DEPARTMENT OF MECHANICAL ENGINEERING

COLLEGE OF ENGINEERING
WESTERN MINDANAO STATE UNIVERSITY
Normal Road, Baliwasan, Zamboanga City

LECTURE NOTES
INDUSTRIAL PLANT ENGINEERING (ME 146)

Date: March 25, 2024

TOPIC: CHIMNEY
Chimney – is vertical structure which made either masonry or metal that is used to exhausts the burned
combustible gases. It is called smokestack.

Functions of Chimney:
1. To dispose the exhaust gases at suitable height so that no pollution will occur in the viscinity.
2. To produce the necessary draft required for the flow of the gases.

Calculation of chimney diameter and height using basic gas laws:

D
,

Breeching

Chimney H
Fuel,

Furnace 1

Air, , Flue gases,

D = internal diameter of chimney (for tapering chimney is the internal diameter at the top.)
H = height of chimney
Ta = Air temperature
Tg = flue gas temperature = average temperature
Ra = gas constant of air
Rg = gas constant of flue gas
P = barometric pressure
𝑃 𝑚𝑎
𝜌 = 𝑑𝑒𝑛𝑠𝑖𝑡𝑦 𝑜𝑓 𝑎𝑖𝑟 = (𝑅 =
𝑎 )(𝑇𝑎) 𝑉𝑎
𝑃 𝑚𝑔
𝜌 = density of flue gas = =
(𝑅𝑔 )(𝑇𝑔 ) 𝑉𝑔

ℎ𝑤 = 𝑃𝑤 = 𝐻(𝜌 − 𝜌 ), 𝑘𝑃𝑎
𝑇1 +𝑇2
=
= +
(𝑚𝑅𝑇)𝑔 𝑚 𝑠𝑠 𝑙𝑜𝑤 𝑚
= 𝑔𝑎𝑠 𝑓𝑙𝑜𝑤 = = 𝑑𝑒𝑛𝑠𝑖𝑡𝑦 𝑜 =𝜌
𝑃 𝑠 𝑔
ℎ
V = velocity (theoretical) of flue gas in chimney = √2𝑔 𝜌𝑤
𝑔

Note: actual velocity of flue gases in the chimney is only 30-50% of theoretical velocity, thus yo get the
actual velocity, multiply theoretical velocity by a velocity coefficient of 0.3 to 0.5 (use average).
(𝑚𝑅𝑇)𝑔
= 𝑎𝑟𝑒𝑎 𝑥 𝑣𝑒𝑙𝑜𝑐𝑖𝑡𝑦 = 𝑃
Note:
1. The design diameter and height of the chimney will depend or determined by gas flow and
draft.
2. The height of the chimney will rise towering 200 – 300 feet above the plant.

By: Dr. Roberto M. Sala, PME Page 1 of 4

Professor VI
 DEPARTMENT OF MECHANICAL ENGINEERING
COLLEGE OF ENGINEERING
WESTERN MINDANAO STATE UNIVERSITY
Normal Road, Baliwasan, Zamboanga City

LECTURE NOTES
INDUSTRIAL PLANT ENGINEERING (ME 146)
neutral axis

windward direction

Horizontal section
Resultant
W
Leeward side 𝑃𝑤 Winward side

H h
r

Z R
dead weight is distributed
𝑓 to the symmetrical shape

wind load creates a load shading from windward tension

to leeward compression over the horizontal chimney area

At 100 MPH wind velocity, there is a pressure of 30 lb/ft2 = P

Applying the 2/3 rule.

P = 2/3 of 30 = 20 lb/ft2 wind pressure
Total wind load, therefore = Pw = 20 x 2R x H
Hence, most chimney is tapered from R1 at the base to R2 at the top
Pw = 20H (R1 + R2 (most useful equation)
Since the location of Pw is located at a distance h, the product Pwh which the moment of wind load, is
derived using h, the centroidal distance of a trapezoid, as a function of R1, R2 and H may be found
0𝐻 2
graphical or analytical methods 𝑃𝑤 ℎ = (2𝑅 + 𝑅 )
3
For cylindrical, Pw (h) = W (Z)
For steel and re-inforced chimneys, fb > fc
For masonry chimney, fb ≤ fc

Where:
W = weight of chimney
F = horizontal wind load
h = point of application of resultant of wind load above base
r = inside radius of chimney
R = outside radius of chimney
Z = virtual displacement of W due to wind action
WZ = Pwh
fc = compression stress due to W, kg/m2, lb/ft2
fb = bending stress due to Pw, kg/m2
k = kern radius

Example 1

By: Dr. Roberto M. Sala, PME Page 2 of 4

Professor VI
 DEPARTMENT OF MECHANICAL ENGINEERING
COLLEGE OF ENGINEERING
WESTERN MINDANAO STATE UNIVERSITY
Normal Road, Baliwasan, Zamboanga City

LECTURE NOTES
INDUSTRIAL PLANT ENGINEERING (ME 146)
A power plant situated at an altitude having an ambient air of 96.53 KPa and 23.88 oC. Flue gases at a
rate of 5.0 kg/sec enter the stack at 200 oC and leave at 160 oC. The flue gases gravimetric analysis are
18% CO2, 7% O2 and 75% N2. Calculate:
a. The height of the stack necessary for a driving pressure of 0.20 kPa.
b. The diameter of the stack in meters.

Solution a. solving for the MW and gas constant of flue gas

160 C Gases MW gravimetric Analysis Moles/100 kg
D CO2 = 144 18% 18/44 = 0.409
O2 = 32 7% 7/32 = 0.219
N2 = 28 75% 75/28 = 2.678
3.306
5 kg/s
H MW = mol wt = 100/3.306 = 30.25
Ambient:
96.53 Kpa,
Rg = gas constant = 8.314/30.25 = 0.275
23.88 C Tg = ave. flue gas temp = (200 + 160)/2 = 180 C
𝜌 = 𝑑𝑒𝑛𝑠𝑖𝑡𝑦 𝑜𝑓 𝑓𝑙𝑢𝑒 𝑔𝑎𝑠 = 𝑃/𝑅
200 C
96.53
= (0. = 0.775 kg/m3
75)( 80+ 73)
𝜌 = 𝑑𝑒𝑛𝑠𝑖𝑡𝑦 𝑜𝑓 𝑎𝑖𝑟 = 𝑃/𝑅
96.53
= (0. = 1.133 kg/m3
75)( 3.88+ 73)
Draft = H 𝐻(𝜌 − 𝜌𝑔 )
0.2 kN/m2 = H(1.133 – 0.775) (0.00981)
H = 56.95 m

b. V = theoretical velocity = √2𝑔ℎ but, P = 𝜌ℎ, h = 0.2 / (0.775) (0.00981) = 26.3

V2 = 2gh = 2(0.81)(26.3)
V = 22.718 m/sec
But, actual velocity of flue gases = 30% - 50% of the theoretical velocity
V = (0.3 + 0.5)/2 (22.718) = 9.10 m/sec
Q = mg/𝜌g = 5/0.775 = 6.452 m3/sec
𝜋
Q = AV = 𝐷 𝑉
4
4 (5/0.775)
D2 = = 0.9028
𝜋 (9. )

D = 0.95 m

Example 2

If the actual draft required for a furnace is 6.239 cm of water and the frictional losses in the stack is 15%
of the theoretical draft, calculate the required stack height in meters. Assume that the flue gas have an
average temperature of 149 oC and a molecular weight of 30 and air temperature of 21 oC.

By: Dr. Roberto M. Sala, PME Page 3 of 4

Professor VI
 DEPARTMENT OF MECHANICAL ENGINEERING
COLLEGE OF ENGINEERING
WESTERN MINDANAO STATE UNIVERSITY
Normal Road, Baliwasan, Zamboanga City

LECTURE NOTES
INDUSTRIAL PLANT ENGINEERING (ME 146)
Solution
hw = total draft = 6.239 cm + 0.15 hw 7.34 cm of water
149 C
= (7.34/100) ( 9.81) = 0.72 Kpa
D
Solving for air density:
𝑃 0 .3 5 3
𝜌 = = (0. = 1.2 𝑘𝑔/
𝑅𝑇 87)( + 73)
Rg for gas:
8.3 43 8.3 43
21 C H Rg = = = 0.277
𝑀 30
101.325 3
furnace
𝜌 = 𝑓𝑙𝑢𝑒 𝑔𝑎𝑠 𝑑𝑒𝑛𝑠𝑖𝑡𝑦 = = 0.867𝑘𝑔/
(0.277)(149 + 273)
hw = H(𝜌 − 𝜌 )
0.72 = H (1.2 – 0.867)
H = 220 m

HOMEWORK 3F

(Due on April 01, 2024 to be passed during our f2f class)

Solve problems number 8, 9, 10 page 113 of the Power Plant Engineering book by F. T. Morse

By: Dr. Roberto M. Sala, PME Page 4 of 4

Professor VI