Tag: Heat of combustion

Gross energy, also known as the heat of combustion, is the total chemical energy released when a feedstuff is completely burned. It is the foundational measurement in feed energy evaluation for livestock and other animals, providing a starting point for assessing nutritional value. Understanding how this measurement is performed is crucial for animal nutritionists and producers.

According to nutritional data, one gram of pure alcohol (ethanol) provides approximately 29 kilojoules (kJ), which is equivalent to 7 kilocalories (kcal). This makes ethanol a more energy-dense compound than both carbohydrates and protein, which each contain about 17 kJ (4 kcal) per gram.

The vast amount of energy contained within a fuel is released through a process called combustion. This property, which determines how much heat can be extracted from a specific quantity of combustible material, has a technical name that is critical for engineers, consumers, and environmental scientists to understand. The amount of energy or fuel called a substance's heating value is the standard metric used for comparison and analysis.

The calorific value of fuels, a crucial measure of energy content, varies significantly, with fuels like hydrogen having a very high value compared to coal. This guide explains the scientific methods and principles involved in understanding how is calorific value determined accurately.