MEC450

Combustion Calculations
Burner design

Prof. Bill Nimmo

1
 Examination
- 100% Coursework Assignment

• PART A – Combustion, emissions and

explosions.
• PART B – post-combustion carbon capture

2
 Examination - 100% Coursework Assignment (Both
Parts A and B will be issued after week 4)
Individual coursework - not group.

PART A (56%) – Combustion, emissions and explosions.

PART B (44%) – Post-combustion carbon capture
…………………………………………………………………

PART A – Combustion, Emissions and explosion

A1 - Burner design and flue gas composition calculations.
Length 600 - 800 words
A2 - Flame temperature calculations for air and oxy combustion cases.
Length 600 - 800 words
A3 - Case study of the TWA aircraft explosion.
Length 600 - 800 words plus diagrams
…………………………………………………………………...

PART B – Carbon Capture and Aspen Modelling

B1 - Carbon Capture Technologies.
Length 250 - 350 words plus diagrams.
B2 - Aspen Plus Models.
Length 300 – 500 words plus diagrams/tables

3
 Examination
- 100% Coursework Assignment

PART A – Combustion

• A1 - Burner design and flue gas composition

calculations.

• A2 - Flame temperature calculations for air and oxy

combustion cases.

• A3 - Case study of the TWA aircraft explosion.

4
 Examination
- 100% Coursework Assignment

PART A1
Burner design in Carbon Capture
applications – Oxyfuel (coal or biomass)
combustion

Spreadsheet development

5
Doosan Power Systems Mk3
Burner
Tertiary Secondary
Air Air

Primary
Air &
Coal

6
Courtesy of Mr Gerry Hesselman, DPS
 Simplified Geometry of
coal/biomass fired burner

50-60 m/sec Tertiary air

15-20 m/sec Secondary air
20-25 m/sec Primary air /coal
Dt Ds Dp Dc Oil burner/core air

Note: swirlers removed, Primary air =

15 -20% of total air
From a given burner rating (e.g. 35 MWatts) it is
possible to calculate

1. Fuel flow
2. Air flow for exactly stoichiometric (=1) combustion
3. Air flow at any % excess air (say 22%)
4. Burner annuli diameters to match velocity requirements
5. Overall burner diameter
6. Approximate flue gas composition
7. Oxy fuel combustion as above
 Fuel Air Air combustion Flue gas to clean up
and capture
100 mole %
Boiler

Oxyfuel combustion
Oxygen Flue gas to clean up
injection and capture
Fuel 25-35 mole %
65-75 mole %
burner
Recycle flue gas
Boiler
Oxy-fuel combustion
Could be applied to
coal or biomass plant

> 95% CO2 from

boiler before
purification and
compression
 Air combustion case (COAL)
Mass balance calculation
Coal combustion calculations C + O2 ----------> CO2 Flue gas composition
air case H2 + 1/2 O2----> H2O CO2 = 5.392
S + O2 ----------> SO2 O2 = 1.30
N2 = 29.30
Basis: 100 kg coal; assuming complete combustion NO*= -
SO2 = 0.031
Composition M.W kmols kmol O2 kmol kmol kmol kmol
% by mass required CO2 H2O NO SO2 Tot. Dry= 36.02
H2O = 3.13
C 64.7 12 5.392 5.392 5.392 Tot. Wet= 39.15
as H2 5.7 2 2.85 1.425 2.85 flow rate 20C 902.7
O (diff) 12.6 32 0.394 -0.394 m3/min
as N2 1 28 0.036 0.036 0.072 Dry %
S 1 32 0.031 0.031 0.031 CO2 = % 15.0
Ash 10 O2 = % 3.6
Moist 5 18 0.278 0.278 N2 = % 81.3
Total 100 6.490 5.392 3.128 0.072 0.031 NO* ppmv -
SO2 = ppmv 860.7
H2O = % 0
Theorat.O2 = 6.49 kmol/ 100kg coal
Theor.O2 flow = 149.66 m3/min at 20 C Wet %
CO2 = % 13.8
Theoret.Air = 30.90 kmol/ 100kg coal O2 = % 3.3
Air Flow = 712.64 m3/min at 20 C NO* ppmv -
N2 = % 74.8
Reqd.Excess Air= 20 % SO2 = ppmv 791.9
H2O = % 8.0
*Note: NO incorrect due to kinetic factors

Coal feed = 5755 kg/hr

Actual Air is … 37.086 kmol/ 100kg coal Fuel CV (net) 25 MJ/kg

Air Flow = 855.2 m3/min at 20 C
containing… 7.788 kmol of O2/ 100kg coal Burner Output (net) 40.0 MWatts thermal

and ……… 29.298 kmol of N2/ 100kg coal

 CLASS EXAMPLE

Air combustion case (BIOMASS)

Mass balance calculation

12
 Air combustion case (BIOMASS)
Mass balance calculation
biomass combustion calculations C + O2 ----------> CO2 Flue gas composition
H2 + 1/2 O2----> H2O CO2 = 4.167
S + O2 ----------> SO2 O2 = 0.94
N2 = 19.70

Basis: 100 kg biomass; assuming complete combustion NO*= -

SO2 = 0.003
Composition M.W kmols kmol O2 kmol kmol kmol kmol
% by mass required CO2 H2O NO SO2 Tot. Dry= 24.82
H2O = 2.94
C 50 12 4.167 4.167 4.167 Tot. Wet= 27.76
as H2 5.6 2 2.8 1.4 2.8 flow rate 20C 876.4
O (diff) 41 32 1.281 -1.281 m3/min
N as N2 0.1 28 0.004 0.004 0.008 Dry %
S 0.1 32 0.003 0.003 0.003 CO2 = % 16.8
Ash 0.7 O2 = % 3.8
Moist 2.5 18 0.139 N2 = % 79.4
Total 100.00 4.293 4.167 2.8 0.008 0.003 NO* ppmv -
SO2 = ppmv 120.9
H2O = % 0
Theorat.O2 = 4.29 kmol/ 100kg biomass
Theor.O2 flow = 135.55 m3/min at 20 C Wet %
CO2 = % 15.0
Theoret.Air = 20.44 kmol/ 100kg biomass O2 = % 3.4
Air Flow = 645.46 m3/min at 20 C NO* ppmv -
N2 = % 71.0
Reqd.Excess Air= 22 % SO2 = ppmv 108.1
H2O = % 10.6
*Note: NO incorrect due to kinetic factors

biomass feed = 7880 kg/hr

Actual Air is … 24.940 kmol/ 100kg biomass Fuel CV (net) 16 MJ/kg

Air Flow = 787.5 m3/min at 20 C
containing… 5.23746 kmol of O2/ 100kg biomass Burner Output (net) 35.0 MWatts thermal

and ……… 19.703 kmol of N2/ 100kg biomass

 Calculation flow chart

Calculate the theoretical

The total O2 Additional O2 needed for
O2 requirement
requirement is used to solid fuel combustion. This
(Kmol/100kg fuel) for
calculate the air is called excess air (or excess
complete combustion
requirement, including oxidant in oxyfuel
(=1) from fuel analysis
N2. (assume air is 79% combustion). It could be
C,H,O (N,S) –
N2, 21% O2 for 20% above the theoretical
The Combustible
simplicity) (stoichiometric) value.
components and oxygen.

Total air flow can then be

Also, the Flows to individual burner
calculated from the MW
composition of the streams and overfire air can
input rating and calorific
flue gas can be then be calculated from the
value of the fuel MJ/kg. Air
calculated from the given splits and velocities
requirement is calculated on
mass balance table required for the burner to
a /100kg basis in the sheet.
data operate properly
 What does Mol (Mole, M, or N) mean

Mole is a measure of quantity

To think about what a mole means, one should relate it to quantities such as
dozen or pair. Just as a pair can mean two shoes, two books, two pencils, two
people, or two of anything else, a mole means 6.02214179×10 23 of anything.

Using the following relation:

1 mole = 6.02214179×1023 particles (atoms or molecules) (1)

is analogous to saying:

1 Dozen=12 eggs (2)

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 Mass balance and combustion
Basis – 100kg fuel (as received, with ash and moisture)

Composition M.W kmols kmol O2

1. Kmoles of component in fuel (C, H, S, Nitrogen) % by mass required

C 50 12 4.167 4.167
N(moles) = m/M kmol/100kg fuel as H2 5.6 2 2.8 1.4
O (diff) 41 32 1.281 -1.281
(m=mass, M=molar mass) N as N2 0.1 28 0.004 0.004
S 0.1 32 0.003 0.003
Ash 0.7
M.W is in kg/kmol Moist 2.5 18 0.139
Total 100.00 4.293

2. Simple overall combustion reactions

C + O2  CO2 kmols kmol O2 kmol kmol kmol kmol
1kmol + 1kmol 1 kmol required CO2 H2O NO SO2

4.167 4.167 4.167

H2 + 1/2 O2  H 2O 2.8
1.281
1.4
-1.281
2.8

1kmol + 1/2kmol 1 kmol 0.004 0.004 0.008

0.003 0.003 0.003

S + O2  SO2 0.139
1kmol + 1kmol 1 kmol 4.293 4.167 2.8 0.008 0.003

N 2 + O2  2 NO (more complex than this so not predicted by simple 16

 Theoretical and excess air requirements

N O2 = 4.29 kmol/100kg fuel

Theorat.O2 = 4.29 kmol/ 100kg biomass
N air = N O2 x (100/21) Theor.O2 flow = 135.55 m3/min at 20 C

Theoret.Air = 20.44 kmol/ 100kg biomass

Air Flow = 645.46 m3/min at 20 C

XS air =22% Reqd.Excess Air= 22 %

N actual = N air x ((100+ XS air)/100))

Actual Air is … 24.940 kmol/ 100kg biomass
Air Flow = 787.5 m3/min at 20 C
containing… 5.23746 kmol of O2/ 100kg biomass

and ……… 19.703 kmol of N2/ 100kg biomass

Oxygen in the flue gas
XS O2 = O2 actual – O2 theoretical kmol O2/100kg coal

17
 Flue gas composition
Flue gas composition
CO2 = 4.167
O2 = 0.94
Total number of kmoles/100kg in flue gas , Ntot N2 = 19.70

NO*= -

Wet or dry basis SO2 = 0.003

Tot. Dry= 24.82

N flue wet = NCO2+NN2+NH2O+NO2+NSO2 H2O = 2.94
Tot. Wet= 27.76
flow rate 20C 876.4
m3/min
N flue dry = N flue wet -NH2O Dry %
CO2 = % 16.8
O2 = % 3.8
N2 = % 79.4
NO* ppmv -
SO2 = ppmv 120.9
Concentration of component i in flue gas, H2O = % 0

Wet %
CO2 = % 15.0
Ci = Ni/Ntot(wet or dry, i = flue gas species)) O2 = % 3.4
NO* ppmv -
N2 = % 71.0
SO2 = ppmv 108.1
H2O = % 10.6

18
 NOx control - OFA

Over fire air

Air staging and OFA are commercial
OFA Ports Fuel-lean techniques which have been practiced
for decades. The NO reduction
obtained with air staging varies
according to the fuel used, but it ranges
Burners generally between 10 and 50%.
OFA techniques reduce NOx
Fuel-rich formation mainly by two mechanisms:
Air (1) air staging allows deprivation of
oxygen, and less mixing of fuel and air
Fuel in the main combustion zone where fuel
nitrogen evolves, thereby reducing fuel-
NO;
(2) air staging results in a cooler
flame and hence less thermal-NO.
Schematic of air staging via over-
fire air (OFA) ports
 Burner flow distribution
Typical flows,

15% of the overall air (by vol) is OFA Air Case 1 m3/min
Q tot = 13.12 m3/s 293K 787.46
Q tot = 23.43 m3/s 523K 1405.61
Air to the burner is Qofa = 3.51 m3/s 523K 210.84
Overall air – OFA Q tot - Q ofa = 19.91 m3/s 523K 1194.76
Qcore = 1.00 m3/s 523K 59.74
20% (by vol) is burner primary air Q prim = 3.98 m3/s 523K 238.95
Q prim = m3/s 293K
5% (by vol) is burner core air
Q sec = 2.24 m3/s 523K 134.41
Q tert = 12.69 m3/s 523K 761.66
15/85 ratio secondary air/tertiary air is sum check total 19.91 m3/s 523K
by volume.

Because we have calculated air flows in kmol we

can convert to volumetric flows and match
velocities for burner registers by scaling the
burner design.

(Remember that molar volume (22.4m3/kmol)

is referenced at 273K)
20
 Fuel Air Air combustion Flue gas to clean up
and capture
100 mole %
Boiler

Oxyfuel combustion
Oxygen Flue gas to clean up
injection and capture
Fuel 25-35 mole %
65-75 mole %
burner
Recycle flue gas
Boiler
 Oxy-biomass combustion case
biomass combustion calculations C + O2 ----------> CO2 Flue gas composition
H2 + 1/2 O2----> H2O
S + O2 ----------> SO2 kmols/100kg
CO2 (comb) = 4.17
Basis: 100 kg biomass; assuming complete combustion CO2(oxidant) = 19.70
CO2(total) = 23.87
Composition M.W kmols kmol O2 kmol kmol kmol kmol O2 = 0.94
% by mass required CO2 H2O NO SO2 NO*= -
SO2 = 0.003
C 50 12 4.167 4.167 4.167
as H2 5.6 2 2.8 1.4 2.8 Tot. Dry= 24.82
O (diff) 41 32 1.281 -1.281 H2O = 2.94
N as N2 0.1 28 0.004 0.004 0.008 Tot. Wet= 27.76
S 0.1 32 0.003 0.003 0.003 flow rate 20C 876.4
Ash 0.7 m3/min
Moist 2.5 18 0.139 Dry %
Total 100 4.293 4.167 2.8 0.008 0.003 CO2(comb) = 16.8
CO2(oxidant) = 79.4
CO2(total) = 96.2
Oxidant O2 mol % reference 21 % O2 = 3.8
NO* = ppmv -
Oxidant O2 mol % enriched 21 % SO2 = ppmv 120.9
Oxidant CO2 mol % enriched 79 % H2O = 0

Wet %
manual input CO2(comb) = 15.0
Theoretical O2 4.29 kmol/ 100kg biomass cell CO2(oxidant) = 71.0
Theoretical Oxidant reference 20.44 kmol/ 100kg biomass CO2(total) = 86.0
O2 = % 3.4
Theoretical oxidant enriched 20.44 kmol/ 100kg biomass NO* = ppmv -
SO2 = ppmv 108.1
Recycle ratio 100.0 % flue gas recycled to burner H2O = % 10.6

Required Excess Oxidant 22.0 % *Note: NO incorrect due to kinetic factors

biomass feed = 7880 kg/hr

Actual Oxidant reference 24.94 kmol/ 100kg biomass
Actual Oxidant enriched 24.94 kmol/ 100kg biomass Fuel CV (net) 16 MJ/kg
O2 in the reference oxidant 5.24 kmol of O2/ 100kg biomass
O2 in the enriched oxidant 5.24 kmol of O2/ 100kg biomass Burner Output (net) 35.0 MWatts thermal
CO2 in the enriched oxidant 19.70 kmol of CO2/ 100kg biomass

Input biomass fuel flow and CV

To get MW rating of burner
 Theoretical Recycle Ratio
Oxidant O2 mol % reference 21 %

RR = Oxidant O2 mol % enriched 21 %

Oxidant CO2 mol % enriched 79 %

Theoretical O2 4.29 kmol/ 100kg biomass

Theoretical Oxidant reference 20.44 kmol/ 100kg biomass

Procedure - Fix O2 input since coal feed fixed Theoretical oxidant enriched 20.44 kmol/ 100kg biomass

Recycle ratio 100.0 % flue gas recycled to burner

Therefore, to increase O2 in oxidant we need Required Excess Oxidant 22.0 %

to reduce the recycle flue gas flow.

Oxidant
O2 in theO2 mol % reference
reference oxidant 21
5.24 %
kmol of O2/ 100kg biomass

In our idealised system with pure CO2 as the

O2 in the enriched oxidant 5.24 kmol of O2/ 100kg biomass
Oxidant O2enriched
CO2 in the mol % enriched
oxidant 24
19.70 %
kmol of CO2/ 100kg biomass
Oxidant CO2 mol % enriched 76 %
flue gas, then increasing to the desired O2 in
oxidant of say, 24% mol%, for example, then Theoretical O2 4.29 kmol/ 100kg biomass
Theoretical Oxidant reference 20.44 kmol/ 100kg biomass
the desired recycle ratio would be 87.5% on a Theoretical oxidant enriched 17.89 kmol/ 100kg biomass
mol% basis. (See examples) Recycle ratio 87.5 % flue gas recycled to burner

Required Excess Oxidant 22.0 %

To match the flue gas O2 of the 21% case then

we would need to alter the excess air
requirement.
23
Calculations example

Given the fuel composition and the example combustion mass balance spreadsheet
provided, complete the spreadsheet filling in the cells;

1. Calculate THEORETICAL O2 (kmol/100kg) required for stoichiometric combustion.

2. Calculate the THEORETICAL AIR (kmol/100kg) for stoichiometric combustion.
3. Calculate the ACTUAL AIR at an Excess air level of 22%.
4. Calculate the wet and dry flue gas composition from data in the mass balance
table.
5. What flow of fuel is needed to achieve a burner thermal rating of 35 MWatts.
6. Calculate the individual air flows to the primary, secondary and tertiary air streams
through the burner. Split % shown below in red.

15% of the overall air (by vol) is OFA

Air to the burner is Overall air – OFA
20% (by vol) is burner primary air
5% (by vol) is burner core air
15/85 ratio secondary air/tertiary air is by volume. 24