Fuel Analysis and Burning

Characteristics
Fuel Analysis and Burning Characteristics
- Terms and Concepts

• Particle burning stages: drying - devolatilization – char

• Proximate & ultimate analysis
• Heating value
• Biofuels vs coals
• H and O in Fuels: H/C vs O/C diagram
• Burning in fluidized bed: suspension & bubble phase
 Single Particle Burning
of Polish Coal – 271.4 mg
800 ºC
21% O2 (air)
Burning in open furnace and the sample on a hook
Polish Coal Particle – 271 mg
Polish Coal Particle Residue after Burning
Single Particle Burning of Wood
– 92.6 mg

800 ºC
21 % O2 (air)
Wood Sample Before Burning
 Vent.
N2
O2
CO2 pump pump

SO2

CO/CO2 NO
Filter

Vent.

Single Particle Burning System

(Source: Åbo Akademi)
 Single Particle Burning –
On-line CO Analysis
2

4%
CO2 formation

3%

2%

1%

0%
0 20 40 60
time (seconds)
 Single Particle Burning –
Volatile vs. Char Carbon

Volatile
carbon
CO2 (ppm)

Char
carbon

time
 magazine paper
Rec-Mod-03
70
0.0758 g N / 100 g
60
NO formed (ppm)

Magazine Paper
50

40

Waste
30

20

10

0
0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90

40
Rec-Mod-03
35
0.18 g S / 100 g
• Standard fuel analysis
SO2 formed (ppm)

30
25
20
15
10
5
– C 32,1 %
0
0 20 40 60 80 100 120 140 160 – H 4,5 %
–
Rec-Mod-03
50000
45000 30.2 g C / 100 g N 0,1 %
(CO+CO2) formed (ppm)

40000
35000
30000 – S 0,2 %
25000
20000
15000
10000
5000
0
0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90

time (seconds)
Burning Stages
 Combustion of Solid Fuel Particles –
Stages of Burning
H2O
CO, CO2, H2O

Fuel particle

Air
O2 CO, CO2
CxHy
Drying

O2

Pyrolysis/
devolatilisation Char combustion
and Ash
gas combustion
H2O

Drying

• Heat from surrounding atmosphere leads to

vaporization of water in fuel

• Rate determined by heat transfer

CO, CO2, H2O

O2
Devolatilization/Pyrolysis
CxHy

• Terms which can be used interchangeably

• Thermal break-down of fuel during heating
• Results in release of volatile organic gases
• Volatile gases: CH4, CO, H2, CxHy, tars, …
• Burns with visible flame (soot)
 Volatile Yield
• At a given T & P
• Fuel dependent
• INCREASES WITH:
• Increasing H/C ratio of fuel
(example. wood vs. coal)
• Increasing Temperature
• DECREASES WITH:
• Increasing Particle/Droplet Size
• Increasing Pressure
CO, CO2

Char combustion
O2

• Heterogeneous reaction (gas-solid)

• Rate deependent on pO2 and T
• Usually the slower than pyrolysis
• No visible flame
 Solid Fuels: Proximate
Analysis
• Water
• Volatile Matter
• Char (Fixed Carbon)
• Ash
 Proximate Analysis
1. MOISTURE/WATER: Dry a weighed sample of
fuel at 105-115 oC & 1 atm.

2. VOLATILES: Heat up the dried fuel to a defined

temperature and pressure (600-1000 oC, 1-10 bar) in
an inert gas atmosphere (N2, Ar). Weigh sample after
thermal treatment

3. ASH: Combust the remaining fixed carbon (CHAR)

structure and weigh the residue (=ash).
 Abbreviations/Terms
• d = dry: all water is removed
dm = dry matter

• ad = air dry: the amount of water in fuel is in balance with

water content of surrounding gas (air) atmosphere

• ar = as received: principally equal to ”as fired” condition of fuel

• daf = dry and ash free: the combustible fraction of fuel

• Fuel ratio: XFC/XVOL

Xi: Wt. fraction of i
FC: Fixed Carbon
VOL: Volatiles
 Summary of terms and concepts for analysis of solid fuels

Combustion
Drying Pyrolysis/ Char
devolatili- combustion
Fuel zation

Moisture
air dry
(ad)
Dry
matter Volatiles
Or
(dm)
as Fixed
dry Char
received carbon
(d)
(ar)
Ash Ash
Fixed
Moisture +Volatiles + + Ash = Proximate Analysis
carbon
 Ultimate/elemental Analysis
• Fuel elemental composition C, H, S, N (& O)

• Ash forming matter (AFM) elements

as such: Si, Ca, Mg, K...
or
as their typical oxides: SiO2, CaO, MgO, K2O...
 Summary of terms and concepts for analysis of solid fuels

Combustion
Drying Pyrolysis/ Char
devolatili- combustion
Fuel zation

Moisture Combustible
air dry matter (daf)
(ad)

Ultimate/elemental
Dry
matter Volatiles Volatiles
Or

Analysis
(dm)
as Fixed Fixed
dry Char
received carbon carbon
(d)
(ar)
Ash Ash (AFM ≠ ash)

Fixed
Moisture +Volatiles + + Ash = Proximate Analysis
carbon
Exercises

1) Identify which information in given

fuel analysis is from:
a) Proximate analysis?
b) Ultimate/elemental analysis?

2) What is the amount of fixed carbon

for respective fuel as (% (d))

3) What is the difference in (% (d)) between

ash and AFM?
van Krevelen diagram
 Coalification Process
Decaying vegetation
Peatification: Bacterial and fungal decay in
a water saturated anaerobic environment
Peat
Lignification: Air oxidation followed by
decarboxylation (-COOH → CO2 (g))
Lignite/Brown Coal and dehydration (H2O split off)

Bituminisation: Continued decarboxylation

Bituminous Coal
Anthracitisation: Condensation of small
aromatic ring systems to larger ones and
Anthracite Coal Dehydrogenation (H2 split off)

(Graphite)
 Mean Age
6
(x10 yrs)
Cannel coals of Artic 380
Anthracite 300
Bituminous 160-300
Sub-bituminous 120
Lignite 30-60
Peat <1
*It takes an ~100m deep pile of decaying plant material to make a 1m
deep seam of coal
Heating Values
Storage for Solar Energy

CO2  H 2O  CH 2O  O2
hv

hv
• Lower Heating Value (LHV):
– C,H,S -> CO2, H2O, SO2
– Water assumed to be as vapor in flue gas (like in
many real cases)
– Also called the ”net” heating value
– Commonly used in Europe
• Higher Heating Value (HHV):
– Includes the energy from condensed water vapor
and fully oxidized components of fuel
– Also called ”gross” heating value
– Commonly used in North-America
 Lower vs Higher Heating Value

LHV = HHV – Heat to vaporise H2O

H2O: fuel moisture + H2O formed from H in fuel

• HHV is obtained from fuel analysis (calorimeter)

• HHV determined for dry fuel (MJ/kg dry fuel)
• HHV converted to LHV
 Lower vs Higher Heating Value
LHV = HHV – Heat to vaporise H2O
H2O: fuel moisture + H2O formed from H in fuel

LHV/kg HHV/kg H2O formed 2.26

dry fuel dry fuel from fuel H MJ/kg H2O

LHV/kg HHV/kg wet fuel Moisture H2O formed from H 2.26

wet fuel MJ/kg H2O
 Comparison of fuel properties
Higher Heating Value, MJ/kg (d)

Coal

Brown
coal

Peat

Wood

Volatile matter, %(d)

H is hydrogen content wt-%(daf)
C is carbon content wt-%(daf)

Ekman, E., Kiinteiden polttoaineiden koostumus ja muut ominaisuudet, VTT

Exercises

1) Identify which information in given

fuel analysis is from:
a) Proximate analysis?
b) Ultimate/elemental analysis?

2) What is the amount of fixed carbon

for respective fuel as (% (d))

3) What is the difference in (% (d)) between

ash and AFM?

4) Use the graph showing comparison of

fuel properties to determine
the type (wood, peat, brown coal, coal)
of respective fuel (1 and 2).
 EXAMPLES OF FUEL COMPOSITION
(dry) %
Fixed carbon
matter (dry)%
Volatile

Ash (dry) %

hydrogen

nitrogen

sulphur
oxygen

clorine
carbon

AlzO3

Fe2O2

Na2O
MgO
TiO2

P2O5
SiO2

CaO

K2O

SO3
% on dry and ash free % on ash
Bituminous 55 35 10 83 5 10 1 1 0.1 70 40 1 15 7 2 2 2 5 1
coal

Red oak 13 86 0.3 50 6 44 0.03 0.01 0.01 21 3 0.3 3 11 4 1 22 3 1

sawdust
Alder/fir 19 77 4 51 6 39 0.46 0.05 0.02 35 12 1 8 25 4 2 6 0.6 2
sawdust
Forest 14 82 4 50 5 40 1.08 0.11 0.04 18 4 1 2 45 7 2 9 3 7
residuals
Pine sawdust 15 82 3 54 6 40 0.1 0.04 0.02 18 3 0.3 2 56 6 2 8 2 2

Bagasse 12 86 2 49 6 43 0.16 0.04 0.03 47 18 3 14 4 3 1 4 2 3

Switch grass, 15 79 5 47 6 41 0.7 0.1 0.02 62 2 0.3 1 10 4 0.5 9 1 4
average
Miscantus 16 80 3 48 6 43 0.4 0.05 0.08 56 1 0.0 1 14 1 0.2 19 2 6
Straw (DK) 15 81 4 48 6 42 0.6 0.09 0.17 55 1 0.2 1 12 2 2 13 2 4
Rice hulls 16 63 20 47 6 44 0.6 0.05 0.12 91 1 0.0 0.1 3 0.0 0.2 4 1 0.4

Almond 21 76 3 49 6 41 0.8 0.04 <0.01 9 3 0.1 2 11 3 2 49 1 4

shells
Olive pits 16 82 2 53 7 38 0.4 0.05 0.04 31 9 0.3 7 15 4 28 4 0.6 2

Dry sewage 10 52 38 46 6 41 5 1.2 0.25 37 15 1 5 21 3 0.5 1 3 13

sludge
RDF 15 77 8 48 7 44 0.6 0 1.3 40 24 2 2 23 3 2 2 2 1
 THE FUEL PROPERTIES ARE DECISIVE
FOR THE DESIGN OF EQUIPMENT

• Proximate and elemental analyses  amounts of air and

combustion products

• Energy content (moisture) and volatiles  heat balance and

combustion behaviour

• Precursors to gaseous emissions (N,S,Cl)

• Ash-forming elements (K,Na,Ca,Mg,Al,Si,P)

• Trace elements (Cd,Tl; Hg; Sb,As,Pb,Cr,Co,Cu, Mn,Ni,V;....)

 Fluidized Bed Characterization of Solid Fuels
35
PETROLEUM COKE
POLYOLEFIN COLORED COLORED
PLASTICS OR PRINTED OR PRINTED
(PE, PP, PC...) PLASTICS, MIXED
CLEAN PLASTICS
BITUMINOUS COAL REF CONSUMER REF PVC
PELLETS
20 REF
MIXED
PLASTICS
HEATING VALUE, MJ/kg

REF
CHIP- PLY- COMMERCIAL &
BOARD INDUSTRIAL
WOOD PVC
BROWN COAL, WOOD &
LIGNITE PLASTICS
RDF
DEMOLITION
CHICKEN
WOOD
10 LITTER
PAPER & MSW
WOOD BIOMASS WOOD
PEAT
COW
MANURE

BARK

BIO &
DEINKING
5 FIBER SEWAGE
SLUDGE
SLUDGE SLUDGE

0 1 2 5 10
N/A
STANDARD DESIGN SOME CHALLENGES MULTIPLE CHALLENGES FOR FLUIDIZED BED
POK\class.ds4/0299/ams
FBC Video
Fuel Analysis and Burning Characteristics
- Terms and Concepts

• Particle burning stages: drying - devolatilization – char

• Proximate & ultimate analysis
• Heating value
• Biofuels vs coals
• H and O in Fuels: H/C vs O/C diagram
• Burning in fluidized bed: suspension & bubble phase