Fuels - Higher and Lower Calorific Values
Energy content or calorific value is the same as the heat of combustion , and can be calculated from thermodynamical values , or measured in a suitable apparatus:
A known amount of the fuel is burned at constant pressure and under standard conditions (0°C and 1 bar) and the heat released is captured in a known mass of water in a calorimeter. If the initial and final temperatures of the water is measured, the energy released can be calculated using the equation
H = ΔT mC p
where H = heat energy absorbed (in J), ΔT = change in temperature (in °C), m = mass of water (in g), and C p = specific heat capacity (4.18 J/g°C for water). The resulting energy value divided by grams of fuel burned gives the energy content (in J/g).
The combustion process generates water vapor and certain techniques may be used to recover the quantity of heat contained in this water vapor by condensing it.
- Higher Calorific Value (= Gross Calorific Value - GCV = Higher Heating Value - HHV) - the water of combustion is entirely condensed and the heat contained in the water vapor is recovered
- Lower Calorific Value (= Net Calorific Value - NCV = Lower Heating Value - LHV) - the products of combustion contains the water vapor and the heat in the water vapor is not recovered
The table below gives the gross and net heating value of fossil fuels as well as some alternative biobased fuels.
See also Heat of combustion , Fossil and Alternative Fuels - Energy Content and Combustion of Fuels - Carbon Dioxide Emission
For full table with Lower Heating value LHV - rotate the screen!
| Fuel | Density | Higher Heating Value (HHV) (Gross Calorific Value - GCV) | Lower Heating Value (LHV) (Net Calorific Value - NCV) | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| @0°C/32°F, 1 bar | ||||||||||||
| Gaseous fuels | [kg/m 3 ] | [g/ft 3 ] | [kWh/kg] | [MJ/kg] | [Btu/lb] | [MJ/m 3 ] | [Btu/ft 3 ] | [kWh/kg] | [MJ/kg] | [Btu/lb] | [MJ/m 3 ] | [Btu/ft 3 ] |
| Acetylene | 1.097 | 31.1 | 13.9 | 49.9 | 21453 | 54.7 | 1468 | |||||
| Ammonia | 22.5 | 9690 | ||||||||||
| Hydrogen | 0.090 | 2.55 | 39.4 | 141.7 | 60920 | 12.7 | 341 | 33.3 | 120.0 | 51591 | 10.8 | 290 |
| Methane | 0.716 | 20.3 | 15.4 | 55.5 | 23874 | 39.8 | 1069 | 13.9 | 50.0 | 21496 | 35.8 | 964 |
| Natural gas (US market)* | 0.777 | 22.0 | 14.5 | 52.2 | 22446 | 40.6 | 1090 | 13.1 | 47.1 | 20262 | 36.6 | 983 |
| Town gas | 18.0 | 483 | ||||||||||
| @15°C/60°F | ||||||||||||
| Liquid fuels | [kg/l] | [kg/gal] | [kWh/kg] | [MJ/kg] | [Btu/lb] | [MJ/l] | [Btu/gal] | [kWh/kg] | [MJ/kg] | [Btu/lb] | [MJ/l] | [Btu/gal] |
| Acetone | 0.787 | 2.979 | 8.83 | 31.8 | 13671 | 25.0 | 89792 | 8.22 | 29.6 | 12726 | 23.3 | 83580 |
| Butane | 0.601 | 3.065 | 13.64 | 49.1 | 21109 | 29.5 | 105875 | 12.58 | 45.3 | 19475 | 27.2 | 97681 |
| Butanol | 0.810 | 10.36 | 37.3 | 16036 | 30.2 | 108359 | 9.56 | 34.4 | 14789 | 27.9 | 99934 | |
| Diesel fuel* | 0.846 | 3.202 | 12.67 | 45.6 | 19604 | 38.6 | 138412 | 11.83 | 42.6 | 18315 | 36.0 | 129306 |
| Dimethyl ether (DME) | 0.665 | 2.518 | 8.81 | 31.7 | 13629 | 21.1 | 75655 | 8.03 | 28.9 | 12425 | 19.2 | 68973 |
| Ethane | 0.572 | 2.165 | 14.42 | 51.9 | 22313 | 29.7 | 106513 | 13.28 | 47.8 | 20550 | 27.3 | 98098 |
| Ethanol (100%) | 0.789 | 2.987 | 8.25 | 29.7 | 12769 | 23.4 | 84076 | 7.42 | 26.7 | 11479 | 21.1 | 75583 |
| Diethyl ether (ether) | 0.716 | 2.710 | 11.94 | 43.0 | 18487 | 30.8 | 110464 | |||||
| Gasoline (petrol)* | 0.737 | 2.790 | 12.89 | 46.4 | 19948 | 34.2 | 122694 | 12.06 | 43.4 | 18659 | 32.0 | 114761 |
| Gas oil (heating oil)* | 0.84 | 3.180 | 11.95 | 43.0 | 18495 | 36.1 | 129654 | 11.89 | 42.8 | 18401 | 36.0 | 128991 |
| Glycerin | 1.263 | 4.781 | 5.28 | 19.0 | 8169 | 24.0 | 86098 | |||||
| Heavy fuel oil* | 0.98 | 3.710 | 11.61 | 41.8 | 17971 | 41.0 | 146974 | 10.83 | 39.0 | 16767 | 38.2 | 137129 |
| Kerosene* | 0.821 | 3.108 | 12.83 | 46.2 | 19862 | 37.9 | 126663 | 11.94 | 43.0 | 18487 | 35.3 | 126663 |
| Light fuel oil* | 0.96 | 3.634 | 12.22 | 44.0 | 18917 | 42.2 | 151552 | 11.28 | 40.6 | 17455 | 39.0 | 139841 |
| LNG* | 0.428 | 1.621 | 15.33 | 55.2 | 23732 | 23.6 | 84810 | 13.50 | 48.6 | 20894 | 20.8 | 74670 |
| LPG* | 0.537 | 2.033 | 13.69 | 49.3 | 21195 | 26.5 | 94986 | 12.64 | 45.5 | 19561 | 24.4 | 87664 |
| Marine gas oil* | 0.855 | 3.237 | 12.75 | 45.9 | 19733 | 39.2 | 140804 | 11.89 | 42.8 | 18401 | 36.6 | 131295 |
| Methanol | 0.791 | 2.994 | 6.39 | 23.0 | 9888 | 18.2 | 65274 | 5.54 | 19.9 | 8568 | 15.8 | 56562 |
| Methyl ester (biodiesel) | 0.888 | 3.361 | 11.17 | 40.2 | 17283 | 35.7 | 128062 | 10.42 | 37.5 | 16122 | 33.3 | 119460 |
| MTBE | 0.743 | 2.811 | 10.56 | 38.0 | 16337 | 28.2 | 101244 | 9.75 | 35.1 | 15090 | 26.1 | 93517 |
| Oils vegetable (biodiesel)* | 0.92 | 3.483 | 11.25 | 40.5 | 17412 | 37.3 | 133684 | 10.50 | 37.8 | 16251 | 34.8 | 124772 |
| Paraffin (wax)* | 0.90 | 3.407 | 12.78 | 46.0 | 19776 | 41.4 | 148538 | 11.53 | 41.5 | 17842 | 37.4 | 134007 |
| Pentane | 0.63 | 2.385 | 13.50 | 48.6 | 20894 | 30.6 | 109854 | 12.60 | 45.4 | 19497 | 28.6 | 102507 |
| Petroleum naphtha* | 0.725 | 2.745 | 13.36 | 48.1 | 20679 | 34.9 | 125145 | 12.47 | 44.9 | 19303 | 32.6 | 116819 |
| Propane | 0.498 | 1.885 | 13.99 | 50.4 | 21647 | 25.1 | 89963 | 12.88 | 46.4 | 19927 | 23.1 | 82816 |
| Residual oil* | 0.991 | 3.752 | 41.8 | 150072 | 10.97 | 39.5 | 16982 | 39.2 | 140470 | |||
| Tar* | 10.00 | 36.0 | 15477 | |||||||||
| Turpentine | 0.865 | 3.274 | 12.22 | 44.0 | 18917 | 38.1 | 136555 | |||||
| Solid fuels* | [kWh/kg] | [MJ/kg] | [Btu/lb] | [kWh/kg] | [MJ/kg] | [Btu/lb] | ||||||
| Anthracite coal | 9.06 | 32.6 | 14015 | |||||||||
| Bituminous coal | 8.39 | 30.2 | 12984 | 8.06 | 29.0 | 12468 | ||||||
| Carbon | 9.11 | 32.8 | 14101 | |||||||||
| Charcoal | 8.22 | 29.6 | 12726 | 7.89 | 28.4 | 12210 | ||||||
| Coke | 7.22 | 26.0 | 11178 | |||||||||
| Lignite (brown coal) | 3.89 | 14.0 | 6019 | |||||||||
| Peat | 4.72 | 17.0 | 7309 | |||||||||
| Petroleum coke | 8.69 | 31.3 | 13457 | 8.19 | 29.5 | 12683 | ||||||
| Semi anthracite | 8.19 | 29.5 | 12683 | |||||||||
| Sub-Bituminous coal | 6.78 | 24.4 | 10490 | |||||||||
| Sulfur (s) | 2.56 | 9.2 | 3955 | 2.55 | 9.2 | 3939 | ||||||
| Wood (dry) | 0.701 | 4.50 | 16.2 | 6965 | 4.28 | 15.4 | 6621 | |||||
* Fuels which consist of a mixture of several different compounds may vary in quality between seasons and markets. The given values are for fuels with the given density. The variation in quality may give heating values within a range 5 -10% higher and lower than the given value. Also the solid fuels will have a similar quality variation for the different classes of fuel.
- 1 Btu(IT)/lb = 2.3278 MJ/t = 2327.8 J/kg = 0.55598 kcal/kg = 0.000646 kWh/kg
- 1 kcal/kg = 1 cal/g = 4.1868 MJ/t = 4186.8 J/kg = 1.8 Btu(IT)/lb = 0.001162 kWh/kg
- 1 MJ/kg = 1000 J/g = 1 GJ/t = 238.85 kcal/kg = 429.9 Btu(IT)/lb = 0.2778 kWh/kg
- 1 kWh/kg = 1547.7 Btu(IT)/lb = 3.597 GJ/t = 3597.1 kJ/kg = 860.421 kcal/kg
- 1 Btu(IT)/ft 3 = 0.1337 Btu(IT)/gal(US liq) = 0.03531 Btu(IT)/l = 8.89915 kcal/m 3 = 3.7259x10 4 J/m 3
- 1 Btu(IT)/gal(US liq) = 0.2642 Btu(IT)/l = 7.4805 Btu(IT)/ft 3 = 66.6148 kcal/m 3 = 2.7872x10 5 J/m 3
- 1 MJ/m 3 = 26.839 Btu(IT)/ft 3 = 3.5879 Btu(IT)/gal(US liq) = 0.94782 Btu(IT)/l = 239.01 kcal/m 3
- 1 kcal/m 3 = 0.11237 Btu(IT)/ft 3 = 0.01501 Btu(IT)/gal(US liq) = 0.003966 Btu(IT)/l = 4186.8 J/m 3
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