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Module 5: Combustion Technology

Lecture 35: Adiabatic flame temperature calculation

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Keywords: Constant pressure adiabatic flame temperature, constant volume adiabatic flame

temperature

5.4 Adiabatic flame temperature calculation

The temperature of the products in an adiabatic combustion of fuel without applying any shaft

work, is defined as the “Adiabatic Flame Temperature”. In a combustion process the heat

produced during the exothermic chemical reaction is released to their product and the

temperature of the products is raised. There is no possibility for dissipation of the heat to the

surrounding and the process will be adiabatic as there is no heat loss to the surrounding. As a

result, the temperature of the products suddenly increases and it produces a flame. This will heat

up the product gases in flame region and the temperature rise will be maximum. This highest

temperature is known as the adiabatic flame temperature. The temperature rise depends on the

amount of excess air used or the air-fuel ratio. The flame temperature has the highest value for

using pure oxygen gas and it decreases by using air. So, the exact stoichiometric air is to be

supplied for better result. With too large amount of excess air the flame temperature will be

reduced. When the heat lose to the environment or diluted by the inert gases and there is an

incomplete combustion. So, the temperature of the products will be less. The flame temperature

is determined from the energy balance of the reaction at equilibrium. There are two type of

adiabatic flame temperature: constant pressure adiabatic flame temperature and constant volume

adiabatic flame temperature.

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Constant pressure adiabatic flame temperature:

From the first law of thermodynamics at constant pressure process

∆ ∆

At constant pressure, ∆ ∆ ∆ ∆ ∆ ∆

Under adiabatic condition, 0,∆ 0,

For equilibrium reaction,

Fig. 1 Combustion of fuel

, ,

,  

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Where, = latent heat of vaporization or condensation for phase change of the product
during the change of temperature of from to T K.

Ti is the inlet temperature of fuel and air and TR is the reference temperature, 298 K.

Where, is the heat capacities which is expressed as

Therefore,

, ∆ ,
2 3
The flame temperature, T may be calculated from the above equations. It is assumed that

0. Also if the mean heat capacity data is used,

, ∆ , ,

Constant volume adiabatic flame temperature:

From the first law of thermodynamics,

∆ , and ∆ ∆

In adiabatic process, 0 ∆

, , 0

Example 1 : Determine the constant pressure adiabatic flame temperature for the combustion of
methane with a stoichiometric air at 1 atm pressure. The reactant temperature at initial
condition, Ti=298 K. The reaction is CH4 + 2O2 + 7.52 N2 = CO2 + 2H2O + 7.524 N2 .Also,
determine the constant volume adiabatic flame temperature using the following Table 1.

(The problem may be solved by trial and error method if specific heats data are available as a
function of temperature. In the present problem, the specific heats of reactants are taken at an
average temperature between initial and final temperature which is (298+1850)/2 = 1074
K 1100 K. Where, the final temperature is assumed as the adiabatic flame temperature of 1850
K in air. )

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Table:1

___________________________________________________________________

Species Standard Enthalpy of Average specific heat

Formation at 298 K
_________________________________________________________________________ 

CH4 -72.1 kJ/mol -75.328 kJ/kmolK

CO2 -394.0 55.396 kJ/kmolK

H2O -244.5 42.44 kJ/kmolK

N2 0 33.0 kJ/kmolK

O2 0 ---

___________________________________________________________________ 

Solution:

Basis : 1 kmol of methane , =298 K

At constant pressure process, we have

= -72100 + 2(0) + 7.524(0) = -72100 kJ/kmol

= ∑ ∆ , , 298 = [-394000 + 55.396(Tad -298)]

+[-244500 + 42.44(Tad -298)](2)

+[0.0 + 33.0(Tad -298)](7.52)

= -883000+388.436 (Tad -298) = = -72100 kJ/kmol

Hence, Tad = 2385.6 K, So the adiabatic flame temperature is 2385.6 K.

At constant volume process, is to add with the final enthalpy of

products, . The constant volume adiabatic temperature will be larger than the constant

pressure adiabatic flame temperature.

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Then we can write,

∑ ∆ , , 298

As in the above reaction, 10.52 = constant

8.314 10.52 298 . For specific heat data slight

higher temperature may be assumed. The problem is solved considering same Cp data.

= -883000+388.436 (Tad -298) + 8.314(10.52)(298- Tad ) = -72100 kJ/kmol

-810900 + (383.84 - 87.463)( Tad -298) =0 ,

Tad = adiabatic flame temperature at constant volume process = 2992.3 K

The constant volume adiabatic flame temperature is greater than the constant pressure value.

Determination of adiabatic flame temperature using heat of combustion of fuel

If the heat of combustion of the fuel is known and the heat capacity data of all products are

available, the adiabatic flame temperature can be calculated by using the following equation:

Where , ∆ the heat of combustion of the gaseous fuel. The mean CP -values may be

used for the calculation. Average temperature may be used as, from the arithmetic mean of 298

and Tf .

Example 2: Determine the adiabatic flame temperature at constant pressure combustion of

propane gas using stoichiometric air. The heat of combustion of propane is 2220 kJ/mol.

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Mean Cp data at 1200 K is available as

CO2 : 0.05632 kJ/mol-K; H2O : 0.04365 kJ/mol-K; N2 : 0.03371 kJ/mol-K

Solution:

Basis: 1 mol of propane burning with soichiometric air

Reaction Soichiometry: C3H8 (g) + 5O2 (g) = 3 CO2(g) + 4H2O (g) + 18.81 N2

, 298

∑ , 298 = 3 0.05632 4 0.04365 18.81 0.03371 298

0.9777 298

0.9777 298 2220, 2570

The adiabatic temperature is 2570 K with soichiometric air.

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References

1. Chemical Process principles, Part-I, Materials and Energy Balances, O. A. Hougen, K.

M. Watson and R. A. Ragatz, 1st Edn, (Reprint), Asia Publishing House, Calcutta, 1976.

2. Physical Chemistry, P. C. Rakshit, 6th Edition, Sarat Book Distributers,India, 2001

         

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