Thermodyne Engineering Systems
Flue Gas Composition Calculator
- Input Parameters:
- Fuel Type: Choose the type of fuel being burned, such as coal, natural gas, oil, etc.
- Fuel Composition: Provide the percentages of elements in the fuel, like carbon, hydrogen, sulfur, etc.
- Combustion Efficiency: This parameter represents how effectively the fuel is burned. It’s a ratio of useful energy produced to potential energy in the fuel.
- Flue Gas Temperature: The temperature of the gases leaving the combustion process.
- Excess Air Percentage: The additional amount of air supplied during combustion compared to the theoretically required amount.
- Calculations:
- Moles of Elements: Convert the percentages of elements in the fuel composition to moles using their atomic weights.
- Stoichiometric Air-Fuel Ratio: Calculate the ideal air-fuel ratio required for complete combustion based on the chemical reaction.
- Actual Air-Fuel Ratio: Adjust the stoichiometric ratio based on the excess air provided.
- Available Oxygen: Calculate the amount of oxygen available in the flue gas after combustion.
- Combustion Reaction:
- Balanced Chemical Equation: Write the balanced equation representing the combustion of the chosen fuel. This equation helps you understand the relationships between reactants and products.
- Flue Gas Composition:
- Composition Calculation: Use the available oxygen and other factors to estimate the percentages of various gases in the flue gas, such as CO2, CO, SO2, NOx, and O2.
- Incomplete Combustion: Consider that perfect combustion might not occur, leading to some unburned or partially burned products.
- Excess Air Impact: The excess air can dilute the flue gas, affecting its composition.
- Output:
- Flue Gas Components: Display the calculated percentages of CO2, CO, SO2, NOx, and O2 in the flue gas composition.
- Environmental Insights: Optionally, provide information about the environmental implications of the composition and suggest potential measures for reducing emissions.
- Error Handling:
- Data Validation: Check that the input data makes sense, like ensuring percentages sum up to 100%.
- Calculation Errors: Handle potential issues like dividing by zero or other mathematical errors that might arise during calculations.
- User Interface (Optional):
- GUI Design: If you’re building a graphical interface for the calculator, this is where you’d design the input fields for user data entry and the display area for showing results.
Flue Gas Analysis Calculations
Flue gases are formed on the combustion of air with fuel in the presence of heat. Combustion of fuel release flue gases which is a mixture of Carbon Dioxide, Carbon Monoxide, Sulfur Dioxide, H2O Vapor, Nitrogen or Nitro-Oxides, Oxygen, and ash particles. The quantity of flue gases is also calculated using stoichiometry calculation when air reacts with the fuel.
You can also refer to Thermodyne’s Boiler Bible which provides you with the general composition of the above elements for various fuels.
The calculator below helps you determine the number of flue gases generated per Kg of fuel by providing the elemental composition of the fuel and its mass faction.
See Also: Boiler Blowdown Calculator & Formula
For boiler system-related calculations Check out All Thermodyne Calculators
Calculator: Flue Gas Analysis
Flue gas analysis is the process of measuring the composition of flue gases. This is done to determine the efficiency of combustion, as well as the levels of pollutants in the flue gas
Flue gas analysis is important for a number of reasons. First, it can help to ensure that combustion is efficient. This is important because inefficient combustion can lead to wasted fuel and increased emissions of pollutants. Second, flue gas analysis can help to identify the levels of pollutants in the flue gas. This information can be used to control emissions and comply with environmental regulations.
Flue gas analysis is typically performed using a gas chromatograph. A gas chromatograph is an instrument that separates the components of a gas mixture. The components of the flue gas are separated based on their boiling points. Once the components are separated, they can be measured using a detector.
There are two main types of flue gas analysis: elemental analysis and compound analysis. The elemental analysis measures the concentration of the major elements in the flue gas, such as carbon, hydrogen, oxygen, nitrogen, and sulfur. The compound analysis measures the concentration of specific compounds in the flue gas, such as carbon monoxide, nitrogen oxides, and sulfur dioxide.
There are a number of benefits to flue gas analysis. These benefits include:
Improved combustion efficiency
Reduced emissions of pollutants
Compliance with environmental regulations
Increased safety
Reduced costs
Flue gas analysis can be performed by a number of companies. These companies typically have the necessary equipment and expertise to perform accurate and reliable analysis.
The frequency of flue gas analysis depends on a number of factors, such as the type of fuel being burned, the size of the combustion system, and the environmental regulations that apply. In general, flue gas analysis should be performed at least once a year.