ISBN: 978-81-265-4475-2: Engineering Chemistry (Revised Edition)

Engineering Chemistry (revised edition)
ISBN: 978-81-265-4475-2
Copyright©2014 Wiley India Pvt. Ltd. All Rights Reserved
Introduction
A fuel is defined as any substance used to produce heat or power by

combustion. Any chemical process accompanied by the evolution of light and
heat is called combustion. It is simply the reaction of substances with oxygen
and converts chemical energy into heat and light.

ISBN: 978-81-265-4475-2
ISBN: 978-81-265-4475-2
Characteristics of a Good Fuel
1.It should ignite easily. The temperature of the fuel at which ignition starts
and continues to burn without further addition of heat is called ignition
temperature. It should be moderate for a good fuel. Very low ignition
temperature leads to fi re hazard and very high ignition temperature disfavors
the starting of fi re.
2.It should give out a lot of heat, that is, its specific heat should be high.
3.It should have low smoke and combustible matter such as ash. It should not
give out harmful combustion products. This property depends on the nature of
elements present in the fuel.
4.It should be inexpensive and readily available.
5.It should be easy to store and transport.
6.It should have low ash content. Ash reduces the calorific value of the fuel,
causes hindrance to the flow of air and heat, reduces the specific heat and
leads to unwanted disposable problems.
ISBN: 978-81-265-4475-2
Calorific Value
Units
1.Mean British Thermal Unit (BTU)

2.Calorie (cal)
Gross and Net Calorific Values
1.Higher calorific value (HCV) or gross calorific value

2.Lower calorific value (LCV) or net calorific value

ISBN: 978-81-265-4475-2
Determination of Calorific Value
Theoretically Determination
Dulong’s formula for calculating the calorific value from the chemical
composition of the fuel may be written as follows: where C,H,O AND S is the
%o

ISBN: 978-81-265-4475-2
Experimentally Determination
Bomb calorimeter
1.For calorific values of solid and liquid

fuels
2.Known amount of fuel is burnt at
constant volume
3.Temperature of surrounding water
increases as heat is produced.
4.Quantity of heat and calorific values
are calculated.

ISBN: 978-81-265-4475-2
Semi-Solid Fuels – Some Recent Advances
The term semi-solid fuel in modern context refers to non-volatile substances

that are environmentally safe and produce no hazardous waste on burning.
These have long shelf-life and their ignition can be easily started and stopped.
The conventional solid and liquid fuels are now being used as formulations in
semi-solid form to circumvent the problems associated with their use in the
regular form.
The use of coal is associated with many environmental problems, starting

from its excavation from mines to gaseous and fly ash emissions. To
overcome these problems, developing countries are transforming coal into
gaseous or liquid fuel formulations or converting it into low ash and low
sulphur varieties. For example, a solvent-refined, semi-solid form of coal has
been prepared by suspending pulverized coal in a solvent and treating it with
hydrogen gas at high temperature and pressure. The product compares well
with high grade anthracite in combustion properties, is free from ash and has
high calorific value of 16000 BTU per pound.
ISBN: 978-81-265-4475-2
Liquid fuels – Petroleum
1.Petroleum is made from the remains of plants and animals buried millions of
years ago.
2.It is a non-renewable resource.
3.It contains straight or cycloparaffins.
4.Olefins
5.Aromatics
6.Other organic compounds containing N, O, S.

ISBN: 978-81-265-4475-2
Composition
Petroleum is a dark, greenish brown, viscous liquid that is found underground.

It comprises hydrocarbons such as:
1.Straight paraffins or cycloparaffins such as methane, ethane, propane,

butane, isobutane, pentane, hexane.
2.Olefins such as ethylene, butene, isobutene and acetylene, butadienes.
3.Aromatics such as benzene, naphthalene, cyclohexane, methyl cyclopentane.
4.Some organic compounds containing nitrogen, oxygen and sulphur.

ISBN: 978-81-265-4475-2
Production from Refining of Crude Oil
The petroleum obtained by mining is viscous and dark colored liquid. Due to
the presence of sulphur, it has an unpleasant smell. It also contains impurities
of sand, brine or sea water. Hence it is called crude oil.
The important steps involved are:
1.Fractional distillation to give various fractions.

2.Conversion of less desirable fractions to valuable products by processes like
cracking.
3.Treatment of fractions to remove undesirable substances.

ISBN: 978-81-265-4475-2
Fractional Distillation

ISBN: 978-81-265-4475-2
Fractions of petroleum

ISBN: 978-81-265-4475-2
Cracking
Cracking is decomposition of high molecular weight compounds (with high

boiling points) to low molecular weigh compounds with low boiling points).

ISBN: 978-81-265-4475-2
ISBN: 978-81-265-4475-2
Fixed bed catalytic cracking

ISBN: 978-81-265-4475-2
Fluidized-bed catalytic cracking

ISBN: 978-81-265-4475-2
The fluidized bed cracking has the following advantages over fixed-bed
cracking:
1.Better contact with the feed and the catalyst, enabling uniform temperature
and efficient heat transfer.
2.The catalyst can be regenerated and used again for the cracking process.

ISBN: 978-81-265-4475-2
Knocking
Knocking in Spark Ignition Engines and Octane Number
Petrol is used in spark ignition engines. The rapid compression of the fuel-air
mixture heats the engine, and it detonates without the spark being passed.
This causes a violent jerk to the piston giving a metallic sound called
knocking.
Octane number is the percentage volume of isooctane in the isooctane-heptane

mixture that matches the knocking characteristics of the fuel being tested is
called the octane number.
Molecular structure affects the octane number.

ISBN: 978-81-265-4475-2
Knocking in Compression Ignition Engines and Cetane Number
Diesel is used in compression ignition engines.

Cetane number represents the spontaneous ignition temperature of a particular
diesel fuel. It is the percentage of cetane present in a mixture of cetane and
alpha-methylnaphthalene which matches the fuel under test in ignition
property.

ISBN: 978-81-265-4475-2

ISBN: 978-81-265-4475-2: Engineering Chemistry (Revised Edition)

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ISBN: 978-81-265-4475-2: Engineering Chemistry (Revised Edition)

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Engineering Chemistry (revised edition)

A fuel is defined as any substance used to produce heat or power by

Engineering Chemistry (revised edition)

1.Mean British Thermal Unit (BTU)

Gross and Net Calorific Values

1.Higher calorific value (HCV) or gross calorific value

Engineering Chemistry (revised edition)

Engineering Chemistry (revised edition)

1.For calorific values of solid and liquid

Engineering Chemistry (revised edition)

The term semi-solid fuel in modern context refers to non-volatile substances

The use of coal is associated with many environmental problems, starting

Engineering Chemistry (revised edition)

Petroleum is a dark, greenish brown, viscous liquid that is found underground.

1.Straight paraffins or cycloparaffins such as methane, ethane, propane,

Engineering Chemistry (revised edition)

The important steps involved are:

1.Fractional distillation to give various fractions.

Engineering Chemistry (revised edition)

Engineering Chemistry (revised edition)

Engineering Chemistry (revised edition)

Cracking is decomposition of high molecular weight compounds (with high

Engineering Chemistry (revised edition)

Engineering Chemistry (revised edition)

Engineering Chemistry (revised edition)

Engineering Chemistry (revised edition)

Knocking in Spark Ignition Engines and Octane Number

Octane number is the percentage volume of isooctane in the isooctane-heptane

Molecular structure affects the octane number.

Engineering Chemistry (revised edition)

Diesel is used in compression ignition engines.

Engineering Chemistry (revised edition)

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