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FUELS
Any source of heat energy is termed as
fuel. The term fuel includes all combustible substances obtained in
bulk. Fuel is a substance which produces a large amount of heat when
burnt with oxygen of the atmospheric air. Fuels are primarily used for
heating purpose.
TYPES OF FUEL
Fuels are of following types
Solid Fuel Coal, Peat, Lignite, Wood, Coke, Anthracite, Bituminous,
Liquid Fuel Petrol, Diesel, Kerosene, Coal tar, Molasses, Sprit, Shale
oil, Gaseous Fuel Methane, Coal gas, Producer gas, Compressed blast
furnace gas, Town gas, Water gas, Liquefied Petroleum Gas, Electricity
used in producing heat
QUALITIES OF GOOD FUEL
The good fuel should have following
qualities:
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Should have low ignition point.
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Should has high calorific value
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Should produce minimum quantity of
smoke
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Should be easy to store and
transport
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Should have moderate rate of
combustion
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Should have low content of volatile
material
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Should not produce poisonous
products on combustion
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Should be available readily and
plentiful
Solid fuel
Advantages of solid fuel
1. They are east to transport
2. They are convenient to store without any risk of spontaneous
explosion
3. Their cost of production is low
4. They posses moderate ignition temperature
Disadvantages of solid fuel
1. Their ash contents are high
2. Combustion efficiency is low
3. They have low calorific value
4. Large space is required for their storage
5. Their combustion operation can not be controlled
Liquid Fuel
Advantages of Liquid fuel
1. Storage space required is minimum
2. They have high calorific value
3. Fuels do not deteriorate during storage
4. Their flames can be controlled
5. They have low ignition temperature
Disadvantages of Liquid fuel
1. Heat produced is costly
2. Requires costly and special storage tank
3. They give bad odour
4. Burners chocking is possible
Gaseous Fuel
Advantages of Gaseous fuel
1. They have higher calorific value
2. They can be lighted at moments notice
3. Conveyed easily through pipe lines
4. Burns without ash and smoke
5. Cleanliness in use
Disadvantages of Gaseous fuel
1. Very large storage tank is needed
2. They are highly inflammable
3. The risk of explosion is associated with gaseous fuels
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