CLASS 7:

STOICHIOMETRY

Course Instructor :
Prof. P.Mohanan

Course: Combustion

Prepared By: Mr SreeKumar J.S (3rd M.Tech)

1. INTRODUCTION

Combustion is the process of chemical reaction between

fuel and oxygen(reactants).
The

process releases heat and produces products of

combustion. The main elements which burn are :

CARBON

HYDROGEN
SULPHUR

The

heat released by 1 kg or m of fuel is called

the calorific value.

If the water formed during combustion leaves as vapour, it takes with

it the latent heat of evaporation and thus reduces the energy available
from the process. In this case the calorific value is called the lower
Calorific value (LCV).
If the products cool down after combustion so that the vapour
condenses, the latent heat is given up and the calorific value is then the
higher calorific value (HCV).

For purposes of calculation, the content of air is considered

to be :
VOLUMETRIC

GRAVIMETRIC
(BY MASS)

Oxygen

21%

23%

Nitrogen

79%

77%

NOTE:
MASS OF AIR IS 29

STOICHIOMETRY
The

ratio of oxidizer to fuel which just leads to

complete products of combustion.

The

minimum amount of air required for complete

combustion is known as theoretical air.

For

combustion common oxidizer is air which is a

mixture of 21 % oxygen & 79 % nitrogen(on volume
basis)
i.e. 1 mole of oxygen is accompanied by 79/21= 3.76
mole of nitrogen.

Combustion Stoichiometry
If sufficient oxygen is available, a hydrocarbon fuel can be completely
oxidized, the carbon is converted to carbon dioxide (CO2) and the hydrogen
is converted to water (H2O).
The overall chemical equation for the complete combustion of one mole of
propane (C3H8) with oxygen is:

C3 H 8 aO2 bCO2 cH 2O
# of moles

species

Elements cannot be created or destroyed, so

C balance: 3 = b
b= 3
H balance: 8 = 2c
c= 4
O balance:
2a = 2b + c a= 5
Thus the above reaction is:

C3 H 8 5O2 3CO2 4 H 2O
6

Combustion Stoichiometry
Air contains molecular nitrogen N2, when the products are low temperature
the nitrogen is not significantly affected by the reaction, it is considered inert.
The complete reaction of a General hydrocarbon CH with air is:

C M H N a (O2 3.76 N 2 ) bCO2 cH 2O dN 2

C balance:
H balance:
O balance:
N balance:

= b b =
= 2c c = /2
2a = 2b + c a = b + c/2 a = + /4
2(3.76)a = 2d d = 3.76a/2 d = 3.76( + /4)

N
N
N

CM H N M (O2 3.76 N 2 ) MCO2 H 2O 3.76 M N 2

4
2
4

The above equation defines the stoichiometric proportions of fuel and air.
Example: For octane (C8H18) = 8 and = 18

C8 H18 12.5 (O2 3.76 N 2 ) 8CO2 9 H 2O 47 N 2

The theoretically correct quantity of air or oxygen required to

just exactly burn the fuel expressed as a ratio to the fuel burned,
is called the STOICHIOMETRIC RATIO
The stoichiometric mass based air/fuel ratio for
CH fuel is:

mair
A / F s 4. 67 a
m fuel

Where ,

N
a= M

QUES:
FIND STOICHIOMETRIC AIR/FUEL RATIO OF
CH FUEL IS:

SOL.
Write the balanced equation as

N
N
N

CM H N M (O2 3.76 N 2 ) MCO2 H 2O 3.76 M N 2

4
2
4

Here M=8, N =18 so

C8 H18 12.5 (O2 3.76 N 2 ) 8CO2 9 H 2O 47 N 2

mair
A / F s 4. 67 a
m fuel

a=

N
M
4

a= (8+18/4)
a= 12.5

Mass of air is 29

Mass Of Fuel i.e. CH

mair
A / F s 4. 67 a
m fuel

A / F s 4. 67 (12.5)
=14.84

29
114

EQUIVALENCE RATIO

The equivalence ratio, , is commonly used to

indicate if a mixture is stoichiometric, fuel lean,
or fuel rich.

A / F s F / A actual
A / F actual F / A s

stoichiometric = 1
fuel lean
<1
fuel rich
> 1

RELATIVE AIR FUEL RATIO() )

(equivalence ratio)

PERCENTAGE OF EXCESS AIR

=1-

100

COMBUSTION CHEMISTRY

In the case of solid and liquid fuels, we do the

combustion of each element separately.

The important rule is that you must have the

same number of atoms of each substance
before and after the process. This may be
obtained by juggling with the number of
Molecules.

CARBON:
Mass ratio

12 + 32 = 44

( mass is conserved)

So,

Hence 1kg of C needs 32/12 kg of O2

and makes 44/12 kg of CO2

HYDROGEN :

Mass ratio

+ 32 = 36

Hence 1kg of H2 needs 8kg of O2

SULPHUR:

so,

Hence 1 kg of S needs 1kg of O2 and makes 2kg of SO2

COMBUSTION BY MASS

EXAMPLE

A fuel contains by mass 88% C, 8%H2, 1%S and 3% ash

(silica). Calculate the stoichiometric air.

SOLUTION
C=.88 kg , H2= 0.08 kg , S= .01 kg , ash=.03 kg

CARBON C + O2 = CO2
Mass ratio 12 + 32 = 44

Hence 0.88kg of C need (32/12)x 0.88=2.347kg of oxygen.

It makes (44/12) x 0.88 = 3.227 kg of carbon dioxide.

HYDROGEN
Mass ratio

2H2 + O2 = 2H2O
4 + 32 = 36

hence 0.08kg of hydrogen needs (32/4) x 0.08 = 0.64kg of

oxygen.

SULPHUR
Mass ratio

S + O2= SO2
32+ 32 = 64

Hence 0.01kg of sulphur needs 0.01kg of oxygen and

makes 0.02kg of sulphur dioxide.

TOTAL OXYGEN needed is

2.347 + 0.64 + 0.01 = 2.997kg

TOTAL AIR needed is

2.997/23% = 13.03kg

note
Oxygen present in air=23% x total air
So,
Total air=oxygen/23%

The STOICHIOMETRIC air/fuel ratio is 13.03/1

EXAMPLE

The mass analysis of a solid fuel:

C=84%, H2 =8% , O2=2% & the remaining incombustible material

Find (a)mass of air required per kg of fuel for complete combustion.
(b)if 15 kg of air is supplied per kg of fuel ,find the analysis of dry
exhaust gases formed by mass & volume.

Solution:
CARBON C + O2 = CO2
Mass ratio 12 + 32 = 44
0.84 kg of C need (32/12)x 0.84=2.24kg of oxygen.
It makes (44/12) x 0.84 = 3.08 kg of carbon
dioxide.

Hence

19

HYDROGEN
Mass ratio

2H2 + O2 = 2H2O
4 + 32 = 36

hence 0.08kg of hydrogen needs (32/4) x 0.08 = 0.64kg of

oxygen.
Total oxygen supplied =2.24+0.64=2.88 kg
Given excess oxygen =0.02 kg
So, oxygen needed =2.88-0.02
=2.86 kg

Air required = 2.86 / 23%

=12.43 kg

(B)Excess air supplied = 15 12.43 kg

=2.57 kg
Mass of oxygen in excess air = 23% x 2.57
= 0.591 kg

Mass of nitrogen in flue gases= 77 % x 15(total air )

=11.55 kg
Total mass of dry exhaust gas=CO2 + N2 +Excess O2
=3.08+11.55 +0.591
=15.22 kg

MASS ANALYSIS

Percentage mass of CO2=3.08

15.221

x 100=20.1

Percentage mass of O2=0.591

15.221

x 100= 3.9

Percentage mass of N2=11.55

15.221

x 100=75.9

CONVERSION OF GRAVIMETRIC
ANALYSIS TO VOLUMETRIC BASIS
For this :
Divide the weight of each constituent of the fuel by
molecular weight.
so
gas

Wt
(x)

Molecular weight
(y)

Proportional

% volume

(Z=x/y)

(z /total*100)

volume

CO2

3.08

44

0.07

14

O2

0.591

32

0.0115

3.7

N2

11.55

28

0.4125

82.3

Total

0.501

EXAMPLE:

Given
C=90% , H2=3.33%, O2= 3% ,N2 =0.8 %, S= 0.9 % the remaining
incombustible material. If 50% excess air is supplied find the percentage of
dry exhaust gases formed by volume.
Solution:
CARBON

C + O2 = CO2

Mass ratio

12 + 32 = 44

Hence 0.90 kg of C need (32/12)x 0.90=2.4kg of oxygen.

It makes (44/12) x 0.90 = 3.3 kg of carbon dioxide.

HYDROGEN 2H2 + O2 = 2H2O

Mass ratio
4 + 32 = 36

hence 0.033kg of hydrogen needs (32/4) x 0.033

= 0.264 kg of oxygen.

SULPHUR
Mass ratio

S + O2= SO2
32+ 32 = 64

Hence 0.009 kg of sulphur needs 0.009 kg of oxygen

and makes (64/32) x 0.009= 0.018 kg of sulphur
dioxide.

Total oxygen supplied =2.4 + 0.264 +0.009

=2.673 kg
Excess oxygen= 0.03
So
So, oxygen needed = 2.673 -0.03
=2.643 kg
Air needed = 2.643 / 23%= 11.49 kg
But given 50% excess air is supplied
excess air supplied=50% of 11.49 = 5.746 kg
Total air supplied =11.49 + 5.746
=17.236 kg

Mass of oxygen in excess air = 23%

= 1.322 kg

of 5.746

Mass of nitrogen in flue gases= 77 % of 17.236 (total air )

=13.273 kg
Volumetric analysis :
gas

Wt.
(x)

Mol . Wt.
(y)

Proportional % Volume
vol.
(z=x/y)
(z/total*
100)

CO2

3.3

44

0.075

12.7

So2

0.018

64

0.000281

0.05

o2

1.322

32

0.04131

N2

13.273

28

0.474
0.59063

80.25

Total

QUESTIONS.

28