Lecture 9: Energy Balance in a Furnace

In the last lectures we saw how mass and energy

balance is done.

The objective of this lecture is to specifically

evaluate the energy balance in a furnace.
 Energy Balance in a Furnace
A prerequisite to a correct energy balance is an
accurate mass balance
There are two different approaches to formulating
an energy balance.
In the first approach, popular among chemical
engineers, enthalpies of each incoming and out-
going streams are calculated using enthalpies of
formation.
Typically, molar flow rates (kmol/h) are used in this
case.
In the second approach, which is popular among
combustion engineers, calorific values and mass
flow rates (kg/h) are used.

Again both approaches are equivalent and lead

to the same results.
For a furnace operated under a constant pressure and at a
steady state, the energy balance will look as follows:
𝑯𝒊𝒏 = 𝑯𝒐𝒖𝒕 + 𝑸 + 𝑳 (8)
where 𝑯𝒊𝒏 and 𝑯𝒐𝒖𝒕 are incoming and outgoing
enthalpies, 𝑸 is the rate of heat removal (it includes heat
transferred to the process as well as losses) and 𝑳, the rate
of work done by the products G of combustion, is zero.

Enthalpy In Enthalpy Out

Furnace

Work Out
I

Heat Out t (to process plus losses)

Fig 2: Illustration of Energy Balance

In order to calculate 𝑯𝒊𝒏 and 𝑯𝒐𝒖𝒕 , both the amount and
composition of the incoming and outgoing streams have to
be known and these are obtainable from a correctly made
mass balance. Then the energy balance becomes:
𝑘𝑖𝑛 𝑇𝑖𝑛 𝑘𝑜𝑢𝑡 𝑇𝑜𝑢𝑡
𝑖 𝑛𝑖 ℎ𝑓,𝑖 + 𝑇0
𝑐𝑝,𝑖 𝑑𝑇 = 𝑖 𝑛𝑘 ℎ𝑓,𝑘 + 𝑇0
𝑐𝑝,𝑘 𝑑𝑇 + 𝑄 (9)

where 𝒏𝒊 stands for the molar flow rate (kmol/s) of each

incoming species (type of molecule), 𝒉𝒇,𝒊 is the formation
enthalpy of the species, and 𝒄𝒑,𝒊 is the molar specific heat at
constant pressure.

For the outgoing streams the summation extends over all

products of combustion including water vapour.
Note that the enthalpy of each species consists of
two parts since
𝑻
𝒉𝒊 = 𝒉𝒇,𝒊 + 𝑻𝟎
𝒄 𝒑,𝒊 𝒅𝑻 (10)

where 𝒉𝒇,𝒊 represents the so called “chemical

enthalpy” while the integral part represents the
“physical enthalpy”.

Both are calculated using the standard state

conditions as the reference level of zero enthalpy.
For a furnace operated under a constant pressure
and at a steady state, the energy balance will look
as follows:
G

Enthalpy In Enthalpy Out

Furnace

I Work Out

Heat Out (To Heat Sink)

Fig 2: Illustration of Energy Balance

Combustion engineers calculate the incoming
enthalpy using Lower Calorific Value rather than
enthalpies of formation.

The concept here is that the chemical energy

associated with the combustion reaction is
bound with the fuel only.

In other words, neither 𝑪𝑶𝟐 nor 𝑯𝟐 𝑶 have

chemical enthalpies.
To calculate the incoming and outgoing enthalpies
both the amount and composition of the incoming
and out-coming streams have to be known and
these are obtainable from a correctly made mass
balance.
After splitting the incoming and outgoing
enthalpies into the oxidiser (air) stream and the
fuel stream the energy balance becomes:
𝑻𝒊𝒏 𝑻𝒊𝒏
𝒎𝒇𝒖𝒆𝒍 . (𝑳𝑪𝑽 + 𝑻𝒐
𝒄𝒑 . 𝒅𝑻) + 𝒎𝒐𝒙 𝑻 𝒄𝒑,𝒐𝒙 . 𝒅𝒕 =
𝟎
𝑻𝒊𝒏
= 𝒎𝒑𝒓𝒐𝒅𝒖𝒄𝒕𝒔 𝑻 𝒄𝒑,𝒑𝒓𝒐𝒅𝒖𝒄𝒕𝒔 . 𝒅𝑻 +𝑸 (11)
𝟎
And 𝒎𝒇𝒖𝒆𝒍 + 𝒎𝒐𝒙 = 𝒎𝒑𝒓𝒐𝒅𝒖𝒄𝒕𝒔 (12)
where the flow rates of fuel, oxidiser (ox) and
products are in kg/s.

Note that the standard state (p=1 bar, =298.15K)

remain the same.

Also, if required, the flow rates can be expressed

in kg/h.
Equation (11) can be expressed as:
𝑻𝒊𝒏 𝑻𝒊𝒏
𝒎𝒇𝒖𝒆𝒍 . (𝑳𝑪𝑽 + 𝑻𝒐
𝒄𝒑 . 𝒅𝑻) + 𝒎𝒐𝒙 𝑻 𝒄𝒑,𝒐𝒙 . 𝒅𝒕 =
𝟎

𝑎𝑙𝑙 𝑝𝑟𝑜𝑑𝑢𝑐𝑡𝑠 𝑻𝒊𝒏

= 𝑘 𝑚𝑘 𝑻 𝒄𝒑,𝒌 . 𝒅𝑻 +𝑸 (13)
𝟎

where 𝑚𝑘 stands for the mass flow rate of the

species k present in the products.

Let us now perform an energy balance for the

example that we used to perform a mass
balance.
Example of Energy Balance
A boiler fired with methane is used to generate hot water.
The burner of the boiler is fed with 200 kg/h of methane
and 4000 kg/h of dry air and it is operated under steady
state conditions. Both the fuel and the air at the burner are
at ambient temperatures (Tin = 298.15K).

Make the energy balance of the boiler knowing that 2MW of

heat is extracted by the water tube wall (heat sink).
Calculate the temperature at the boiler exit and the
efficiency of the process. Carry out the energy balance using
enthalpies of formation and repeat the calculations using
LCV. For the sake of simplicity treat the gases as ideal with
constant (independent of temperature) specific heats.
200 kg/h 𝑪𝑯𝟒 Products of combustion
Boiler
4000 kg/h air G
I
Heat sink Control volume
t
I𝑸 = 𝟐𝐌𝐖

Fig 3: Example of an energy balance

Assumptions:
1. The boiler operates at a steady state
2. The control volume encompasses the boiler
3. The gases are treated as ideal with constant specific
heats as follows:
For 𝑪𝑯𝟒 , 𝑪𝑶𝟐 and 𝑯𝟐 𝑶, 𝒄𝒑 = 33.3 kJ/(kmol K)
For 𝑶𝟐 and 𝑵𝟐 , 𝒄𝒑 = 29.1 kJ/(kmol K)
Energy Balance Using Enthalpies of Formation

In our original example, the molar flow rates were found

and summarised as in the table below, while the standard
enthalpies of formation are taken from Table 1.

IN OUT
Species kmol/h Species Wet (kmol/h) Dry (kmol/h)
Methane 12.5 Water vapour 25
Nitrogen 109.57 Carbon dioxide 12.5 12.5
Oxygen 29.13 Nitrogen 109.57 109.57
Oxygen 4.13 4.13
TOTAL 151.2 151.2 126.2
For the incoming streams (𝑪𝑯𝟒 𝑶𝟐 and 𝑵𝟐 ) the left hand
side of Eq. (9) is as follows:

12.5 𝑇0
Methane: −74.85𝑥103 + 𝑇0
33.3 𝑑𝑇 = −259.9𝑘𝐽/𝑠
3600

109.57 𝑇0
Nitrogen: 𝑇0
29.1𝑑𝑇 = 0 𝑘𝐽/𝑠
3600

29.13 𝑇0
Oxygen: 𝑇0
29.1𝑑𝑇 = 0 𝑘𝐽/𝑠
3600
________
TOTAL INPUTS: − 259.9 kJ/s
For the outgoing streams (𝑪𝑶𝟐 , 𝑯𝟐 𝑶, 𝑵𝟐 , 𝑶𝟐 ) (the right hand
side of equation (9)) we get the following:
12.5
𝑪𝑶𝟐 : −393.5𝑥103 + 33.3(𝑇𝑜𝑢𝑡 − 298.15) =
3600
= −1366.32 + 0.11563(𝑇𝑜𝑢𝑡 − 298.15)

25
𝑯𝟐 𝑶: −241.81𝑥103 + 33.3(𝑇𝑜𝑢𝑡 − 298.15) =
3600
= −1679.24 + 0.23125(𝑇𝑜𝑢𝑡 − 298.15)

𝑵𝟐 : 109.57 29.1 (𝑇𝑜𝑢𝑡 − 298.15) = 0.8856(𝑇𝑜𝑢𝑡 − 298.15)

4.13
𝑶𝟐 : 29.1(𝑇𝑜𝑢𝑡 − 298.15) = 0.0334(𝑇𝑜𝑢𝑡 − 298.15)
3600

Heat Extracted: = 2000.00

________________
TOTAL OUTPUTS: = −𝟏𝟎𝟒𝟓. 𝟓𝟔 + 𝟏. 𝟐𝟔𝟓𝟗(𝑻𝒐𝒖𝒕 − 𝟐𝟗𝟖. 𝟏𝟓)
____________________________
Therefore, the energy balance reads:

−259.9 = −1045.56 + 1.2659(𝑇𝑜𝑢𝑡 − 298.15) (in kJ/s)

And hence 𝑇𝑜𝑢𝑡 = 918.78 K.

The efficiency of the boiler is therefore:

ℎ𝑒𝑎𝑡 𝑒𝑥𝑡𝑟𝑎𝑐𝑡𝑒𝑑 𝑏𝑦 𝑤𝑎𝑡𝑒𝑟 𝑡𝑢𝑏𝑒 𝑤𝑎𝑙𝑙𝑠

η𝑏𝑜𝑖𝑙𝑒𝑟 =
𝑇𝑜𝑡𝑎𝑙 𝑒𝑛𝑒𝑟𝑔𝑦 𝑖𝑛𝑝𝑢𝑡

2000 𝑘𝐽/𝑠
= 𝑘𝐽 = 𝟎. 𝟕𝟏𝟖
−259.9 𝑠 − −3045.56 𝑘𝑗/𝑠
Energy Balance Using LCV
The mass flow rates were found when we did a
mass balance and were summarised as follows:

IN OUT
Species kg/h Species Wet (kg/h) Dry (kg/h)
Methane 200 Water vapour 450
Nitrogen 3068 Carbon dioxide 550 550
Oxygen 932 Nitrogen 3068 3068
Oxygen 132 132
TOTAL 4200 4200 3750
The enthalpy of the incoming streams is as follows (left hand of
equation (11)):
200 𝑇0
Methane: 50062 + 𝑇0
33.3 𝑑𝑇/16 = 2781.22𝑘𝐽/𝑠
3600

39068 𝑇0
Nitrogen: 𝑇0
29.1𝑑𝑇/28 = 0 𝑘𝐽/𝑠
3600

932 𝑇0
Oxygen: 𝑇0
29.1𝑑𝑇/32 = 0 𝑘𝐽/𝑠
3600
________
TOTAL INPUTS: 2781.22 kJ/s

The figure of 2.78 MW is the total thermal input into the

furnace that consists of the chemical enthalpy of the fuel (2.78
MW) and the physical enthalpy of the fuel and of the air stream
For the outgoing streams (𝑪𝑶𝟐 , 𝑯𝟐 𝑶, 𝑵𝟐 , 𝑶𝟐 ) (the right hand
side of equation (7)) we get the following:
550 33.3
𝑪𝑶𝟐 : (𝑇𝑜𝑢𝑡 − 298.15) = 0.11563(𝑇𝑜𝑢𝑡 − 298.15)
3600 44

450 33.3
𝑯𝟐 𝑶: (𝑇𝑜𝑢𝑡 − 298.15) = 0.23125(𝑇𝑜𝑢𝑡 − 298.15)
3600 18

3068 29.1
𝑵𝟐 : (𝑇𝑜𝑢𝑡 − 298.15) = 0.8856(𝑇𝑜𝑢𝑡 − 298.15)
3600 28

132 29.1
𝑶𝟐 : (𝑇𝑜𝑢𝑡 − 298.15) = 0.0334(𝑇𝑜𝑢𝑡 − 298.15)
3600 32

Heat Extracted: = 2000.00

________________
TOTAL OUTPUTS: = 2000.00 + 1.2659(𝑇𝑜𝑢𝑡 − 298.15)
____________________________
Therefore, the energy balance reads:

2781.22 = 2000.00 + 1.2659(𝑇𝑜𝑢𝑡 − 298.15) (in kJ/s)

And hence 𝑇𝑜𝑢𝑡 = 915.28 K.

The physical enthalpy of the products of combustion can

now be calculated as:

1.2659 915.28 − 298.15 = 780.87 kJ/s

You can see that there is balance since:

Input: = 2781 kJ/s

Output: = (2000+781) = 2781 kJ/s
 G

2.781 MW Chemical 0.781 MW Physical

Enthalpy of 𝑪𝑯𝟒 of Products of Combustion
Furnace
Zero Physical Enthalpy G Tout = 915.28 K
Tin = 298.15 K I

Heat sink Control volume

t
I

t 𝑸 = 𝟐𝐌𝐖

Fig 4: Energy Balance

The efficiency of the boiler is therefore:

ℎ𝑒𝑎𝑡 𝑒𝑥𝑡𝑟𝑎𝑐𝑡𝑒𝑑 𝑏𝑦 𝑤𝑎𝑡𝑒𝑟 𝑡𝑢𝑏𝑒 𝑤𝑎𝑙𝑙𝑠 2
η𝑏𝑜𝑖𝑙𝑒𝑟 = = = 𝟎. 𝟕𝟏𝟗
𝑇𝑜𝑡𝑎𝑙 𝑒𝑛𝑒𝑟𝑔𝑦 𝑖𝑛𝑝𝑢𝑡 2.781