Natural Gas Reciprocating Engine Fuel Consumption

We cannot determine what you ask. You have provided the Specific Fuel Consumption--which gives fuel consumption per horsepower-hour.

The fuel consumption rate is equal to the Specific Fuel Consumption times the horsepower being utilized.

The engine is a Caterpillar 12 cylinder rated at 8,180 horsepower.

Heat Value (specify units) 1,062 HHV

This is about all the info I have.

Thanks,

It also depends on the energy density of the natural gas. BTU/FT³ is variable.

IF the units are all compatible and the engine is running at rated power I calculate the fuel consumption to be around 52,130 FT³/HR.

BTU per HP per HR x engine HP / BTU per FT³ Natural Gas

Hi,

You should not consider high heat value , which is given as 1062 Btu/ft3. For gas motor you should consider low heat value . Therefore gas consumption at the maximum capacity to produce 8180 HPh will be 59.728 ft3.

TK

Thanks!

roanleroy; depends how much energy in your natural gas that they give you, that is

(therms) perry

The answer is 59.728 ft3. If you want to know the engine net electric output it is around 37,6 % without auxiliry equipment like cooling pumps, circulation pumps and fans. If you consider all those pumps you will loose 3-5 % for internal loads. This means that your efficiency will be around 32.6 - 34,6 %.

TK

Thanks and the reason I'm interested is that these engines are to be used in a Gas Compressor Station for pumping natural gas in a pipeline and I want to know how many cubic feet of gas will be burned and therefore the probable emissions produced by the Station.

The Station will have:

1. 4 each Caterpillar 16 cylinder, 8,180hp, Consumption 6,788 BTU/bhp-hr Engines

2. 1 each Caterpillar 12 cylinder, 6,135hp, Consumption 6,6788 BTU/bhp-hr Engine

Consumption for this engine is rated the same as the 8,180hp engines.

It appears that according to the responses above that the station will be consuming approximately 295,000 ft3 per hour.

Correct?

Thanks!

Total consumption will be 283.708 ft3

tuncay

I have seen natural gas BTU values vary from 800 to 1500 BTU/MMFT3 so.....this can change you calculation dramatically.

Thanks to everyone for your responses and help!

Engine manufactures and the industry uses the Lower heating value in BTU for Natrual gas engines. When it comes to fuel consumption the BTU per horse power hour number is none gas specific. The engine will burn that many BTU's for a horse power. Now when we want to get the MCF/D volume it is imperative to know the gas quality. Or lower heating value to convert to MCF/D.