ME 2121-1 PART 1 DETERMINATION OF CALORIFIC VALUE OF

FUELS
(OXYGEN BOMB CALORIMETRY)
Informal Report
2005/2006

Department of Mechanical Engineering

National University of Singapore

DETERMINATION OF CALORIFIC VALUE OF FUELS

(OXYGEN BOMB CALORIMETRY)
Aim
The aims of the experiment are as follows:
To better understand the working principles behind the oxygen bomb
calorimeter.
To find out the gross calorific value of the liquid fuel sample.
Records of data
Temperature
Time
(min)
0.006
0.172
0.339
0.505
0.672
0.839
1.005
1.172
1.339
1.505
1.672
1.839
2.005
2.172
2.339
2.505
2.672
2.839
3.005
3.172
3.339
3.505
3.672
3.839
4.005
4.172
4.339
4.505
4.672
4.839
5.005
5.172

(C)
31.07
31.07
31.07
31.05
31.06
31.05
31.05
31.04
31.04
31.04
31.05
31.07
31.08
31.07
31.06
31.05
31.05
31.05
31.04
31.05
31.05
31.05
31.06
31.03
31.03
31.04
31.03
31.02
31.03
31.02
31.01
31.01

Time
(min)
5.339
5.505
5.672
5.839
6.005
6.172
6.339
6.505
6.672
6.839
7.005
7.172
7.339
7.505
7.672
7.839
8.005
8.172
8.339
8.505
8.672
8.839
9.005
9.172
9.339
9.505
9.672
9.839
10.005
10.172
10.339
10.505

Temperature
(C)
30.99
30.99
30.98
30.98
30.99
30.98
30.98
30.97
30.97
30.96
30.96
30.96
30.98
30.97
30.96
30.99
30.99
31.00
31.00
30.99
30.98
30.99
30.98
30.98
30.95
30.97
30.96
30.95
30.96
30.94
30.94
30.94

Time
(min)
10.672
10.839
11.005
11.172
11.339
11.505
11.672
11.839
12.005
12.172
12.339
12.505
12.672
12.839
13.005
13.172
13.339
13.505
13.672
13.839
14.005
14.172
14.339
14.505
14.672
14.839
15.005
15.172
15.339
15.505
15.672
15.839

Temperature
(C)
30.94
30.96
31.26
32.18
33.09
33.49
33.65
34.20
34.57
34.78
34.94
35.17
35.22
35.31
35.44
35.53
35.62
35.62
35.66
35.71
35.70
35.72
35.72
35.74
35.76
35.81
35.82
35.82
35.84
35.84
35.84
35.83

Time
(min)
16.005
16.172
16.339
16.505
16.672
16.839
17.005
17.172
17.339
17.505
17.672
17.839
18.005
18.172
18.339
18.505
18.672
18.839
19.005
19.172
19.339
19.505
19.672
19.839
20.005
20.172

Temperature
(C)
35.83
35.82
35.82
35.83
35.82
35.81
35.82
35.82
35.82
35.82
35.79
35.80
35.81
35.80
35.80
35.81
35.82
35.82
35.80
35.79
35.78
35.78
35.77
35.77
35.75
35.77

Time at firing:
a = 10.839 min
Time when the temperature reaches 60% of the total rise:
b = 11.7 min
(To calculate b,
Total rise = 35.84 - 30.96
= 4.88 C
Temperature at 60% of the total rise
= 30.96 + 0.6 x 4.88
= 33.888 C
b =
=

33.888 - 33.65
34.29 - 33.65
11.7341 min)

11.672 +

(11.839 - 11.672)

Time at the beginning period (after the temperature rise) in which the rate of
temperature change has become constant:
c = 15.339 min
Temperature at time of firing, corrected for thermometer scale error:
ta = 30.96 C
Temperature at time c, corrected for thermometer scale error:
tc = 35.84 C
Rate (C/min) at which temperature was rising during the 5-minute period before firing,
r1 =

30.96 - 30.98
5

= - 0.004 C/min

Rate (C/min) at which temperature was rising during the 5-minute period after time c,
r2 =
35.78 - 35.84
4
= -0.015 C/min
Amount of fuse wire consumed in firing:
c1 = 6 cm
Energy equivalent of the calorimeter:
W = 2480 Calories/C
Mass of fuel sample:
mf = 1.098g
Mass of water in calorimeter bucket = 2000g

Net corrected temperature rise,

t = tc ta r1(b-a) r2(c-b)
= 35.84 30.96 (-0.004)(11.7341 10.839) (-0.015)(15.339 11.7341)
= 4.937 C
tW e1
Gross heat of combustion, H g
mf
=

4.937 x 2480 - 2.3 x 6

1.098

= 11139.874 calories/g

Discussion
2(a)
The pressurisation of oxygen serves to remove the air and moisture in the bomb and to
make sure the bomb is filled instead with excess oxygen. A low oxygen charging
pressure will cause the bomb to have traces of moisture as well as air left in it. Due to
the presence of moisture and air in the bomb, the combustion process may result in the
formation of other compounds other than carbon dioxide. There may be an incomplete
combustion reaction which causes the experiment to be inaccurate.
2(b)
Having excess fuel sample may cause the combustion process to be prolonged and
hence will increase the time taken for the heat to diffuse into the surroundings. As the
time taken for heat to diffuse into the surroundings increases, heat is lost to the
surroundings instead of to the water. Thus, it will cause the readings and results to be
inaccurate as the experiment assumes that all heat produced is lost to the water.
2(c)
Air consists of many other gases such as nitrogen, hydrogen and approximately 21% of
oxygen. When air is pressurized instead of pure oxygen, the oxygen content in the bomb
will be quite low. Thus, the combustion process, which requires oxygen will be
incomplete, or slow. A slow combustion process will mean more time taken for the
process and increase heat loss to the surroundings, causing the result to be inaccurate.
An incomplete combustion process will result in the fuel sample not fully used up, which
will invalidate the whole experiment as well as produce other compounds such as
carbon monoxide which is harmful.

Conclusion
Through this experiment, I learnt the working principles behind the oxygen bomb
calorimeter as well as how to operate it to calculate accurately the calorific value of a
fuel sample. This is an important process as the value of fuel are based on the calorific
value, which is the gross heat of combustion per unit mass. It shows how much heat is
produced per unit mass of the given fuel sample.