REPORT NO.

HEATING VALUE

OBJECTIVE

To determine the heating value of gaseous fuels and a few liquid fuels.

THEORY

The heating value or heat of combustion is a measure of the energy available

from the fuel. The fraction or percentage of the heat of combustion that is converted to
useful work is a measure of the thermal efficiency of an engine. Thus, a knowledge of
the heat of combustion of the fuel is basic to the engineering of automotive engines. 

When a fuel is burned in oxygen and water is one of the combustion products,
the adiabatic flame temperature is high enough that the water is in the vapor phase. In
many heat exchangers the final temperature of the combustion products (their exit
temperature from the heat exchanger) is still higher than the boiling point of water and
the heat of transformation of the vapor is lost to the atmosphere. This reduces the
"heating value" of the fuel to its "low heating value". 

If the water vapor created in the combustion reaction is condensed, the heat of
transformation (condensation) can be recovered and the energy obtained from the
combustion process is increased. These conditions yield the "high heating value" of the
fuel.

The lower heating value (LHV) or higher heating value (HHV) of a gas is an

important consideration when selecting a gas engine or CHP plant. Gas engines
efficiency is typically quoted based upon the LHV of the gas.

Whenever a hydrocarbon fuel is burned one product of combustion is water.

The quantity of water produced is dependent upon the amount of hydrogen in the fuel. 
Due to high combustion temperatures, this water takes the form of steam which stores
a small fraction of the energy released during combustion as the latent heat of
vaporization; in simple terms, as heat energy stored in the vaporized ‘state’ of water.

The total amount of heat liberated during the combustion of a unit of fuel, the
HHV or HCV, includes the latent heat stored in the vaporized water. In some
applications it is possible to condense this vapor back to its liquid state and ‘recover’ a
proportion of this energy. However, engine exhaust temperatures are above that at
which the water vapor would condense, and hence the steam ‘escapes’ with the exhaust
gases carrying with it the stored energy. The amount of heat available from a fuel after
the latent heat of vaporization, the LHV or LCV, is deducted from the HHV, and it is
this, that is available when the fuel is burned in an engine. The energy input into a gas
engine should be defined using the LHV of the fuel.

Fuel suppliers will usually quote the HHV and it will be this measure that will
be used when kwh unit charges are applied for the fuel. In the case of natural gas, the
ratio of HHV to LHV is approximately 1.108:1. Hence, when performing a cost benefit
analysis for a CHP application, it is the HHV figure which should be used.

The LHV of a fuel determines the fuel flow rate required when going into the
engine because the total quantity of energy input necessary for the engine to produce a
specific output power is defined and fixed. Hence the gas flow rate has to be such in
order to provide the required energy input.

Fuel LHV is normally quoted using units of kWh/nm 3 and therefore, if the
energy input to the engine is known, the gas flow rate in m3/hr can easily be calculated.

APPARATUS

Digital thermometer, two beakers, weighing scale, stop watch, stand

PROCEDURE
 Clean the beakers then dry them. Determine their weighs so it can be subtracted
to the weighs with the fuel and water. Pour an amount of water to one beaker then
weigh and record. To this also to other beaker with an amount of fuel.

Measure the initial temperature of the water in the beaker.

Light the beaker with the fuel while it is under the beaker with water by using
the stand. Measure and record the temperature of water every five minutes, repeat this
three times. Compute for the changes of temperatures between the five minute periods.

Weigh the amount of fuel left in the experiment. Compute for the heating value
using the formula:

Q=m w cp ( ∆T )

Where:

Q – Heating value of fuel

mw –Mass of water

cp – Specific heat of water

∆ T – Change in temperature
CROSS-SECTION OF A SARGENT TYPE OF GAS CALORIMETER:
DISCUSSION:

TABLE 1: Initial volume and mass of the water and fuel

VOLUME MASS
WATER 91mL 91g
ISOPROPYL ALCOHOL 70% 75mL 64g

RECORDED
CHANGE IN HEATING
TRIAL TEMPERATUE
TEMPERATURE VALUE (Q)
EVERY 5 MINS.
INITIAL 24.5 ℃ - -
1 46 ℃ 21.5 ℃ 8.1977 kJ
2 65 ℃ 19 ℃ 7.2445 kJ
3 75.5 ℃ 10.5 ℃ 4.0035 kJ
TABLE 2: Temperatures and heating value

Computations:

kJ
Q 1=0.091 kg (4.1866 ) ( 21.5 K )
kgK

Q 1=8.1977 kJ

kJ
Q 2=0.091 kg (4.1866 ) ( 19 K )
kgK

Q 2=7.2445 kJ

kJ
Q 3=0.091kg (4.1866 ) ( 10.5 K )
kgK

Q 3=4.0035 kJ
 The recorded mass of fuel left after 15 minutes is 21g, which means the total
mass of the used fuel for the experiment is 43g of isopropyl alcohol 70% solution.

The total heating value of a 43g of an isopropyl alcohol 70% solution for 15
minutes can be acquired by adding the separate heating values.

Q T =Q 1+ Q 2+Q 3

QT =8.1977 kJ +7.2445 kJ + 4.0035 kJ

Q T =¿19.4457 kJ

The heating value of a 43g of an isopropyl alcohol 70% solution for 15 minutes
is 19445.7 J or 4645.6352 cal. Therefore, in every 1g of isopropyl alcohol 70%
solution, it can give 452.2256 J or 108.038 cal.

REFERENCES:

https://www.sae.org/standards/content/j1498_198705

https://www.princeton.edu/~humcomp/sophlab/ther_15

https://www.clarke-energy.com/2013/heating-value