Chemical Process Principles

(CLB10904)

CHAPTER 2 MATERIAL BALANCE:

(PART 3): COMBUSTION

MARMY ROSHAIDAH
SCET UniKL MICET
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Combustion Process
The rapid reaction of a fuel with oxygen.
 Use air as source of Oxygen.
 Assume air composition: 79% N2 and 21%O2.
 Releases of energy and generation of product
gases such as H2O, N2, O2, CO2, CO and SO2.
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Combustion Process
Typical examples of combustion
processes:

 Combustion of coal.
 Heating Oil.
 Natural gas used to generate
electricity in utility power stations.
 Engines that functioned using
gasoline or diesel fuel combustion.
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Combustion Process
2 types of Combustion:

• Complete reaction of the

Complete hydrocarbon fuel to produce CO2,
combustion SO2, NO2, and H2O.
• E.g. C3H8 + 5O2 → 3CO2 + 4H2O

• Combustion of the fuel to produce

Incomplete at least some CO, SO or NO.
combustion • E.g. C H + 7/2O → 3CO + 4H O
3 8 2 2
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Combustion Process
Product gas that leaves the combustion chamber
is called stack or flue gas.
Composition of flue gas consists of:
Carbon dioxide (CO2)
Water Vapor Depending
Nitrogen
on the
Excess oxygen
FEED!
Carbon Monoxide (CO),
Nitrogen Oxides
Sulfur Oxides (SO2)
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Wet & Dry Basis

Wet Basis:
Takes into account All the gases
resulting from the combustion
process including the water vapor.

Orsat Analysis or Dry Basis:

All the gases resulting from the
combustion process excluding the
water vapor.
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Check Your Understanding 1

A stack gas contains 60 mole% N2, 15 mole% CO2, 10 mole
% O2, and balance H2O. Calculate the molar composition of
the gas on a dry basis. Calculation is on basis 100 mol Wet
Gas
SOLUTION:
From the basis, there is 60 mol N2, 15 mol CO2 and 10 mol O2.
Total number of dry gas moles = 60 + 15 + 10 = 85 mol dry gas
mol N 2 60 mol N 2
Composition N 2 = = = 0.706
Total mol N 2 dry basis 85 mol dry gas
mol CO 2 15 mol CO 2
Composition CO 2 = = = 0.176
Total mol CO 2 dry basis 85 mol dry gas
mol O 2 10 mol O 2
Composition O2 = = = 0.118
Total mol O2 dry basis 85 mol dry gas
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Combustion Chemistry
• When a fuel is burned
 C forms CO2 (complete) or CO (partial combustion)
 H forms H2O
 S forms SO2
 N forms NO2 (above 1800°C)
• Air is used as the source of oxygen. DRY air analysis:
 78.03 mol% N2 Usually we assume:
 20.99 mol% O2 79 mol% N2
21 mol% O2
 0.94 mol% Ar
 0.03 mol% CO2
 0.01 mol% H2, He, Ne, Kr, Xe
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Theoretical and Excess Air

1. Theoretical oxygen: Amount of oxygen needed
for complete combustion of reactants to form
CO2 and H2O.
2. Theoretical Air: Quantity of air containing
theoretical amount of oxygen (O2).
3. Excess Air: The amount of air in excess of that
required for complete combustion. The % excess
air is the same as % excess of oxygen (O2).
4. Percent Excess air
(Moles air)fed - (Moles air)theoretical
% excess air = ´100%
(Moles air)theoretical
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Check Your Understanding 2

100 mol/h of butane (C4H10) and 5000 mol/h

of air are fed into a combustion reactor.
Calculate the percent excess air.
C 4 H 10 
13
2
O 2  4CO 2  5H 2 O
n1 (mol/h C4H10)
100 mol/h C4H10
n2 (mol/h O2)
REACTOR n3 (mol/h N2)
n4 (mol/h CO2)
5000 mol/h
0.21 mol O2/mol n5 (mol/h H2O)
0.79 mol N2/mol
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Check Your Understanding 2

C 4 H 10  13
2
O 2  4CO 2  5 H 2 O

nC4H10 = 100 mol/hr; nair = 5000 mol/hr

æ 13 ö
æ 100 mol C H öç mol O 2 ÷
( )
nO
2 theoretical
=ç
è hr
4 10 ç 2
÷ ÷ = 650
øçç 1 mol C4 H10 ÷÷
mol O 2
hr
è ø
æ 650 mol O öæ 1 mol air ö mol air
( )
nair
theoretical
=ç
è hr
2
÷çç
øè 0.21mol O 2 ø
÷÷ = 3095
hr
5000 - 3095
% excess air = ´100% = 61.6%
3095
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Combustion Material Balances

Procedure for solving material balances for a combustion
reactor.
1. When draw and label the flowchart, be sure the outlet
stream (the stack gas) include:
 Unreacted fuel
 Unreacted oxygen
 Combustion products: CO2, H2O (and CO if
combustion is incomplete)
 Nitrogen gas (if air is used as the oxygen source)
2. Calculate the O2 feed rate from the specified percent
excess oxygen or air
3. If multiple reactions, use atomic balances
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Check Your Understanding 3

Ethane is burned with 50% excess air. The percentage conversion
of ethane is 90% in which 25% of it react to form CO and the
balance forms CO2. Calculate the molar composition of the stack
gas on a dry basis and the mole ratio of water to dry stack gas.

C2 H 6  27 O2  2CO2  3H 2O (Reaction 1)
C2 H 6  25 O2  2CO 3H 2O (Reaction 2)
100 mol C2H6 n1 (mol C2H6)
n2 (mol O2)
50% excess air REACTOR n3 (mol N2)
n4 (mol CO)
no mol n5 (mol CO2)
0.21 mol O2/mol n6 (mol H2O)
0.79 mol N2/mol
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100 mol C2H6 n1 (mol C2H6)

Strategy 1: n2 (mol O2)
Solve the 50% excess air REACTOR n3 (mol N2)
excess air n4 (mol CO)
specification no mol n5 (mol CO2)
0.21 mol O2/mol n6 (mol H2O)
0.79 mol N2/mol
C2 H6  72 O2  2CO2  3H 2O (Reaction 1)
C2 H6  52 O2  2CO 3H 2O (Reaction 2)
æ 3.5 mol O ö
( )
nO
2 theoretical
= 100 mol C 2 H 6 ´ çç 2

è 1 mol C2 H 6 ø
÷÷ = 350 mol O 2

æ 1 mol air ö
( )
nair ( )
= 350 mol O 2 ´ çç ÷÷ = 1667 mol air
theoretical
è 0.21 mol O 2 ø
n 0 -1667
Given 50% excess air, 0.50 = Þ n 0 = 2500mol air
1667
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Strategy 2: 100 mol C2H6 n1 (mol C2H6)

Solve the C2H6 n2 (mol O2)
conversion 50% excess air REACTOR n3 (mol N2)
specification n4 (mol CO)
Strategy 3: 2500 mol n5 (mol CO2)
Solve the 0.21 mol O2/mol n6 (mol H2O)
CO/CO2 ratio 0.79 mol N2/mol
specification
C2 H6  72 O2  2CO2  3H 2O (Reaction 1);C2 H6  52 O2  2CO  3H 2O (Reaction 2)

f=
( n ) -(n)
C2H6 feed 1
Þ 0.9 =
100 - ( n )
Þ ( n ) = 10mol C H
1

(n )C2H6 feed
100 1 2 6

Given 25% C 2 H 6 reacted to form CO

n1 = nC2H6,outlet = 10 mol C2 H 6 (unreacted)
Therefore nC2H6,reacted = 100 -10 = 90mol C 2 H 6
æ 25 ö æ 2 mol CO generated ö
( )
n4 mol CO = ç
è 100
´ 90 mol C2 H6 ÷ ´ çç ÷÷ = 45.0 mol CO
ø è 1 mol C2 H 6 consumed ø
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100 mol C2H6 10 mol C2H6

Strategy 4: n2 (mol O2)
Solve the REACTOR
50% excess air n3 (mol N2)
atomic
balance 45 mol CO
2500 mol n5 (mol CO2)
0.21 mol O2/mol n6 (mol H2O)
0.79 mol N2/mol

æ mol N2 öæ 2 mol N ö æ 2 mol N ö

N Balance: ç 0.79 ´ 2500 mol air ÷çç ÷÷ = n3 çç ÷÷
è mol air øè 1 mol N 2 ø è 1 mol N 2 ø
n3 = 1975 mol N 2
æ 2 mol C ö
(
C Balance: 100 mol C2 H 6 çç ) ÷÷
è 1 mol C 2 H 6 ø
æ 2 mol C ö æ 1 mol C ö æ 1 mol C ö
( )
= 10 mol C 2 H 6 çç
1 mol C H
(
÷÷  45 mol CO ) ç
è 1 mol CO ø
(
÷  n5 mol CO 2 ) çç
1 mol CO
÷÷
è 2 6ø è 2ø

n5 = 135 mol CO 2
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100 mol C2H6 10 mol C2H6

Strategy 4: n2 (mol O2)
Solve the 50% excess air REACTOR 1975 mol N2
atomic 45 mol CO
balance 2500 mol 135 mol CO2
0.21 mol O2/mol n6 (mol H2O)
0.79 mol N2/mol
æ 6 mol H ö æ 6 mol H ö
H Balance:( 100 mol C2 H 6 ) çç ÷÷ = ( 10 mol C 2 H 6 ) çç ÷÷
è 1 mol C2 H 6 ø è 1 mol C2 H 6 ø
æ 2 mol H ö
 ( n6 mol H 2O) çç ÷÷
è 1 mol H 2O ø
n6 = 270 mol H 2O
æ 0.21 mol O 2 öæ 2 mol O ö æ 2 mol O ö
O Balance:ç 2500 mol air ´ ÷çç ÷÷ = ( n2 mol O 2 ) çç ÷÷
è mol air øè 1 mol mol O 2 ø è 1 mol O 2 ø
æ 1 mol O ö æ 2 mol O ö æ 1 mol O ö
 ( 45 mol CO) ç ÷  ( 135 mol CO 2 ) çç ÷÷  ( 270 mol CO) çç ÷÷
è 1 mol CO ø è 1 mol CO 2 ø è 1 mol H 2O ø
n2 = 232 mol O 2
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100 mol C2H6 10 mol C2H6

232 mol O2
50% excess air REACTOR 1975 mol N2
45 mol CO
2500 mol 135 mol CO2
0.21 mol O2/mol 270 mol H2O
0.79 mol N2/mol

Number
Species Molar Composition
of Moles
Mole ratio of H 2O to dry stack gas
C2H6 10 10/2397 = 0.004
270 mol H 2O
O2 232 232/2397 = 0.096 =
2397 mol dry stack gas
N2 1975 1975/2397 = 0.824 mol H 2O
= 0.113
CO 45 45/2397 = 0.019 mol dry stack gas
CO2 135 135/2397 = 0.056
TOTAL 2397 mol 1.00