The Wobbe Index (WI) or Wobbe number is an indicator of the interchangeability of fuel gases such as natural gas, liquified petroleum gas (LPG), and town gas and is frequently defined in the specifications of gas supply and transport utilities.
If is the higher heating value, or higher calorific value, and is the specific gravity, the Wobbe Index, , is defined as:
The Wobbe Index is a critical factor to minimise the impact of the changeover when analyzing the use of substitute natural gas (SNG) fuels such as propane-air mixtures..
If is the higher heating value, or higher calorific value, and is the specific gravity, the Wobbe Index, , is defined as:
The Wobbe Index is a critical factor to minimise the impact of the changeover when analyzing the use of substitute natural gas (SNG) fuels such as propane-air mixtures..
Wobbe Index of common fuel gases
Fuel gas | Upper index Kcal/Nm3 |
Lower index Kcal/Nm3 |
Upper index MJ/Nm3 |
Lower index MJ/Nm3 |
Hydrogen | 11,528 | 9,715 | 48.23 | 40.65 |
Methane | 12,735 | 11,452 | 53.28 | 47.91 |
Ethane | 16,298 | 14,931 | 68.19 | 62.47 |
Ethylene | 15,253 | 14,344 | 63.82 | 60.01 |
Natural gas | 12,837 | 11,597 | 53.71 | 48.52 |
Propane | 19,376 | 17,817 | 81.07 | 74.54 |
Propylene | 18,413 | 17,180 | 77.04 | 71.88 |
n-butane | 22,066 | 20,336 | 92.32 | 85.08 |
Iso-butane | 21,980 | 20,247 | 91.96 | 84.71 |
Butylene-1 | 21,142 | 19,728 | 88.46 | 82.54 |
LPG | 20,755 | 19,106 | 86.84 | 79.94 |
Acetylene | 14,655 | 14,141 | 61.32 | 59.16 |
Carbon monoxide | 3,060 | 3,060 | 12.80 | 12.80 |
- Note: 1 Joule = 2.3901×10−4 kcal.
Usage
The Wobbe index is commonly expressed in either British Thermal Units (BTU) per standard cubic foot, or else megajoules per standard cubic meter (1,000 BTU/scf = 37.3 MJ/Sm3). In the case of natural gas (molar mass 17 g/mol), the typical heating value is around 1,050 BTU per cubic foot and the specific gravity is approximately 0.59, giving a typical Wobbe index of 1,367 BTU/scf (51 MJ/m3).
There are three ranges or "families" of fuel gases that have been internationally agreed based on Wobbe index. Family 1 covers manufactured gases, family 2 covers natural gases (with high and low ranges) and family 3 covers liquefied petroleum gas (LPG). Combustion equipment is typically designed to burn a fuel gas within a particular family: hydrogen-rich town gas, natural gas or LPG.
Family Type of gas Wobbe Index range (MJ/Nm3) Wobbe number range from [1] 1 Town gas / Syngas 22.5 – 30 24 – 29 2 L Natural 39 – 45 2 H 45.5 – 55 48 – 53 3 LPG 73.5 – 87.5 72 – 87
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