Laboratory Experimen t No: __2___
PROXIMATE ANALYSIS OF SOLID FUELS
I. INTRODUCTION Fuels can be generally classified as non-renewable and renewable. Over 85% of the energy used in the world is from non-renewable supplies. Most developed nations are dependent on non-renewable energy sources such as fossil fuels (coal, oil and nature gas) and nuclear power. These sources are called non-renewable because they cannot be renewed or regenerated quickly enough to keep pace with their use. Some sources of energy are renewable or potentially renewable. Examples of renewable energy sources are: solar, geothermal, hydroelectric, biomass, and wind.
Fuels are substances that react with oxygen in air and give off a relatively large amount of heat. Reacting with oxygen in air, combustion, is a very commonly observed type of reaction that is very useful, due to the large quantities of heat energy liberated. How much heat is generated depends on what type of fuel is burned and how much of the fuel is burned. Sufficient, reliable sources of energy are a necessity for industrialized nations. Useful forms of energy are often obtained from primary energy sources by suitable energy conversions. It is concerned with the transformation of energy from sources such as fossil and nuclear fuels and the Sun into heat and then to conveniently used forms such as electrical energy, rotational and propulsive energy, and heating and cooling.
II.
INTENDED LEARNING OUTCOMES
III.
To be able to design and conduct an experiment involving solid fuels To be able to apply the proximate analysis of the solid fuels used To be able to know the importance of the experiment
MATERIALS, EQUIPMENT AND REAGENTS MATERIALS EQUIPMENT Corn cabs Analytical balance Coconut shell Furnace Wood oven Crucible and cover Tongs Desiccator
EXPERIMENT SETUP
Furnace Crucibles with the solid fuels inside
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REAGENTS
Laboratory Experimen t No: __2___
IV.
PROXIMATE ANALYSIS OF SOLID FUELS
PROCEDURE 1. Wear proper PPE in doing the experiment. 2. Prepare all the materials and reagents needed. 3. Weigh the 3 empty crucibles with cover and record its mass. 4. Label each crucible to avoid error in the calculations. 5. Add 5grams of each solid fuel in the each crucible. 6. Reweigh it and record its mass. 7. Measurement of moisture content 7.1. Place the 3 crucibles with the fuel in the oven. 7.2. Heat them for 1hr at 110-120 °C. 7.3. Remove them from the furnace and let them cool at room temperature in the desiccator. 7.4. Weigh the crucibles and record the mass. 7.5. Calculate the moisture content by subtracting the obtained mass from the initial mass then divide to the mass of the sample. % moisture =
initial mass−mass after heating (100%) mass after sample
8. Calculation of Volatile Combustible matter 8.1. Place again the 3 crucibles inside the furnace. 8.2. Heat it for 7mins at 925 °C. 8.3. Remove them from the furnace and let them cool at room temperature in the desiccator. 8.4. Reweigh the 3 crucibles and record the mass. 8.5. Calculate the VCM by VCM = mass of the crucible after first heating – mass after second heating % VCM = mass of the crucible after first heating−mass after second heating mass after sample 9. Calculation of the ash content 9.1. Place again the 3 crucibles inside the furnace. 9.2. Heat it for 1hr at 925 °C. 9.3. Remove them from the furnace and let them cool at room temperature in the desiccator. 9.4. Reweigh the 3 crucibles and record the mass. 9.5. Calculate the Ash content Ash content = mass of crucibles after the second heating – mass of the crucible after the third heating % ash content = i mass of crucibles after the second heating−m mass of the crucible after thethird heating mass after sample 10. Calculation of Fixed Carbon 10.1. Subtract the misture, ash content and VCM from the total mass of the sample. FC = mass of sample – M – Ash - VCM
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Laboratory Experimen t No: __2___
PROXIMATE ANALYSIS OF SOLID FUELS
11. Tabulate all the results precisely and calculate the required values.
V. DATA AND RESULTS Initial Values Sample No 1 2 3
Mass (g) 5.01 5.02 5.04
Corn cabs Coconut shell wood
Sample No
Mass of crucible w/o cover with different sample 23.42 33.93 36.17
1 2 3 Moisture content (After 1hr) Sample No 1 2 3
Mass w/o cover (g) 22.55 33.64 35.80
Moisture
%
.87 .29 .37
17.37 5.78 7.34
Mass w/o cover (g) 18.87 30.02 32.11
VCM
%
3.68 3.62 3.69
73.45 72.11 73.21
Mass w/o cover (g) 18.60 29.32 31.21
Ash
%
.27 .7 .9
5.39 13.94 17.86
VCM Content Sample No 1 2 3
Ash content Sample No 1 2 3 FIXED CARBON Sample No
Mass FC
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%
Laboratory Experimen t No: __2___
PROXIMATE ANALYSIS OF SOLID FUELS
1 2 3
VI.
0.19 0.41 0.08
3.79 8.17 1.59
CALCULATIONS initial mass−mass after heating (100%) mass after sample
Moisture content =
=
23.42−22.55 (100 ) 5.01
= 17.37% VCM content =
22.55−18.87 (100%) 5.01
= 73.45% ASH content =
obtained mass−mass after heating (100%) mass after sample
=
18.87−18.60 (100 ) 5.01
= 5.39% FC Content = mass of sample – M – Ash – VCM =
5.01−.87 – 3.68−.27−.19 5.01
= 3.79%
VII.
ANALYSIS AND INTERPRETATION
In the proximate analysis, the masses of the crucibles together with the solid fuels are first determine. The mass of the solid fuels used are set into 5grams. Heating the samples for 1hr at 110-120 °C is enough to remove the moisture content the samples. The moisture content that was able to withdrawn from the corn cabs is 17.37, from the coconut shell is 5.78 while in the wood is 7.34. With this values, it is clear that the corn cabs has the higher amount of moisture content. High moisture fuel makes render agglomeration and incomplete combustion. In determining VCM, the VCM content of corn cabs is 73.45, in coconut shell is 72.11 while in the wood is 73.21. With this it has the same result
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Laboratory Experimen t No: __2___
PROXIMATE ANALYSIS OF SOLID FUELS
which has the highest value. The volatile matter is an imperical coal quality parameter used for estimating the reactivity of a coal. In the fixed carbon content, coke residue beside ash. The corn cabs has 5.39, the coconut shell has 13.94 while the wood has 17.86 fixed carbon content. This time the corn cabs has the lowest ash content followed by coconut shell and wood. In the ash content, the computed ash in corn cabs is 3.79, coconut shell has 8.17 and the wood has 1.59. The larger the residue the more ash is to be disposed after the utilization of the fuel.
VIII. CONCLUSION In doing the experiment, were able to design and construct a procedure to have proximate analysis. Our group may not finish the experiment due to the insufficient space in the furnace but the procedure applied in the experiment is the same as ours. It’s concluded that in terms of moisture content and VCM content the corn cabs has the highest values such as 17.37 and 73.45 respectively. While the coconut shell has the least with 5.78 and 72.11 respectively. But in terms of the fixed carbon, the corn cabs has the lowest value while wood has the highest. It can be concluded that as the moisture and VCM content increases the fixed carbon contained decreases. It is important to determine the proximate analysis of the solid fuels. It can help to determine the contents of fuels such as moisture, VCM, Ash and Fixed Carbon. After determining this values, the solid fuels can be evaluate which is more efficient and practical to use. IX.
RECOMMENDATION In performing the experiment, be careful in handling the crucibles after heating. Be careful in returning it back to the furnace, it may cause fire when the solid fuels were touch the furnace surface. Wearing gloves is very important to protect the hands from too much heat that may cause burns.
X.
REFERENCES
Fuels. HEB 15.pdf Los Angeles City College, Chemistry 51, Experiment 9, The Energy Content of Fuels.,2007. ACCESS:March 20, 2016. Available[ONLINE] http://www.csun.edu/~alchemy/Chem51-LACC/Labs/C51F07L09.pdf
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