MEC 3630

Automotive Engineering Lab IV

Experiment 1:
Investigation of Air/Fuel Ratio and Stoichiometric
Condition of Fuel Propane

Name: Atiqah bt Samat

Matric No: 1328922

Date of Experiment: 11th April 2016

Date of Submission: 18th April 2016
INTRODUCTION

This experiment was carried out by using two types of burners which are gas burner
and oil burner. As the burner is set to a mid-range of fuel flow, the air-fuel ratio will be
altering accordingly to achieve complete combustion. Stoichiometric combustion is where the
exact theoretical air quantity supplied. The amount of oxygen present in the cylinder is the
limiting factor for the amount of fuel can be burnt. If there is too much fuel present(rich
mixture), there will be some fuel that unburned and will pushed out through exhaust valve.

The mixture of fuel and oxidizer in combustion chamber affects the nature of the
combustion occur during experimentation. The mixture can be classified into three categories
depends on the fuel content to the air supplied during combustion. There are stoichiometric
mixture, lean mixture and rich mixture.

If an insufficient amount of air is supplied to the burner, unburned fuel, soot, smoke,
and carbon monoxide will exhaust from the boiler that resulting in heat transfer surface
fouling, pollution, lower combustion efficiency, flame stability and potential for explosion.

OBJECTIVES

1. To investigate air-fuel ratio and stoichiometric condition as to achieve complete

combustion.
2. To observe the flame and exhaust temperature as the air-fuel ratio varies.
3. To observe the emission from the typical combustion process.

EQUIPMENTS

 Combustion Laboratory Unit C492

 Propane
PROCEDURE

1. Combustion laboratory unit has been set up and prepared by the technician.
2. Pump Pressure is set at 10 bar for all tests conducted in this experiment.
3. Fan Damper setting is set 12 with increment of 2 for all tests.
4. After 5 minutes, the values of gas flow rate, col water flow rate, cool water
temperature, cool water out temperature, air inlet temperature, exhaust temperature,
oxygen percentage, and flame temperature are taken and recorded in the observation
sheet 2. The flame colour and length also recorded.
5. 10 test carried out in this temperature.
6. Fuel used is propane.
 RESULT

GAS Stoichiometric (by volume)= 24.00

Fuel: Propane A/F (by mass)= 15.6
CV= 50 Density of gas = 1.85
C492 - DERIVED RESULT MJ/kg kg/m^3

TEST no. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7
Gas flow rate (by volume) m^3/
hr 3.2 3.2 3.2 3.2 3.2 3.2 3.2
Air/fuel ratio by volume 40.4 36.4 37.2 38.6 39.5 43.3 59.7
Air flow rate by volume m^3/hr 129.3 116.5 119 123.5 126.4 138.6 191
Gas flow rate (by mass) kg/hr 5.92 5.92 5.92 5.92 5.92 5.92 5.92
A/F ratio by mass 26.3 23.6 24.2 25.1 25.4 28.1 38.8
Air flow rate by mass 155.7 139.7 143.3 148.6 152.1 166.4 229.7
Heat input (Qin) 82.3 82.3 82.3 82.3 82.3 82.3 82.3
Flue - Useful a kW 41.2 36.9 38.6 39.2 42.4 57.6 57.6
Flue - unburnt b kW 4.44 3.15 2.98 2.79 2.66 2.57 2.57
Flue - Vapour c kW 11.3 11.2 11.2 11.2 11.3 11.3 11.6
Total heat to Flue d=(a+b+c)
kW 52.8 48.1 48.7 49.9 50.5 53.7 69.2
Heat to water e kW 57.4 56.9 54.7 55.6 54.1 53.4 53.4
Heat output (Qout)= (d+e) kW 109.9 105 103.4 104.4 104.6 107.1 122.6
Difference (Qin - Qout)/Qin 33.5 27.6 25.6 27.5 27.1 30.1 49
Excess Air % 68.5 51.5 54.8 60.8 64.6 80.2 148.8
Table 1

Gas: LPG (propane) Density: 1.85 kg/m^3

TEST No. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7
Gas pressure (cm H2O) 9.5 9.5 9.5 9.5 9.5 9.5 9.5
Fan damper setting (no.) 20 22 24 26 28 30 32
Gas flow rate time (sec) 94 96 96 97 98 99 99
Cooling water flow rate (g/s) 225 223 222 223 223 224 224
Cooling water inlet temperature
(Celsius) 24 24 24 24 24 24 24
Cooling water outlet temperature
(Celcius) 85 85 83 83 82 81 81
Air inlet temperature (Celcius) 27 27 27 28 28 28 28
Exhaust temperature (Celcius) 825 820 813 811 804 798 793
O2 (%) 8.5 7.1 7.4 7.9 8.2 9.3 12.5
CO2 (%) 7.9 9.1 9 8.7 8.5 7.7 5.3
CO (ppm) 27 21 20 19 17 15 10
Flame temperature (Celcius) 610 610 604 621 608 612 613
Flame colour yellow yellow yellow yellow yellow yellow yellow
Flame length (cm) 56 54 54 53 53 53 53
Table 2
 Emission vs A/F ratio by volume
30

25

20
Emission (%)

15 CO
O2
10
CO2
5

0
30 35 40 45 50 55 60 65 70
(vol/vol)

Graph 1

Temperature vs A/f ratio

850

800

750

700
Flame
650 Exhaust

600

550

500
30 35 40 45 50 55 60 65 70

Graph 2
DISCUSSION

The objective of the experiment is mainly to find the stoichiometric air-fuel ratio for
Propane in order to obtain complete combustion. For obtaining the complete combustion, the
process should not be producing emission gases or produce very little amount of emission
gases. Emission gases are some of the source that contribute to pollutions especially air
pollution. In this experiment, pump pressure is kept constant to 140 psi and diffuser is set to
number 3 and the reading of water temperature for inlet and outlet, air inlet, exhaust
temperature, emission of CO, CO2, O2 and excess air, flame temperature is taken while the
flame colour is observe and the length of the flame is measured. In this experiment, we want
to find the air fuel ratio as well as to reduce the emission of gases. The three main types of
emission gases that produced in the experiment are CO. CO2 and O2. Throughout the
experiment, the value of NO is zero. This reflects the absence of NO in this combustion
process.

Based on the emission versus air-fuel ratio graph, the value of CO, part per million is
decreasing by the increasing of air-fuel ratio. CO2 curve also shows the same trend with
slightly decrease of air fuel ratio. Moreover, O2 is increased when the air fuel ratio is
increase. The increasing of air fuel ratio is caused by the increase of the intake air when the
fan damper setting is increased. More air entered the combustion chamber make the fuel
allowed to completely burn. Therefore, combustion considered completed when the amount
of excess oxygen gas is less or zero. Heat input is increases due to the increase in air fuel
ratio.

From the temperature versus air-fuel ratio graph, we can see that the flame
temperature increased while exhaust temperature decreased with increases of air-fuel ratio.
The flame length increased with the decrease of excess air.

There are several errors that occur during this experiment. The leaking of water pipe
has caused the temperature is not in constant pressure as needed. Next, the air supplied is not
enough that will make air fuel ratio changes.
CONCLUSION

After conducting this experiment, we finally achieve all the objectives given. We
managed to determine all the value needed. Next, we also learn how the process of
combustion takes place in the combustion chamber. Theoretically, we are able to know the
air-fuel ratio that must be satisfied in order to burn the gas completely. Practically, however
we have a hard way to achieve the objective due to some reason. During the combustion
process, it ran very fast and some of the fuel might fail to burn completely. As a result,
carbon monoxide will produced that we try to produce that particles. However, we manage to
determine the close ratio if we did the experiment in more precise way.