Jishnu Bhattacharya

1st Semester - 2016-17

Lecture -4

Adiabatic Flame Temperature

SSSF combustion process:
Insulation

Fuel
Combustion
Chamber
Air

Products
Tmax = ?

Adiabatic Flame Temperature

Insulation

Fuel

Air

Combustion
Chamber

Products
Tmax = ?

Temperature of the combustion product is

maximum when the whole of the released
chemical energy is used to increase the
temperature of the product. Or in other
words, loss of heat or work is minimum.
In the limiting case,

Q = 0 =W

In that case, first law tells,

HP = HR
The temperature of the combustion product under the no-work and adiabatic
condition is called the Adiabatic Flame Temperature.
This is the maximum temperature, the product can reach given the entry
condition of the reactants and the particular combustion reaction taking place.

Adiabatic Flame Temperature

Note:

Insulation

Fuel

Air

Combustion
Chamber

Q = 0 =W

HP = HR

Products
Tmax = ?

The product temperature is an unknown

in the process of finding the AFT.
Computing the enthalpy values of the
reactants and products requires the
temperature of the product.
This makes the process of finding out the
AFT an iterative process.

Adiabatic Flame Temperature

Insulation

Combustion
Chamber

Composition of the reactants and

products depend upon the particular
Products reaction happening, which in turn, depends
Tmax = ? on the A/F ratio and the quality of the A-F
mixture.

Q = 0 =W

AFT is a function of A/F ratio and the

maximum AFT is obtained when there
occurs a complete combustion with the
(A/F)stoic

Fuel

Air

Note:

HP = HR

Adiabatic Flame Temperature

Figure courtesy: Fundamentals of Combustion, DP Mishra

Chemical Equilibrium
So far, while writing the combustion reactions, our tacit assumption was
the following.
All reactions are complete OR the whole of the reactants are converted to the
products.
Is it the case always?
Here, we are not talking about incomplete or complete combustion.
Even if there is sufficient time, excelent mixing and available oxygen, the
combustion process may or may not proceed to the completion under
certain state (temperature and pressure).
By providing sufficient time, we can ensure that a reacting system reaches
its equilibrium composition. To change it further, we need to change the
state (T,P).
How to determine the criteria for the chemical equilibrium?

Chemical Equilibrium
Clasius inequality is an important consequence of the second law.

dS

dQ
T

To check clausius inequality directly, we need to track two quantities

simultaneously : S and Q. To simplify the process, we define a quantity
which is a function of both and tracking it will suffice to check clausius
inequality. : Gibbs Free Energy

G = H TS
dG = dH TdS SdT
As

H = U + PV

dH = dU + PdV + VdP

At constant temperature and pressure (typical reaction condition),

dG = dU + PdV TdS

Chemical Equilibrium
First law says,
Substituting dQ,
From Clasius inequality,

dQ = dU + PdV
dG = dQ TdS
RHS 0

So for a spontaneous SSSF combustion process at constant T and P,

dG 0
The equality sign holds for the chemical equilibrium and after
reaching it, the reaction does not proceed any further (unless T and P
are changed and the system needs to find a new equilibrium
corresponding to the new state).

Chemical Equilibrium
Violation of
second law

dG<0

dG>0

dG=0
100%
Reactants

100%
product
Equilibrium
composition