ENERGY ENGINEERING

4th Term,
B.Sc. Chemical Engineering
Session 2008
Delivered by:
Mr. Usman Ali
Department of Chemical Engineering
University of Engineering & Technology, Lahore

Fuel & Flue Gas Analysis

Relative density, calorific value of the fuel gas.
Hydrogen, hydro carbon and carbon monoxide
are also important as the composition of the fuel
gas, as it affects the properties and combustion
characteristics.
Gas burners are designed specially for a
particular fuel gas.

Contd
A flue gas contains fewer components as
compared to fuel gas, and important are ; CO,
CO2, H2O, O2, water vapor and excess fuel.
A flue gas analysis indicates the completeness
of the combustion of the fuel by the presence
or absence f the CO.
In case of Coal, it leads to the estimation of the
carbon and hydrogen content in the fuel.

Contd
Methods of gas analysis; whether fuel or flue
gas, are classified according to means by which
components are separated for individual
measurement.
Selective
chemical
&
physical
absorption(separation technique).
Volume, pressure, density, thermal conductivity,
refractive index, paramagnetic susceptibility,
energy absorption(Isolation techniques).

Selective Chemical Absorption

Most widely used method, involves two stages.
o Direct absorption.
o Oxidation(combustion) followed by further by further
absorption.
CO2, SO2, H2S
O2
CO

Caustic alkali solution (KOH)

Alkaline pyrogallol solution
Ammonical cuprous chloride
solution
Unsaturated hydrocarbons Bromine water/conc. H2SO4

Contd
After these absorptions, the residual sample
gas contains H2, N2, lower paraffins.
These can be estimated quantitatively by
combustion ant then absorption of CO2 and
H2O formed.
Known volumes of residual gas and air are
exploded in contact with hot copper oxide.

Contd
Gas analyses are usually expressed in terms of
pressure or volume basis.
Orsat Apparatus is constant pressure apparatus
used for fuel & flue gas analysis.
Better accuracy, from elaborate laboratory to
onsite portability.
Bonne and Wheeler Apparatus gives more
precise results.
It is of constant volume type.

Orsat Apparatus

Selective Physical Absorption

Gas chromatograph relies on the ability of certain
materials, solid or liquid, to absorb the components in
the sample gas on to surface of the material for the
length of time.
Sample gas is passed in a stream of inert carrier gas (N2
or Ar) into a column containing the active absorbent
material.
Factors as length, diameter of the column, flow rate
and the type of the carrier gas, number and the type of
the components, the temperature of the process;
influence the efficiency of the separation.

Contd
At the outlet, the physical parameters like
thermal conductivity or thermal ionization.
The detector output is fed to a chart recorder
where each component is displayed as a peak.
The quantity of the component is proportional
to the area under its characteristic peak.

Industrial Automatic Analysis

Thermal Conductometer (Wheatstone bridge)
Paramagnetic Oxygen Detector