Introduction –

Fuels and Combustion Science

Dr. Kawnish Kirtania

Department of Chemical Engineering, BUET

2023

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 Course intro… and aim

Fuel types, properties/composition and sources

Fundamentals of fuel combustion/conversion

Relevant thermochemical processes

Thermodynamics of processes

Energy efficiency of processes

Reaction kinetics involved

Transport processes involved

Physical changes that take place

Ash chemistry and corrosion

State of the art and current energy scenario

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 Course intro… and aim

You should be able to determine energy efficiency of a fuel

conversion process

You should understand fuel conversion from small scale to

industrial scale/ power plants

You should be acquainted with the fuel conversion

technologies

You should understand the underlying chemical phenomena

and transport processes

You should be aware of the current energy scenario and be

prepared for conducting further study in the area of energy
engineering

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 Assignments and term paper

One assignment on –
Thermodynamic calculation or, Reaction kinetics or, transport
processes in combustion - 10 % marks

There will be a mid-term exam (online, short questions) – 30 %

Marks
There will be a term paper submission on a selected topic– 15
% marks

And there will be a final exam – 45 % marks

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 The invention that changed everything!

More than 600000 years ago human discovered and controlled fire

The fuel was mostly biomass

Things changed quickly just 3000 yrs ago

When Chinese started using coal*

KK *Kentucky coal education 5
 Fuel usage in USA

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 World energy usage

KK Source: Historical data from BP etc. 7

 Fuel sense

A chunk of coal A drop of gasoline A branch of tree

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 Fuel sense

A chunk of coal A drop of gasoline A branch of tree

How much energy is there if all of them are of same volume (0.001 m3) ?
Density – 833 for coal, 790 for gasoline and 450 kg/m3

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 Fuel sense

A chunk of coal A drop of gasoline A branch of tree

How much energy is there if all of them are of same volume (0.001 m3) ?
Heat Content – 35 MJ/kg for coal, 45 MJ/kg for gasoline and 20 MJ/kg for
wood
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 Fuel sense

How many kg per hour do you have to burn to produce 100

MW power as heat?

A chunk of coal A drop of gasoline A branch of tree

29 MJ 36 MJ 9 MJ

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 Scale and our concept

Individual practice problem

A chunk of coal A drop of gasoline A branch of tree

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 Combustion

Flue gas

Additives

Combustor Heat /
Electricity

Fuel

O2 Ash
from
air

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 Combustion

Flue gas For complete combustion:

C + O2 → CO2
CO2
N2
2H2 + O2 → 2H2O etc.
Additives H2O
NO, NO2
………….

Combustor Heat /
Electricity

Fuel

O2 Ash
from
air

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 Combustion
Flue gas Water

O2 from
air

Fuel Combustor Heat Boiler

Ash

Steam

Electricity Generator Turbine

Efficiency:
20 to 35 % Exhaust
steam
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 Combustion

Steam

Electricity Generator Turbine

Efficiency:
20 to 35 %
Exhaust
steam

Heat
for heating air in our Heat
Efficiency: apartments/houses, exchangers
70 to 90 % heating water at our
taps etc.

Cold water

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 Combustion

Steam

Electricity Generator Turbine

Efficiency:
20 to 35 %
Exhaust
steam

Heat
for heating air in our Heat
Efficiency: apartments/houses, exchangers
70 to 90 % heating water at our
taps etc.

Water

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 Combined heat and power

Total energy from fuel

40
Electric efficiency, 𝜂𝐸 =
160 160 MJ

= 25% In
Out
40 +80 Electricity
Overall efficiency, 𝜂𝑂 = 160
40 MJ
= 75%

Heat
This overall efficiency is used almost globally
80 MJ
to express the efficiency of CHPs

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 Food for thought:
Wait, but heat and electricity – should they be
treated in the same way?

I would ask you in the next lecture…

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 The most common chemical reaction

Combustion? - yes

Anything made of carbon and hydrogen can be burned to

produce energy

C + O2 = CO2
H2 + O2 = H2O
S + O2 = SO2

Is it that simple? - Probably not

Is it one step? - No

Needs to overcome activation energy? - Of course

Whiteboard

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 The most common chemical reaction

For complete combustion we need:

1. Excess air
2. Temperature over 800 C
3. Few seconds of residence time

Whiteboard

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 Sustainability

What is this term ‘sustainability’?

Why is it so important?

Are we sustainable on this earth right now?

Can we become sustainable? Is there enough resources?

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 Human loves to produce CO2

Image: Scripps Institute

of Oceanography Mauna
Loa Observatory/Climate
Central

But we did not produce that much CO2 by just breathing

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 Feeling warmer!

2016

Hottest year, 2016 –

1 oC
1.3 oC higher than
19th century

Image: NASA/Goddard Institute

for Space Studies

What to do?
• Alternative fuels other than fossil fuels
• Highly efficient processes for fossil fuels
• CO2 capture and storage

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 Renewables

Bioenergy constitutes ~10% of the global primary energy supply, 2013

KK Source: Renewables information, IEA, 2015 25

 Renewables

Of the total renewables, biomass based energy contributes 73.4% in 2013

KK Source: Renewables information, IEA, 2015 26

 Reference materials

1. Book: Combustion by Irvin Glassman

2. Book Chapter: Thermochemical Conversions by Kawnish Kirtania
3. Book Chapter: Multiscale Modelling by AKMA Aurnob, Ahaduzzaman
Nahid, Kazi Bayzid Kabir and Kawnish Kirtania
4. Numerical Methods for Engineers by Chapra and Canale - handout will
be provided
5. Coal gasification and its applications by David A. Bell – handout will be
provided
6. IEA reports on Energy statistics – handout will be provided if necessary
7. Scientific journal papers – will be provided to the students when used in
the course lecture

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 Questions?

End of Lecture

You can always ask by

e-mail: kkdwip@che.buet.ac.bd

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