Combustion Lab Report

abc
Table of Contents
Introduction .................................................................................................................................................. 2
Methodology................................................................................................................................................. 3
Results ........................................................................................................................................................... 3
Discussion...................................................................................................................................................... 6
Conclusion ..................................................................................................................................................... 8

List of Figures

Figure 1 Combustion unit C492..................................................................................................................... 2

Figure 2 : Graph between CO2 and AFR ....................................................................................................... 6
Figure 3 Graph between O2 and AFR............................................................................................................ 7
Figure 4 Graph between excess air and O2, CO2 (%) ................................................................................... 7
Figure 5 Theoretical graph between excess air and O2, CO2 (%) ................................................................. 8
 Combustion Lab Report
Introduction
Combustion unit C492 has been used for carrying out the combustion laboratory tests. The one we used in
our experiment was cylindrical Combustion Chamber which consists of a double-skinned wall with the
annular space filled with coolant water. Natural gas is combusted provided by the supply continuously in
the inner chamber. The resulting flames can be monitored through Flame Window. The coolant water flows
consistently for maintaining the temperature within the allowable limits. Exhaust gases exit through the
chimney. The Air flow can be maintained via the Air Damper Control Screw. While performing the
experiment the air flow is altered for creating different air to fuel ratio with the adjusting screw (Bazooyar
et al., 2014). The Gas analyzer takes a small sample of gas from chimney and displays the detailed
composition of the gases in the cylinder. Data Display and Controls units displays digitally all the other
data related to temperature, gas flow and the water flow rate.

Figure 1 Combustion unit C492 (Adapted from Hilton ltd)

Methodology

1. Flame the burner as mentioned in the procedure explaining the operation and working. The
operation methodology is attached in the end.
2. The timer of the Gas Flow will read 100 seconds for gas. There is no need of altering this. If the
noise gets too loud and the vibrations initiated, there may be a need of optimization by the
technicians.
3. The cooing water flow should be adjusted so as to maintain the outlet temperature well between
20-30 C. This temperature, however, may vary in accordance with the inlet temperature of the
coolant water and the flow rate of the fuel. Effort should be made to keep the flow consistent
throughout.
4. The Air Control damper should be kept at 3 initially, afterwards It should be lowered to have
varying AFR. The exhaust temperature will be higher if the damper setting are kept lower. Avoid
operating the rig of the exhaust temperature at more than 700 degrees for a longer period of time
because it will damage the analyzer.
5. Let the conditions to get stabilized. Sensitive quantity is t4 which is the exhaust temperature. Once
it is stable, record the readings on the given data sheet.
6. Record readings in all the situations while varying the Air control damper step wise with a
difference of 0.5.
7. The burner should be shut down now in accordance with the prescribed Operating Procedure.

Results
The results of combustion test performed in laboratory are presented in the form of table as shown below:

Table 1: Data and calculation sheet

Test no. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8
Fan damper
2 2.5 3 3.5 4 4.5 5 5.5
setting (No.)
Gas flow rate
87 96 116 137 146 147 146 146
time (sec)
Cooling water
flow rate, 277 280 280 280 274 257 282 280
(g/s)
Cooling water
inlet temp, 13 13 13 13 13 13 13 13
(C)
Cooling water
outlet temp, 32 30 23 23 22 22 22 22
(C
Air inlet temp,
22 22 22 22 22 22 23 22
(C)
Exhaust temp,
623 558 390 363 339 332 332 331
(C)
O2 (%) 7.7 11.2 15.2 15.9 16.6 16.6 16.6 16.6
CO2 (%) 7.5 5.5 3.2 2.8 2.4 2.4 2.4 2.4
CO (ppm) 0 447 447 447 447 446 446 446
Excess air (%) 58.333 115.460 266.666 318 386.046 386.046 386.046 386.046
Flame temp,
742 655 445 450 364 359 360 362
(C)
Flame color Blue Blue Blue Blue Blue Blue Blue Blue
Efficiency net
100 1.216 0.711 0.622 0.534 0.535 0.535 0.535
(%)
Air flow rate
by mass 61.78 61.78 61.78 61.78 61.78 61.78 61.78 61.78
(kg/h)
Gas flow rate
by mass 2.52 2.52 2.52 2.52 2.52 2.52 2.52 2.52
(kg/h)
AFR 27.17 36.9736 62.92 71.728 83.4055 83.4055 83.4055 83.4055
Heat input
131.04 131.04 131.04 131.04 131.04 131.04 131.04 131.04
(kW)
Heat taken by 22104.
19992 11760 11760 10357.2 9714.6 10659.6 10584
water (kW) 6
 Heat taken by
46906 46427.3 45404.8 45254. 45121.8 45083.6 45083.6 45083.6
flue (kW)
Other losses
- - - - - - - -
(kW)
Flue gas heat
469.06 464.273 454.048 452.54 451.218 450.836 450.836 450.836
(%)
Heat taken by
221.04 199.92 117.6 117.6 103.572 97.146 106.596 105.84
water (%)
Other losses
- - - - - - - -
(%)

Following formulas have been used for calculations of above vales:

Heat taken by water, Qw = mw x Cpw (t2 - ti)
Heat taken by flue gas, Qfg = Qsensible + Qlatent
Sensible heating: Qsensible = (mair + mgas) x Cpfg (t4-t3)
Heat in water vapour can be approximated by
Qlatent = 2.25 x (htg - hfta)
htg = enthalpy of superheated steam at exhaust gas temperature t4 (from steam table)
hfta = enthalpy of saturated water at air temperature (from steam table)
Heat input, Qin = mgas x CVgas
Gas flow rate in volume, Vgas = 360/Gas flow rate timer
Gas flow rate in mass, mgas = Vgas x Pgas
Air flow rate in mass, mair = Vgas x AFRmass
AFR = AFRst x {(Excess air/100) +1}
For methane (CH4) AFRst is equal to 17.16 (by mass)
Other relevant data:
Lower calorific value of natural gas, CVgas = 52 MJ/kg
Specific heat of water, Cpw = 4.2 kJ/kg.K
Specific heat of flue gases: Cpfg = 1.15 kJ/kg-K
Density of natural gas, Pgas = 0.7 kg/m3
Density of air, Pan- = 1.2 kg/m3
Density of water, Pw = 1000 kg/m3
Discussion
The detailed results have been presented in table 1. In this combustion test it was assumed that no additional
losses were encountered. The graph presented in figure 2 shows the values for CO2 (%) on x-axis whereas
AFR is shown on y-axis. It can be seen that AFR and CO2 (%) are inversely proportional to each other i.e.
with increasing % of CO2, AFR decreases.

Graphe between CO2 and AFR

90 83.41

80 71.73
70 62.92
60

50
AFR

36.97
40
27.17
30

20

10

0
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8
CO2 (%)

Figure 2 : Graph between CO2 and AFR

Graph between O2 and AFR

90 83.41
80 71.73
70 62.92
60
50
AFR

36.97
40
27.17
30
20
10
0
0 2 4 6 8 10 12 14 16 18
O2 (%)
 Figure 3 Graph between O2 and AFR

Unlike the indirect relation between CO2 and AFR, from figure 3, it can be seen that AFR and O2 are
directly related to each other. That means if there is an increase in AFR values, O2 (%) will also increase.

On comparing the laboratory results of graph between excess air and O2, CO2 (%) with theoretical graph
of same entities, its trend was similar to the laboratory results. Figure 4 shows the laboratory results where
figure 5 shows the theoretical results.

Graph between excess air and O2, CO2 (%)

18 16.6
15.9
15.2
16
14
O2 and CO2 (%)

11.2
12
10
7.7
7.5
8 O2
5.5
6 CO2
3.2 2.8
4 2.4
2
0
0 50 100 150 200 250 300 350 400 450
Excess air (%)

Figure 4 Graph between excess air and O2, CO2 (%)

 Figure 5 Theoretical graph between excess air and O2, CO2 (%), (Adapted from Industrial controls)

Conclusion
All the results performed are in accordance with the theoretical trends (Doucha et al., 2005). As can be seen
in figures 3 and 4. The values of AFR are directly related with O2 (%) but with the increase in AFR values,
CO2 (%) shows a decreasing trend. Similarly, excess air (%) is directly linked with O2 i.e. with the increase
in excess air percentage, O2 percentage also increases in the similar fashion. Consequently, with the
increase in excess air percentage, CO2 starts to decrease. Another trend observed through laboratory results
is that when CO2 (%) is decreased, net efficiency (%) also decreases in similar fashion.
References

Hilton ltd, Engineering teaching equipment, Retrieved from: http://www.p-a-hilton.co.uk/products/C492-

Combustion-Laboratory-Unit

Industrial controls, Retrieved from: https://www.industrialcontrolsonline.com/training/online/everything-

you-need-know-about-combustion-chemistry-analysis

Bazooyar, B., Hallajbashi, N., Shariati, A. and Ghorbani, A., 2014. An investigation of the effect of input
air upon combustion performance and emissions of biodiesel and diesel fuel in an experimental
boiler. Energy Sources, Part A: Recovery, Utilization, and Environmental Effects, 36(4), pp.383-392.

Doucha, J., Straka, F. and Lívanský, K., 2005. Utilization of flue gas for cultivation of microalgae Chlorella
sp.) in an outdoor open thin-layer photobioreactor. Journal of Applied Phycology, 17(5), pp.403-412.