Küttevõime

Küttevõime, also known as calorific value or heating value, is a measure of the amount of heat energy released when a specific amount of a substance is completely burned or combusted. It is typically expressed in units of energy per unit mass, such as joules per kilogram (J/kg) or kilojoules per kilogram (kJ/kg) in the SI system, or British thermal units per pound (BTU/lb) in the imperial system.

There are two main types of küttevõime: higher calorific value (HCV) and lower calorific value (LCV). Higher calorific value assumes that the water produced during combustion is in liquid form, meaning that the latent heat of vaporization of water is recovered. Lower calorific value assumes that the water produced is in gaseous form, so its latent heat of vaporization is not included in the calculation. The difference between HCV and LCV is equal to the latent heat of vaporization of the water produced, multiplied by the mass of water formed.

Küttevõime is a crucial property for assessing the energy content of fuels like wood, coal, natural gas, and various biofuels. It helps in comparing the efficiency and economic viability of different fuel sources for heating, power generation, and industrial processes. For example, a fuel with a higher küttevõime will produce more heat energy for the same mass or volume compared to a fuel with a lower küttevõime. Understanding küttevõime is essential for accurate energy calculations, fuel selection, and combustion system design.