UNIVERSITI TEKNOLOGI MARA

ASSIGNMENT
ASTM METHODS,OCTANE NUMBER,CETANE
NUMBER,REDWOOD VISCOSITY AND COAL
GASIFICATION

AHMAD SIDDIQ BIN MOHD SANI

(2013467436)

EH2208A
CHE 685-FUEL AND ENERGY TECHNOLOGY

PROFESSOR DR

SHARIFAH AISHAH SYED ABD KADIR

Faculty of Chemical Engineering

APRIL 2017

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Contents
INTRODUCTION....................................................................................................... 3
ASTM Method for determination of fuel properties..............................................................4
1.1 ASTM D482 Standard Test Method for Ash from petroleum product.....................................4
1.2 ASTM D809 Standard Test Method for Heat of Combustion of Liquid Hydrocarbon Fuels
by Bomb Calorimeter (Precision Method).........................................................................................5
Octane Number, Cetane Number and Redwood Viscosity......................................................6
2.1 Octane Number.....................................................................................................................6
2.2 Cetane Number......................................................................................................................6
2.3 Redwood Viscosity.................................................................................................................7
Coal Gasification For Power Generation...........................................................................8
3.1 Introduction...........................................................................................................................8
3.2 Advantages Of Gasification................................................................................................10
3.3 Disadvantages of Gasification............................................................................................10
3.4 Chemical Equations For Gasification Reaction..................................................................11

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 INTRODUCTION

Access to cheap energy is a linchpin of modern industry and civilisation. Energy,

mostly from fossil fuels, allows us to heat homes, and power factories and transportation
systems. Worldwide every day, we devour the energy equivalent of about 200 million barrels
of oil, but much of this energy comes from coal, gas and nuclear fuel too.

Starting with coal, and then oil and gas in the 1800s, we have plundered our fossil fuel riches
to drive development. But now, an energy crisis looms. New oil sources are dwindling, and
smothering greenhouse gases threaten the Earth yet energy demands will rise by 50% to
60% by 2030. We need to rapidly develop sustainable solutions from hydrogen cells to
wind turbines to fuel our future.

Most of the energy on Earth comes from the Sun. In fact enough energy from the Sun hits the
planets surface each minute to cover our needs for an entire year, we just need to find an
efficient way to harness it. So far the energy in oil has been cheaper and easier to get at. But
as supplies dwindle, this will change, and we will need to cure our addiction to oil.

As a chemical student engineering that take fuel and energy technology subject, it is
compulsory for us to do an assignment regarding this subject. It will enhance students
understanding and knowledge for fuel and energy technology.

The following topics will be further explain in this report which is:

1. ASTM methods to determine fuel properties

2. Definition and description of octane, cetane number and Redwood Viscosity test in
relation to liquid fuel
3. Method that utilise coal for power generation: Coal Gasification

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 ASTM Method for determination of fuel properties

ASTM stand for American Society for Testing and Material international which is an
international standards organization that develops and publishes voluntary consensus
technical standards for a wide range of materials, products, systems, and services. ASTM also
publishes information on sampling and testing methods for health, safety and performance
aspects of materials effects of physical and biological agents and chemicals and safety
guidelines.

The method chosen to be elaborated is

i. ASTM D482 Standard Test Method for ash from petroleum product
ii. ASTM D809 Standard Test Method for Heat of Combustion of Liquid Hydrocarbon
Fuels by Bomb Calorimeter (Precision Method).

1.1 ASTM D482 Standard Test Method for Ash from petroleum product

This test method addresses the procedure for determining the ash content from petroleum
products in a range of 0.001-0.180 mass %. It is applicable to distillate and residual fuels, gas
turbine fuels, crude oils, lubricating oils, waxes, and other petroleum products. Any ash-
forming materials present in the petroleum products are normally considered to be
undesirable impurities or contaminants.

The test is limited to petroleum products having no added ash forming additives such as
phosphorus compounds. Determining the ash content helps to decide whether or not the
product is suitable for use in specified application. By plotting the graph, we can investigate
the relationship between expected ash mass, test specimen and actual ash mass.

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1.2 ASTM D809 Standard Test Method for Heat of Combustion of Liquid
Hydrocarbon Fuels by Bomb Calorimeter (Precision Method).

This test method covers the determination of the heat of combustion of hydrocarbon fuels. It
is designed specifically for use with aviation turbine fuels when the permissible difference
between duplicate determinations is of the order of 0.2 %. It can be used for a wide range of
volatile and non-volatile materials where slightly greater differences in precision can be
tolerated. In order to attain this precision, strict adherence to all details of the procedure is
essential since the error contributed by each individual measurement that affects the precision
shall be kept below 0.04 %, insofar as possible. Under normal conditions, the method is
directly applicable to such fuels as gasolines, kerosines, Nos. 1 and 2 fuel oil, Nos. 1-D and
2-D diesel fuel and Nos. 0-GT, 1-GT, and 2-GT gas turbine fuels.

Through the improvement of the calorimeter controls and temperature measurements,

the precision is improved over that of Test Method D 240. The values stated in SI units are to
be regarded as the standard. This standard does not purport to address the safety concerns, if
any, associated with its use. It is the responsibility of the user of this standard to establish
appropriate safety and health practices and determine the applicability of regulatory
limitations prior to use

The heat of combustion is determined by burning a weighed sample in an oxygen-

bomb calorimeter under controlled conditions. The temperature increase is measured by a
temperature reading instrument which allows the precision of the method to be met. The heat
of combustion is calculated from temperature observations before, during, and after
combustion, with proper allowance for thermochemical and heattransfer corrections. Either
isoperibol or adiabatic calorimeters may be used

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 Octane Number, Cetane Number and Redwood Viscosity

2.1 Octane Number

Definition: Octane number (ON) is one of the most important properties of gasoline streams
and is a measure of its antiknock property. It is defined as the volume percentage of i-octane
in a blend of n-heptane and i-octane.

To produce the same knock intensity as the test fuel under standard test conditions in
an ASTM internal combustion engine. ASTM defines two different types of ONs, the
research octane number (RON) and the motor octane number (MON), which are evaluated
using the ASTM D2699and the ASTM D2700 tests, respectively.

Both methods use the same standard test engine but differ in the operating conditions.
RON is measured in an engine running at 600 rpm and a fuel/air mixture at a temperature of
60F, while MON is measured with the engine running at 900 rpm and a fuel/airmixture at a
temperature of 300 F. The slower engine speed and the lower fuel/air temperature as
required in the RON test are representative of the fuel performance for city driving, while the
faster engine speeds and higher fuel/air temperature represent the fuel performance for
highway driving.

2.2 Cetane Number

Definition: Cetane number measure of the combustion quality of diesel fuel under
compression

The cetane number of a fuel is defined as the volume per cent of n-hexadecane in a blend
of n-hexadecane and 1-methylnaphthalenethat gives the same ignition delay period asthe test
sample. For example, a fuel with acetane number of 40 will perform the same
in the engine as a blend of 40% n-hexadecane and 60% 1-methylnaphthalene.Cetane number
is actually a measure of a fuel's ignition delay; the time period between the start of injection
and start of combustion (ignition) of the fuel. In a particular diesel engine, higher cetane fuels

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will have shorter ignition delay periods than lower cetane fuels. Cetane numbers are only
used for the relatively light distillate diesel oils.

2.3 Redwood Viscosity

Definition: Redwood viscosity is the type of viscosity expressed for petroleum product

It is determine by using of the Redwood viscometer which the viscosity in terms of

seconds (which are terms as Redwood seconds), a time taken by oil to pass through a
standard orifice and collection of the same oil in 50 cc flask. There are two types of Redwood
viscometer which have different orifice size used to investigate the viscosity

1. Redwood Viscometer No.1 (For fluid having viscosity corresponds to Redwood

seconds less than 2000)
2. Redwood Viscometer No. 2 ( For fluid having viscosity corresponds to Redwood
seconds greater than 2000)

Figure 1: Redwood Viscometer

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 Coal Gasification For Power Generation

3.1 Introduction

The world dependence on fossil fuels as the prime source of energy is never ending. As
petroleum and gas reserves are depleting, more attention is given to coal for power
generation. Coal can be used for power generation by gasification.

Gasification process can be simply say an incomplete combustion under control

condition of raw material to produce a product. According to Clarke Energy, Gasification
involves subjecting these materials (coal, biomass, wood) to high temperatures, in the
controlled presence of oxygen with only limited combustion to provide thermal energy to
sustain the reaction. It can describe as three step process where is the first step is dehydration
of moisture content followed by pyrolysis of the volatile. Final step is the gasification of char.
The main component for this conversion process is equipment called gasifier (Klinghoffer et
al,2013). It is different than incineration that more resemble the traditional combustion plus
their operating parameter and product also different. Incineration utilise excess air to ensure
its combustion while gasification undergo combustion in limiting air or oxygen. This is called
air to fuel ratio, key that differentiate between both of them.

The gasification product mainly consists of syn gas which is made up of carbon

H2
monoxide, CO and hydrogen, . Three types of syn gas can be produced which is low

H2
heating value, medium heating value and high heating value.The ratio of CO to

depends on the process condition where the gasification occurs. This syngas has high
potential in efficient production of power, heat, and combined heat and power as well as in
the production of liquid fuels and chemicals.

Wet scrubbing system is usually used as the removal of any contaminants before the
gas is utilized by the energy recovery systems or further processed into chemicals and fuels.
Other than that, CO2, H2O, CH4,tar, N2, and ash residue or fly ash also generate from
gasification. Tar handling is one of the major obstacles in the commercialization of
gasification technology at lower cost. However, it can be overcome with operating the

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gasifier at higher temperature or increasing the gas residence time. This is better than
incineration that produces NOx and SOx gas which is consider more harmful toward health.

In power generation industry, many raw materials such as coal or natural gas is used
as a fuel for power plant. This is where syn gas come in handy. However, the syn gas must be
clean from chemical such as hydrogen sulphide, ammonia and particulate matter. Syn gas will
be mixed and feed into the furnace or combustion chamber and heated to high temperature to
produce hot gases. According to the GE Power, these hot gases move through the turbine to
make them spin. Then, to increase the efficiency of the whole plant, the exhaust gas is
channel to the heat recovery steam generator (HRSG) that will create the steam. This
equipment functions similar to a boiler. The steam generated will be channel to steam turbine
to generate more electricity. Turbines act as mechanical side for the system by providing the
rotary motion for generator to generate electricity. This kind of power generation is known as
combine cycle which enhance the efficiency to above 50%

Figure 2:Combine Cycle Flow Diagram

An integrated gasification combine cycle (IGCC) is usually a name for power plant
that uses a gasifier. Gas turbine original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) such as General
Electric, Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, and Siemens are preparing for IGCC era. There are
improving the design and performance of their engine to adapt for IGCC environment. IGCC
comprises of two block which is the gasifier block and power generation block. According to

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Spliethoff (2012), IGCC have an advantages such as it is capable to show high efficiency of
power generation while effective pollutant removal in the gas stream can be installed.
However, the investment cost is higher with around 25% more with respect to conventional
system. In addition, this system is not easy to design because of several technical issues such
as the integration of gas turbine and air separation unit and the low heating value of syn gas.

3.2 Advantages Of Gasification

Produce low quantity of air pollutants

Need less pollution control equipment

Can utilize lower price feedstock such as coal into something valuable

Operate on wide flexibility of fuel

By products are non-hazardous and readily marketable. Eg:carbon dioxide

Product produce which is syn-gas has high application from power generation to
chemical production

Potential to be label as green technology since it capability to utilize waste such as

biomass and MSW

3.3 Disadvantages of Gasification

Gasification power plant is more difficult to design and operate compare to

conventional power plant

Hard to control the composition and quality of syn-gas produce

The fuel need to have low moisture content

Hydrogen-rich syn-gas might be explosive and difficult to handle

tars, heavy metals, halogens and alkaline compounds are released within the product
gas and can cause environmental and operational problem

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 Costly in the necessary syngas conditioning and cleaning. Therefore, synthesize of
quality fuels or chemicals could be prohibitive costs.

3.4 Chemical Equations For Gasification Reaction

Basic combustion reactions

C + O2 CO

C + O2 CO2

ii. Boudouard reaction

C + CO2 2CO

iii. Water gas reaction

C + H2O CO + H2

iv. Methanation reaction

C + 2 H2 CH4

v. Shift conversion

CO + H2O CO2 + H2

vi. Steam reforming of methane

CH4 + H2O CO + 3H2

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REFERENCE

Clark Energy(n.d). Synthesis gas, (syngas), producer gas use in gas engines. Retrieved 9
October 2016, from https://www.clarke-energy.com/synthesis-gas-syngas/

Kim, Y., Lee, J., Kim, T., & Sohn, J. (2011). Effects of syngas type on the operation and
performance of a gas turbine in integrated gasification combined cycle. Energy
Conversion And Management, 52(5), 2262-2271. From
http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.enconman.2011.01.009

octane number. (2016). In P. Lagasse, & Columbia University, The Columbia encyclopedia
(6th ed.). New York, NY: Columbia University Press. Retrieved from
https://search.credoreference.com/content/entry/columency/octane_number/0

ASTM D613-16a, Standard Test Method for Cetane Number of Diesel Fuel Oil, ASTM
International, West Conshohocken, PA, 2016, www.astm.org

GB Gasifier,. (2015). GASIFIER MODEL - GB Gasifired. Gbgasifired.com. Retrieved 15

October 2016, from http://www.gbgasifired.com/model.html

Boerlage G.D.; Broeze, J.J. (1933). Knock Rating for High-Speed C.I. Engine Fuels. World
Petroleum Congress Proceedings, (2); p. 271.

Ryan, T.W. (1985). Correlation of Physical and Chemical Ignition Delay to Cetane
Number. SAE Technical Paper 852103. Accessed May 30, 2014:
http://dx.doi.org/10.4271/852103

Frank P. Incropera, David P. DeWitt, Fundamentals of Heat and Mass Transfer, Wiley, 2007

Klinghoffer, N. & Castaldi, M. (2014). ChemInform Abstract: Gasification and Pyrolysis of

Municipal Solid Waste (MSW). Cheminform, 45(15), no-no.
http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/chin.201415291

Gewald D.,K.Siokos,S.Karellas, and H.Spliethoff. Waste heat recovery from a landfill gas-
fired power plant. Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews 16:1779-1789

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