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Gases Solubility Water

Reference data and engineering information about gases solubility water for combustion applications.

gasessolubilitywater

Overview

Engineering reference data for Gases Solubility Water in combustion engineering.

Key Formulas

Heat Release

Q=m˙⋅HVQ = \dot{m} \cdot HV

Fuel energy release rate.

Air-Fuel Ratio

AF=mairmfuelAF = \frac{m_{air}}{m_{fuel}}

Mass of air per mass of fuel.

Excess Air

EA=O221−O2×100%EA = \frac{O_2}{21 - O_2} \times 100\%

From flue gas oxygen measurement.

Variables

Symbol Description Unit
QQ Heat release rate W
m˙\dot{m} Mass flow rate kg/s
HVHV Heating value J/kg
AFAF Air-fuel ratio —

Gases Covered

The following gases have solubility data available in water:

Gas Formula Common Applications
Ammonia NH₃ Refrigeration, fertilizer production
Argon Ar Welding, inert atmosphere
Carbon Dioxide CO₂ Carbonation, pH control
Carbon Monoxide CO Chemical synthesis
Chlorine Cl₂ Water treatment, disinfection
Ethane C₂H₆ Petrochemical feedstock
Ethylene C₂H₄ Plastic production
Helium He Cryogenics, leak detection
Hydrogen H₂ Fuel cells, hydrogenation
Hydrogen Sulfide H₂S Oil refining byproduct
Methane CH₄ Natural gas, fuel
Nitrogen N₂ Inert blanketing
Oxygen O₂ Respiration, combustion
Sulfur Dioxide SO₂ Sulfuric acid production

Important Notes on Partial Pressure

For gases in mixtures (e.g., oxygen in air), use the partial pressure of the individual gas rather than total system pressure.

Example: Air at 1 atm contains approximately 20% oxygen by volume. The effective partial pressure for oxygen solubility calculations is:

pO2=0.20×101.325 kPa=20.27 kPap_{O_2} = 0.20 \times 101.325 \text{ kPa} = 20.27 \text{ kPa}

This relationship follows from Dalton's Law of Partial Pressures:

pi=yi⋅Ptotalp_i = y_i \cdot P_{total}

where yiy_i is the mole fraction of gas ii in the mixture.

  • Gas solubility in water decreases with increasing temperature (opposite to most solids)
  • Solubility increases with increasing pressure (Henry's Law)
  • Polar gases (NH₃, SO₂, CO₂) show higher solubility due to chemical reactions with water
  • Non-polar gases (N₂, O₂, Ar, He) have lower solubility

Data Conditions

All solubility values are referenced to 1 atmosphere (101.325 kPa) total pressure at saturation. Data covers temperatures from 0°C to approximately 100°C depending on the specific gas.

References