Colorific Value of a Fuel

1. Colorific value for any fuel is defined as the amount of heat energy given out when a
unit quantityof fuel is completely burnt.
2. Unit of colorific value is calorie\ gram or kcal / kg.
3. Two different types of calorific value are as follows.
1. High or gross calorific value (HCV,GCV)
2. Low or Net Calorific Value (LCV, NCV)
4. High or Gross calorific value is defined as the amount of heat given out by complete
combustion of unit quantity of fuel when products of combustion are cooled down to
room temperature
5. Low or Net Calorific value is defined as the amount of heat given out on complete
combustion of unit quantity of fuel when products of combustion are allowed to
escape into atmosphere

Dulongs Formula
It is possible to calculate HCV of a fuel purely based on theoretical considerations. It
is based on fact that every element has HCV and HCV of fuel is sum of the HCVS of
Constituent elements.
Dulongs Formula is as follows
H.C.V =

1
100

[8080c + 34500 (H -

0
8

) + 22405] cals/gm

C, H, O, S = Percentages of carbon, hydrogen, oxygen, sulphur in given fuel sample.

Another formula for HCV
9H
HCV=LCV+ 100

* Latent heat of vaporization