COMBUSTION OF COAL

(External Combustion Engine)

 Schematic Diagram of the Process

Coal Flue Gas

𝐶 𝐶𝑂2

𝐻2 𝐻2 𝑂

𝑆 𝑆𝑂2

𝑁2 𝑁2
𝑂2
𝑂2
Combustion
Chamber
𝐴𝑖𝑟𝑒𝑥𝑐𝑒𝑠𝑠

𝐴𝑖𝑟𝑟𝑒𝑞𝑢𝑖𝑟𝑒𝑑

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boiler_(power_generation)
 Sample Problem and Solution
Given the ultimate/gravimetric analysis of coal as follows:

C = 80.85% S = 0.99% O2 = 5.6% Moisture = 3.02%

H2 = 4.76% N2 = 1.8% Ash = 6.08%

Calculate : (a) The ash and moisture free analysis of fuel

(b) Actual air-fuel ratio at 30% excess
(c) Gravimetric analysis of dry flue gas
(d) Volumetric analysis of wet flue gas
(e) Lower Heating Value
Solution:
(a) Removal of moisture and ash in the coal

Moisture Removal Ash and Moisture Removal

𝑆 = 0.0099 = 0.0099 = 0.0099
𝐻2 = 0.0476 − 0.0302 1ൗ9 = 0.04424 = 0.04424
𝑂2 = 0.056 − 0.0302 8ൗ9 = 0.02916 = 0.02916
𝐶 = 0.8085 = 0.8085 = 0.8085
𝑁2 = 0.018 = 0.018 = 0.018
𝐴𝑠ℎ = 0.0608 = 0.0608
0.9706 0.9098
Solving for the ash and moisture free analysis:
0.0099
𝑆 = = 0.01088
0.9098
0.04424
𝐻2 = = 0.04863
0.9098
0.02916
𝑂2 = = 0.03205
0.9098
0.8085
𝐶 = = 0.88866
0.9098
0.018
𝑁2 = = 0.01978
0.9098
1.0000
(b) The actual air-fuel ratio
theoretical oxygen-fuel ratio
O 2 lbO 2  lbC  lbO 2  0.032046  lbH 2 lbO 2  lbS 
2  0.88866   8  0.04863    1 
 0.01881 
F 3 lbC  lbfuel  lbH 2  8  lbfuel lbS  lbfuel 
lbO 2
 2.7376
lbfuel
theoretical air-fuel ratio
𝑙𝑏𝑂2
𝐴 𝑂 1 2.7376 𝑙𝑏𝑎𝑖𝑟
𝑙𝑏𝑓𝑢𝑒𝑙
= = = 11.8512
𝐹𝑡 𝐹 𝑡 0.231 𝑙𝑏𝑂2 𝑙𝑏𝑂2
0.231𝑙𝑏 𝑎𝑖𝑟 𝑙𝑏𝑓𝑢𝑒𝑙
𝑙𝑏 𝑎𝑖𝑟

actual air-fuel ratio at 30% excess air

𝐴 𝐴 𝑙𝑏𝑎𝑖𝑟 𝑙𝑏𝑎𝑖𝑟
= 1+𝑒 = 11.8512 1 + 0.3 = 15.4066
𝐹𝑎 𝐹𝑡 𝑙𝑏𝑓𝑢𝑒𝑙 𝑙𝑏𝑓𝑢𝑒𝑙
(c) The gravimetric analysis of wet flue gas
Solving the mass of each constituent gas
2 𝑙𝑏 𝐶𝑂2 𝑙𝑏 𝐶 𝑙𝑏 𝐶𝑂2
𝑚𝐶𝑂2 = 3 0.88866 = 3.25841
3 𝑙𝑏 𝐶 𝑙𝑏 𝑓𝑢𝑒𝑙 𝑙𝑏 𝑓𝑢𝑒𝑙

𝑙𝑏 𝑆𝑂2 𝑙𝑏 𝑆 𝑙𝑏 𝑆𝑂2
𝑚𝑆𝑂2 = 2 0.010881 = 0.021763
𝑙𝑏 𝑆 𝑙𝑏 𝑓𝑢𝑒𝑙 𝑙𝑏 𝑓𝑢𝑒𝑙

𝑙𝑏 𝑁2 𝑙𝑏 𝑎𝑖𝑟 𝑙𝑏 𝑁2 𝑙𝑏 𝑁2
𝑚𝑁2 = 0.01978 + 15.4066 0.769 = 11.86746
𝑙𝑏 𝑓𝑢𝑒𝑙 𝑙𝑏 𝑓𝑢𝑒𝑙 𝑙𝑏 𝑎𝑖𝑟 𝑙𝑏 𝑓𝑢𝑒𝑙

𝑂 𝑙𝑏 𝑂2 𝑙𝑏 𝑂2
𝑚𝑂2 = × % 𝑒𝑥𝑐𝑒𝑠𝑠𝑎𝑖𝑟 = 2.7376 0.3 = 0.82129
𝐹𝑡 𝑙𝑏 𝑓𝑢𝑒𝑙 𝑙𝑏 𝑓𝑢𝑒𝑙

𝑙𝑏 𝐻2 𝑂 𝑙𝑏 𝐻2 𝑙𝑏 𝐻2 𝑂
𝑚𝐻2𝑂 = 9 0.048631 = 0.437679
𝑙𝑏 𝐻2 𝑙𝑏 𝑓𝑢𝑒𝑙 𝑙𝑏 𝑓𝑢𝑒𝑙
the mass of the wet flue gas
𝑚𝑤𝑔 = 𝑚𝐶𝑂2 + 𝑚𝑆𝑂2 + 𝑚𝑁2 + 𝑚𝑂2 + 𝑚𝐻2𝑂
𝑙𝑏 𝑤𝑔
𝑚𝑤𝑔 = 3.25841 + 0.021763 + 11.86746 + 0.82129 + 0.437679 = 16.4066
𝑙𝑏 𝑓𝑢𝑒𝑙
3.25841
thus %GCO2   100%  19.86035%
16.4066
0.021763
%G SO2   100%  0.13265%
16.4066
11.86746
%G N 2   100%  72.33345%
16.4066
0.82129
%GO2   100%  5.00585%
16.4066
0.437679
%G H 2O   100%  2.6677%
16.4066
(d) The volumetric analysis of wet flue gas
the working equation considering first CO2:
VCO2 nCO2 where: mCO2
%VCO2   nCO2 
Vwg n wg MWCO2
then:
mCO2
MWCO2  MWwg 
%VCO2   GCO2  
mwg  MWCO  × 100%
 2 
MWwg
the working equation for MWwg:
𝑚𝑤𝑔
𝑀𝑊𝑤𝑔 =
𝑛𝑤𝑔
𝑚𝑤𝑔
= 𝑚 1
𝐶𝑂2 𝑚𝑆𝑂2 𝑚𝑁2 𝑚𝑂2 𝑚𝐻2 𝑂
+ + + +
𝑀𝑊𝐶𝑂2 𝑀𝑊𝑆𝑂2 𝑀𝑊𝑁2 𝑀𝑊𝑂2 𝑀𝑊𝐻2 𝑂

1
=
𝐺𝐶𝑂2 𝐺𝑆𝑂2 𝐺𝑁2 𝐺𝑂2 𝐺𝐻2𝑂
+ + + +
𝑀𝑊𝐶𝑂2 𝑀𝑊𝑆𝑂2 𝑀𝑊𝑁2 𝑀𝑊𝑂2 𝑀𝑊𝐻2𝑂
thus, the MWwg:
1 𝑙𝑏𝑤𝑔
𝑀𝑊𝑤𝑔 = = 29.93
0.1986 0.00133 0.7233 0.0501 0.0267 𝑚𝑜𝑙𝑒𝑤𝑔
+ + + +
44 64 28 32 18

Finally:  29.9274 
%VCO2  19.86035   13.50838%
 44 
 29.9274 
%VSO2  0.13265   0.062028%
 64 
 29.9274 
%V N 2  72.33345   77.31256%
 28 
 29.9274 
%VO2  5.005853   4.681637%
 32 
 29.9274 
%V H 2O  2.66768981   4.43503%
 18 
(e) The Lower Heating Value of Coal
From the Dulong’s Formula of HHV:
𝑂2
𝐻𝐻𝑉 = 14,600 𝐶 + 62,000 𝐻2 − + 4050 𝑆
8
0.03205
= 14,600 0.88866 + 62,000 0.04863 − + 4050 0.01088
8
𝐵𝑇𝑈
= 15,731.36
𝑙𝑏

𝐿𝐻𝑉 = 𝐻𝐻𝑉 − 𝑚𝐻2𝑂 ℎ𝑓𝑔@100 ℃

𝐵𝑇𝑈
= 15,731.36 − 0.437679 970.291 = 15,306.68
𝑙𝑏