Mixture of Gases

Combustion reaction
The combustion of fuel-air inside the engine cylinder is one
of the processes that controls engine power, efficiency, and
emissions.

Two types of chemical reactions – endothermic and

exothermic reactions. The combustion of fuel in ICE is a
fast exothermic reaction in the gaseous phase where
oxygen obtained from air is usually one of the reactants.
Hydrocarbon Fuels
In IC engines, the liquid and gaseous fuels are used.

Liquid hydrocarbons – gasoline, kerosene, and diesel fuel

are the common fuels.

Any fuel, such as gasoline is a mixture of many

hydrocarbons. Gaseous hydrocarbon fuels are also
mixture of various constituents of hydrocarbons.
Hydrocarbon Fuels
Hydrocarbon gas liquids (HGLs) are hydrocarbons that
occur as gases at atmospheric pressure and as liquids
under higher pressures.
Categorized chemically:
Alkanes, or paraffins
Ethane ( 𝐶2 𝐻6 ), Propane ( 𝐶3 𝐻8 ), Butanes ( 𝐶4 𝐻10 ), Natural gasoline or
pentanes (𝐶5 𝐻12 )
Alkenes, or olefins
Ethylene (𝐶2 𝐻4 ), Propylene (𝐶3 𝐻6 ), Normal butylene and isobutylene (𝐶4 𝐻8 )
Hydrocarbon Fuels
Composition of Air
Constituents: oxygen, nitrogen, argon and other vapors and
inert gases.

Volumetric composition: 21% O2 , 78% N2 , and 1% Argon.

moles of N2 79
Mole composition: = = 3.76
moles of O2 21
Mass composition: 23% oxygen and 77% Nitrogen.
Molecular weight = 28.96 g/mol
Composition of air
Combustion equation
The basic stoichiometric equation for fuel-air reaction is

𝑛
𝐶𝑚 𝐻𝑛 𝑂𝑝 + 𝑌𝑐𝑐 𝑂2 + 3.76𝑌𝑐𝑐 𝑁2 → 𝑚𝐶𝑂2 + 𝐻2 𝑂 + 3.76𝑌𝑐𝑐 𝑁2
2
Where,
n p
𝑌𝑐𝑐 = m + −
4 2
Where m, n, p represent the number of moles of carbon, hydrogen and oxygen atoms in a mole of fuel and 𝑌𝑐𝑐
is the chemical correct moles of oxygen per mole of fuel.

𝑌𝑐𝑐 is obtained by balancing the number of moles of oxygen on both sides of the equation.
Combustion equation
CASE 1: 100% Theoretical Air

For pure hydrocarbons where the oxygen atom is not

present
n n
Cm Hn + (m + )O2 + 3.76(m + )N2
4 4
n n
→ mCO2 + H2 O + 3.76(m + )N2
2 4
Combustion equation
The combustion reaction for octane, with m = 8 and n = 18:
C8 H18 + 12.5O2 + 3.76(12.5)N2 → 8CO2 + 9H2 O + 47N2

In this equation, only a chemically correct amount of oxygen

is included. The stoichiometric or the chemically correct
amount of air required to oxidize the reactants is called
theoretical air.

Theoretical air combustion is not possible. More oxygen than necessarily is required to achieve complete
combustion of the reactants. The excess air is usually expressed as percentage of the theoretical air. Thus if 20%
more air than is theoretically required is used, this is expressed as 120% theoretical air or 20% excess air.
Combustion equation
CASE 2: Excess Air
In general, if Y moles of O2 are supplied for complete
combustion of fuel such that Y ≥ Ycc , the equation becomes

Cm Hn Op + YO2 + 3.76YN2
n
→ mCO2 + H2 O + 3.76YN2 + Y − Ycc O2
2
Combustion equation
The combustion of octane with 20% excess air:

C8 H18 + 1.2 12.5 O2 + 1.2 47 N2

→ 8CO2 + 9H2 O + 56.4N2 + 2.5O2

If the amount of air is insufficient to provide complete combustion, then all the carbon will not be oxidized to
carbon dioxide but some carbon monoxide will be formed.
Combustion equation
CASE 3. Deficient Air
If Ymin denotes the moles of the minimum allowable oxygen
content in the reactants per mole of fuel so that all H2 is
converted to H2 O and all C is converted to CO. For insufficient
amount of air, such that Ymin ≤ Y ≤ Ycc , the combustion
equation becomes:

Cm Hn Op + YO2 + 3.76YN2
n
→ 2 Ycc − Y CO + 2(Y − Ymin )CO2 + H2 O + 3.76YN2
2
Combustion equation
The stoichiometric equation defines theoretically the
correct mixture of fuel and air for complete combustion. To
allow for a mixture different from the correct mixture, the
equivalence ratio, ∅, is used.
F A
A a F s
∅= F = A
A s F a
For fuel-lean mixtures, ∅ < 1
For stoichiometric mixtures, ∅ = 1
For fuel-rich mixtures, ∅ > 1
The inverse of equivalence ratio is called the relative air fuel ratio.
Combustion equation
For octane, the stoichiometric A/F ratio:

C8 H18 + 12.5O2 + 3.76(12.5)N2 → 8CO2 + 9H2 O + 47N2

A mair mO2 + mN2 per mole fuel

= =
F s
mfuel mfuel per mole fuel

A 12.5 32 + 47(28.96)
= = 15.44
F s
12 8 + (1)(18)
Combustion equation
If 20% excess air is used in actual practice, the actual A/F
ratio:

C8 H18 + 1.2 12.5 O2 + 1.2 47 N2 → 8CO2 + 9H2 O + 56.4N2 + 2.5O2

A 15 32 + 56.4(28.96)
= = 18.53
F a
12 8 + (1)(18)
Combustion equation
The equivalence ratio:

15.44
∅= = 0.8332
18.53

This is a lean mixture (excess air is used for the combustion of fuel)
Air-fuel ratio
Normal operating range:

Spark ignition (SI) engine using gasoline fuel

12 ≤ A/F ≤ 18

Compression ignition (CI) engine using diesel fuel

18 ≤ A/F ≤ 70
Air-fuel ratio
Molar Basis
A moles of air
=
F moles of Fuel

Gravimetric (mass) basis

A mass of air
=
F mass of Fuel
Combustion products
Combustion products: 𝐶𝑂2 , 𝑆𝑂2 , 𝑁2 , 𝑂2 , 𝐶𝑂, 𝐻2 𝑂

Analysis by volume:
𝐶𝑂2 + 𝐶𝑂 + 𝑂2 + 𝑁2 = 100%

Mass of gaseous products:

𝑚𝑔 = 𝑚𝑎 + 𝑚𝑓