Example 3.6: Oil (C12H26) is burned with 20% excess air. Completely combusted gases enter a steam superheater at 1550 °F and exit at 1150 °F. Steam enters at 400 psi and is 92% saturated. It is required to generate superheated steam at a temperature of 650 °F. Assume that there is no pressure drop in the superheater and specific heat of the product gases is 0.25 Btu/(lb·°F). Determine the amount of steam that could be produced per lb of oil burned. Molecular weight of oil = 170. Combustion of oil proceeds as follows
Solution Basis: 1 lbmole of oil:
CO2 produced = 12 lbmol = 528 lb
H2O produced = 13 lbmol = 234 lb
O2 required (stoichiometric) = 18.5 lbmol
O2 in the product = 0.2(18.5)(32) = 118.4 lb
N2 in the product = 3.764(1.2)(18.5) = 83.56 lbmol = 2340 lb
Mass of the gas per lb of oil, W:
W = (528 + 234 + 118.4 + 2340)/170 = 18.942 lb
Sensible heat given by product gases to wet steam, Qh:
Qh = WCp(T1 - T2) = 18.942(0.25)(2010 - 1610) = 1894 Btu
Heat absorbed by steam, qc:
qc = 1335.9 - (424.2 + 0.92(780.4)) = 193.732 Btu/lb
Amount of steam produced per lb of oil burned, wsteam:
wsteam = Qh/qc = 1894/193.732 = 9.777 lb