JOHANAN P.

OROK

Senior Technologist/Instructor

[email protected]

TITLE: CALORIFIC VALUE

AIM: TO MEASURE THE CALORIFIC VALUE OF A GAS

SIGNIFICANCE: CALORIFIC VALUE GIVES AN INDICATION OF THE COMBUSTION PROPERTIES OF A GAS,

THE KNOWLEDGE OF A GAS CALORIFIC VALUE GIVES AN INDICATION OF THE HEAT THAT WILL BE USED
DURING THE COMBUSTION OF THE FUEL

APPARATUS /EQUIPMENT PARTS

Boys Calorimeter, thermometers, stop watch, measuring cylinder or beakers, lighter.

Gas Burner: The gas burner is used for the combustion of known volume of gas at a known pressure. The
volume of the gas burnt is measured with the help of a gasometer and the pressure is monitored using
pressure governor (pressure gauge).

Combustion Chamber: The combustion chamber or chimney has copper tubes coiled inside and outside
the combustion chamber .Water circulated from the top of the outer coil, passes through the outer
coils, moves to the bottom of the chimney and then moves through the inner coil and exit from the top

Thermometers: Two thermometers t1 and t2 measure the temperatures of the incoming and outgoing
water, then another two set of thermometers measures the temperatures of the incoming gas and
exhaust gas

Gas cylinder: Gas to be tested is contained in this cylinder

Pressure reduction valve: Helps to reduce the pressure of the gas that is coming into the flow meter and
into the calorimeter

Pressure gauge: measures the pressure of the gas flowing into the calorimeter

Gas water flowmeter: measures the volume of gas incoming into the calorimeter

Hoses/pipes: the hoses/pipes are connected to the head which maintains a steady head of water flowing
into the calorimeter

Stop watch : To monitor the time of flow of gas or water.

The graduated beaker is placed at the bottom to collect the condensed steam product during
combustion

DIAGRAM
EXPERIMENTAL SETUP
INTRODUCTION: The calorific value is a measure of the total amount of heat that is consumed when a
unit volume of the fuel is combusted. The unit for calorific value is the British thermal unit (BTU) or
Kcal/m3 or KJ/m3 in terms of volume, but in terms of weight the m 3 will be replaced with kg or lb such as
Kcal/kg, KJ/kg or BTU/lb. The units expressed will depend on the type of fuel being combusted. The table
below gives a guide.

Table 1.1 Units of expressing calorific value depending on Fuel Phase type

Systems Solid/liquid Fuels Gaseous Fuels

CGS Calories/gm Calories/ cm3
MKS Kcal/ kg Kcal/ m3
BTU BTU/lb BTU/ft3

It’s important to note the following definitions and conversions

Calorie – The unit of energy equivalent to the heat required to raise the temperature of one gram of
water by 1 o C, usually expressed as “Cal”.

Joule : The work done by a force of 1 newton traveling a distance of 1 meter. A force of 1newton acting
Kg x m Kg m2
over 1 meter does one Joule of physical work. Unit of Joule is x m i.e.
S2 S
2

1 Cal = 4.187 Joules

1 BTU = 252 Cal = 0.252kcal

1 K Cal = 3.968 BTU

Boy’s gas calorimeter is a simple apparatus that is suitable for determining calorific value of gaseous
fuels. The apparatus was named after an English physics and inventor “Sir Charles Vemon boys” 1918.
There are two types of calorific value namely Lower calorific value and higher calorific value.

THEORY:

The calorific value also called heating value can be defined as the amount of heat produced in
combusting a unit volume of gas. The calorific value will depend on the composition of the burner fuel.
The heating value is a very important parameter because it gives the energy content of the fuel. The
order of increasing heating value for compound number, then the order of increasing heating value by
class is aromatic, naphthene and paraffin on weight basis. However, the order is reversed for
composition on volume based with aromatic highest and paraffin lowest. Calorific value measures the
amount of potential energy the fuel contains which can become available upon combustion, as heat.

Equation for combustion of methane can be represented below

CH4 + O2 ---------- CO2 + H20 --------------------------------------------------------------------------- equation 1

A fuel may have a water or moisture content, but it also, inevitably will form water on combustion, due
to its high hydrogen content. (See equation 1) . These two factors effectively reduce the potential
maximum energy available by removing energy (heat) from the system through;

 Utilization of energy from the fuel combustion which is used to vaporize any free water
contained in the fuel. ( When the fuel is combusted and produces water as by product, some of
the heat is used to vaporize this water produced
 Energy lost from the system as steam, from the formation of water during combustion , at
constant pressure i.e atmospheric pressure which can be seen escaping as steam from the
cooling towers of power stations

Latent heat of vaporization is considered during measurement of calorific value and it is a physical
property. When material in liquid(water in this case) is given energy it changes its phase from liquid to
vapor without changing in temperature, the energy absorbed in the process is called latent heat of
vaporization.

The heating value can be expressed as gross calorific value. (Higher heating value) or net calorific value
(lower heating value). In practical terms, the name is depending of the status of the water present in the
exhaust. If water present is liquid, then it’s called gross calorific value (GCV or HCV), if water present in
exhaust is vapor, it’s called net calorific value (NCV or LCV).

Gross Calorific Value or Higher heating value (HHV)

In real terms, gross calorific value may be thought as the maximum potential internal energy content of
a fuel and can be expressed on a constant pressure and constant volume bases. Gross calorific value
measures the quantity of heat liberated by the combustion of unit volume of gas while net calorific
value is GCV minus the latent heat in the water produced by combustion of the hydrogen in the gas (free
or combined) above atmospheric temperature. The gross calorific value assumes that the water
component of combustion process produced at the end of the process is occurring in liquid state

Net Calorific Value or Lower Heating Value (HHV)

This is the practical amount of energy which may be realized at atmospheric (constant) pressure. This
value takes into consideration the moisture content present as vapor produced at the exhaust that
consumes some of the heat produced during combustion. This is the most practical meaningful value
that is expressed (including the moisture content) since this is typically how the fuel will be burned. The
net calorific value assumes that the water component of the combustion process is occurring in vapor
state at the end of the combustion process.

There are two common types of calorimeters, including the bomb calorimeter and the Boys calorimeter.
Bomb calorimeter is used for measurement of calorific value for solid and liquid fuels, while Boys
calorimeter is used for measurement of calorific value for gaseous fuels and volatile liquids.

Question

1. Which calorific value is considered in practical terms?

 (a) HCV
(b) LCV
(c) Both HCV and LCV

2. Which instrument is used to measure calorific value for solid and liquid fuels?

(a) Bomb calorimeter

(b) Boy’s Calorimeter
(c) Both Bomb calorimeter and Boy’s Calorimeter
(d) Neither Bomb calorimeter and Boy’s Calorimeter

SUMMARY OF PROCEDURE: In this instrument, the gas to be examined is passed through a delicate
meter, and governor, after which it is burned in a Bunsen burner, in the instrument. The heat liberated is
absorbed by the water flowing at a constant rate through the water jacket. By knowing the initial and
final temperatures of water, the quantity of water and weight of water condensed, the calorific value
can be determined. The heat is taken from the product of combustion and unchanged air by means of a
steam of the water, the rate flow and rise and rise of temperature which are determined and recorded.
The calorific value is deduced from these observations.

PROCEDURE:

1. Check for suitable fuel burner

2. Remove the upper part of the calorimeter
3. Open the gas flow and set the gas flow rate at a constant pressure, then light the burner
4. Allow the pressure heat of the water to be set at a constant and open the water flow
5. Refit the upper part of the calorimeter, gently so the flame does not go off
6. Monitor and note inlet gas (T3) and exhaust gas (T4)
7. Set the stop watch at the moment the direction of the outlet water is changed to collect a fixed
volume of the outlet water. And record the time of collection as t1, monitor and note the
temperature of inlet water (T1), outlet water (T2),

DATA PAGE

Data Units results

o
Water inlet temperature (T1) C
o
Water outlet temperature (T2) C
Volume flow rate of Water collected (W) m3/hr
 Time to collect specific volume of water(t1) Hrs
Barometric pressure (p) mmHg
o
Gas inlet temperature C
o
Gas outlet temperature C
Weight of steam condensed per time t in graduated cylinder (m) m3
Volume flow rate of gas collected per (V) m3/hr
Gas volume factor (GVF)@754mmHg 1.089
Latent heat of steam per m3 at 15 oC Kcal 587
GCV Kcal/ m3 or KJ/
m3
NCV Kcal/ m3 or KJ/
m3

Calculations:

Total heat liberated = V x GCV

Total heat absorbed = W x (T2 – T1)

Therefore

Heat liberated = Heat absorbed

V x GCV = W x (T2 – T1) x Cp

W (T 2−T 1) 4.187 [W ( T 2−T 1 ) ]

GCV = Kcal/m3 or KJ/m3
V V
The latent heat of steam per m3 of gas at 15 OC = 587Kcal

m x 587
Therefore NCV = GCV –
V

References

1. A Gas colorimeter by C.V . Boys , FRS ( Received December 7 – Read December 7 , 1905)
2. Current development in bioengineering waste treatment process for energy generation. 2019,
pages 93-117
3. E.Lois and others, Encyclopedia of physical science and technology ( Third Edition), 2003
4. Wilfred Francis, Martins C. Peters, “Fuels and Fuel Technology” Second edition , 1980
5. Handbook of Natural Gas Transmission and Processing by Saeid Mokhatab and Williams A Poe
and others , Gulf Publishing, USA, 2006