Material Balance
Reactive Systems
PART 4
COMBUSTION REACTIONS
• Combustion chemistry
• Theoretical and excess oxygen and air
• Material balances on combustion reactors
Combustion chemistry
Combustion involve:
• Coal
• Fuel oil
• Gaseous fuel – natural gas (methane)
• Liquefied petroleum gas – propane & butane
Combustion chemistry (cn’t)
Combustion of fuel:
• Carbon (C) – form CO or CO2
• Hydrogen (H) – form H2O
• Sulfur (S) – form SO2
• Nitrogen (N) in air – form NO. At T > 1800oC
Combustion chemistry (cn’t)
q Partial @ incomplete combustion reactions produce CO, NO
q Complete combustion reactions produce CO2, H2O, NO2,
q Examples:
C O 2 CO 2 (complete combustion )
C 3 H 8 5O 2 3CO 2 4H 2O ( complete combustion )
C 3 H 8 72 O 2 3CO 4H 2O ( partial combustion )
CS 2 3O 2 CO 2 2S 2O ( complete combustion )
N 2 O2 2NO ( partial combustion )
NO 21 O 2 NO 2 ( complete combustion )
Combustion chemistry (cn’t)
Combustion reactions require O2.
Air is a common source of O2.
Average composition of dry basis air:
N2 78.03%
O2 20.99%
Ar 0.94%
CO2 0.03%
H2, He, Ne, Kr, Xe 0.01%
Total 100%
Average molecular weight = 29
Combustion chemistry (cn’t)
Composition on a wet basis air
- Mole fraction of a gas that contains water.
Composition on dry basis air.
- Mole fraction of a gas without the water.
Try Example 4.8.1
Theoretical and Excess Oxygen and Air
Theoretical oxygen:
• mole of O2 required for complete combustion
C ~ CO2
H ~ H2O
S ~ SO2
• 100% conversion of the limiting reactant.
• No side reaction
Theoretical air:
the quantity of air that contains the theoretical O2.
Theoretical and Excess Oxygen and Air
Excess Air:
The air fed to the reactor exceeds the theoretical air.
% Excess air:
(mole air)fed (mole air)theoretical
x100%
(mole air)theoretical
Try Example 4.8.2
Material balances on combustion reactors
Procedure:
• Draw and label the process flow diagram.
Fuel Unreacted fuel
Unreacted O2
Air N2
0.21 mol O2/mol H2O
0.79 mol N2/mol CO
CO2
• Calculate - the theoretical O2
- the feed O2 (use the given information)
• Solve the material balance using molecular balance,
atomic balance or extent of reaction method
Try Example 4.8.3 & 4.8.4
Thank you
