICATION AT 900 C

- HYDROGEN PRODUCTION FROM BIOMASS

HYDROGEN PRODUCTION USING SOLAR

 It is a High Btu gas

Calorific Value 1 2 0 MJ / kg

PROPERTIES

Self ignition high.

temperature

is

Extremely clear fuel, less toxic and no carbonization in the Engine

It has a wider flammability range and higher burning velocity.

Gaseous form eliminates the problem of atomization, evaporation, mixing and recondensation. It is about 2.7 times heavier than

gasoline when compared on

mass basis.

It produces less pollution, main pollutants is Nox from Nitrogen Air Engines.

Cryogenics & Hydrogen bomb

production
It is the most suitable renewable fuel

substitute for gasoline from

technical angles

PROBLEMS HYDROGEN

WITH FUEL

Storage of Hydrogen is a problem.

Although energy per unit weight is

quite high, energy per unit volume is low.

Vehicle range is limited due to

bulkiness of high pressure tanks.

Contd

In case of leak Hydrogen is much more keen to ignite than gasoline.

Higher diffusivity and great buoyancy of Hydrogen imply rapid

dispersal into atmosphere.

In the case of liquid Hydrogen

spilling it is far less hazardous than

gasoline.

TWO WAY OF GETTING GAS FROM BIOMASS

BIO CHEMICAL CONVERSION

BIO METHANATION

GASIFICATION

ANAEROBIC DIGESTION

It is a High Btu gas

Calorific Value 38 000 kJ / nm3 Composition 55 60 % 40 45 % = = CH4 CO2

Applications Domestic cooking. IC Engines.

BIOGAS LANTERN

EMISSION DETAILS

EMISSIONS FACTOR

(source: Environment Protection Agency, EPA., USA)

S.No
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6.

FUEL
Natural Gas Kerosene Oil Gasoline Diesel Coal

CO2 ,kg / MWh

179 240 264 262 271 328

SOx ,gm / MWh

1 23 500 505 860 1770

NOx ,gm / MWh

136 190 690 417 570 1910

7.

Biomass

46

1140