TUTORIAL COMBUSTION (CHAPTER 5 MEC551)

1)

In a combustion chamber, liquid propane C3H8 at 25C, flow at rate of 1.0 kg/min is mixed and
burned with 50 percent excess air. The temperature of the incoming air is 17C. If the combustion
is complete, and the exhaust temperature of the combustion product is 1500K. Determine;
i) the stoichiometric air-fuel ratio,
ii) air fuel ratio with 50% excess air and
iii) the rate of heat transfer from the combustion chamber.

(20 marks)
APRIL 2009
2)

Propane C3H8 is burned in 100% theoretical air. Combustion is complete and takes place
at 1 bar. Determine:
i) the chemical reaction for propane burned in both oxygen only and air,
ii) the dew point temperature of the products of combustion, and
iii) the mole of water condensed per mole of fuel if the products of combustion are cooled
to 25C.

(20 marks)
OCTOBER 2009
3)

Liquid octane enters an internal combustion chamber operating at steady state

with a mass flow rate of 1.8 x 10"3 kg/s and is mixed with the theoretical amount
of air. The fuel and air enter the engine at 25C and 1 atm. The mixture burns

completely and combustion products leave the engine at 890 K. The engine
develops a power output of 37 kW. Determine the air-fuel ratio and the rate of
heat transfer from the engine, in kW, neglecting kinetic and potential energy
effects.

(20 marks)
APRIL 2010
4)

Ethane gas (C2H6) enters a combustion chamber at 25 C at a rate of 6.5 kg/h

where it is mixed and burned with 5 percent deficiency of air. The amount of air is
preheated to 227 C before entering the combustion chamber. An analysis of the
combustion gases reveals that all the hydrogen in the fuel burns to H20 but part of the
carbon burns to CO. If the products leave the combustion chamber 727 C, determine:
i) the mole fraction of the CO in the products (%),
ii) the air fuel ratio,
iii) the equivalence ratio,
iv) the rate of heat transfer from the combustion chamber (kW), and the percentage of
excess air IF the fuel burns in air at an equivalence ratio, = 1.

(20 marks)
OCTOBER 2010