User's Manual

Version 3.20

February 2000
User's Manual METHANE Version 3.20

Address comments concerning this document to:

AVL LIST GmbH

A-8020 Graz Hans-List-Platz 1

Phone: (++43) 316 787-837

Telefax: (++43) 316 787-1923
E-Mail: methane_support@avl.com
WWW: http://www.avl.com

Revision Date Description Printing Date

A January 1997 METHANE Version 3.0
B December 1997 METHANE Version 3.10
C January 2000 METHANE Version 3.20

Copyright 1997, 1999, 2000 AVL

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, transmitted, transcribed, stored in a retrieval
system, or translated into any language, or computer language, in any form or by any means, electronic,
mechanical, magnetic, optical, chemical, manual, or otherwise, without prior written consent of AVL.
This document describes how to run the METHANE software on your computer. It does not attempt to discuss
all of concepts of computational fluid dynamics that are required to obtain successful solutions. It is your
responsibility to determine if you have sufficient knowledge and understanding of fluid dynamics to apply this
software appropriately.
This software and document are distributed solely on an "as is" basis. The entire risk as to their quality and
performance is with you. Should either the software or this document prove defective, you (and not AVL or its
distributors) assume the entire cost of all necessary servicing, repair, or correction. AVL and its distributors will
not be liable for direct, indirect, incidental, or consequential damages resulting from any defect in the software or
this document, even if they have been advised of the possibility of such damage.
User's Manual METHANE Version 3.20

Table of Contents
1. Installing METHANE 3.20 on your PC _________________________________ 1-1
1.1. Installing _____________________________________________________________________ 1-1
1.2. Starting_______________________________________________________________________ 1-1
1.3. Registering METHANE file type __________________________________________________ 1-1

2. USING METHANE _________________________________________________ 2-1

2.1. Launching METHANE __________________________________________________________ 2-1
2.2. Input of Data __________________________________________________________________ 2-3
2.3. Output of Data _________________________________________________________________ 2-3
2.4. Retrieving data from Result Window back to the Calculator ______________________________ 2-5
2.5. The File Menu _________________________________________________________________ 2-5
2.5.1. Saving and opening METHANE (.mth) files ______________________________________ 2-5
2.5.2. Export File Formats _________________________________________________________ 2-5
2.5.3. Importing data from CSV files _________________________________________________ 2-6
2.5.4. Print _____________________________________________________________________ 2-7
2.6. Options Menu _________________________________________________________________ 2-7
2.6.1. General Options ____________________________________________________________ 2-7
2.6.2. CSV Export Options _________________________________________________________ 2-7
2.7. Window Menu _________________________________________________________________ 2-7
2.8. Post-processing with Excel _______________________________________________________ 2-7
2.8.1. Importing CSV data to Excel __________________________________________________ 2-7

3. Dynamic Link Library METHANE.DLL _______________________________ 3-1

3.1.1. All available methods are declared and explained in methane.h ________________________ 3-1
3.1.2. Importing METHANE.DLL into applications _____________________________________ 3-1

4. Content of Disk _____________________________________________________ 4-1

User's Manual METHANE Version 3.20

1. INSTALLING METHANE 3.20

ON YOUR PC
1.1. Installing
After switching on your PC, insert your METHANE disk into the floppy unit. As METHANE is a
Windows based program, start Windows and create a new folder on your hard disk by selecting File |
New | Folder. Copy all files from the METHANE disk into this folder. If METHANE distribution is
given to you in a ZIP file, extract the ZIP file into this folder. Turn the switch for creating directories
(folders) on.

There should be a file named METHANE.DLL in this folder! If you cant find this file on your
METHANE disk then select show all Files in the View | Options dialog from your windows explorer
and refresh the content by selecting View | Refresh.

1.2. Starting
Change into the METHANE folder and double click on the program icon or start the program in a
command shell. For example:
C:\METHANE\METHANE.EXE

METHANE will start and show you three windows, a Calculator, a Main (Results) and a Message
Window.

1.3. Registering METHANE file type

For saving its data, METHANE uses its own file format. Suggested file extension for METHANE files
is .mth . It is useful to register this new file type with your Windows system. To do so:

Go to the View->Options... of your Windows Explorer

Under File Types option chose New Type...

Specify the Description of type to be "METHANE file".

For this file type, specify the associated extension .mth and associate METHANE executable
(methane.exe) with the file type as default application (action).

After the new file type is registered with Windows it is enough to double-click on any METHANE file
to start the METHANE application.

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2. USING METHANE
2.1. Launching METHANE
After having launched METHANE the following three windows will appear:

Calculator Window

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Main Working Area (Results) Window

Methane Messages Window

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2.2. Input of Data

You can enter your gas analysis, which can contain the following components into the Calculator
Window:

Combustible:
CH4 Methane
C2H4 Ethylene
C2H6 Ethane
C3H6 Propylene
C3H8 Propane
C4H10 Butane
C5H12 Pentane
C6H14 Hexane
CO Carbon Monoxide
H2 Hydrogen
H2S Hydrogen Sulphide

Incombustible:
CO2 Carbon Dioxide
N2 Nitrogen
O2 Oxygen

You can name your gas analysis in the text field name. With the buttons Volume Percent and Mass
Percent you select the dimension of your gas analysis. The button Calculate starts the calculation and
shows the output in a separate window in the METHANE main working area. If you want to quit
METHANE you can click on the button Quit or use the File | Exit menu. If there are unsaved files you
will be warned.

If the sum of all components is different from 100 %, METHANE will correct your input data to 100 %.

2.3. Output of Data

The following results will be shown in the Output window:

Date and Time of the calculation

The name of your gas analysis
Input Data in Volume % and Mass % (corrected to 100 % if necessary)
Density at 0C and 101.325 kPa in kg/m3
To obtain the Density at a certain temperature t and a certain pressure p the following formula has to be
used:

273.15 K p

101.325 kP a 273.15 t

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... density at pressure p and temperature t in kg/m3

... density at 0C and 101.325 kPa in kg/m3

p ... pressure in kPa

t ... temperature in C

Gas constant in J/K. kg

Lower calorific value in kJ/kg (if combustible gas is present)
Molecular weight of the gas in kg/kmol
Stoichiometric air/fuel ratio in kg air / kg gas (if combustible gas is present)
Mass parts of C, H, S, O and N
(if present)
Molecular weight for the Total HydroCarbons (THC) corrected to C1 in kg/kmol (if a
hydrocarbon is present)
This figure is used for calculating THC emission using a measured value from a HC analyser calibrated
to C1 .

for example:

0 . 001
T H C H C M THC
22 .4

where

THC HC emission in g/mN3

HC measured value from analyser in ppm (calibrated to C1)

MTHC molecular weight for THC corrected to C1 in kg/kmol

Non-methane mass part in THC in g NMHC / g THC (if hydrocarbons different from
methane are present)
This figure can be used for an estimate of the NMHC emission from the THC emission if there is no
NMHC measuring equipment available.

for example:

NMHC = THC mTHC

where

NMHC Non-methane HC emission in g/mN3

THC Total HC emission in g/mN3

mTHC NMHC mass part in THC in g NMHC / g THC

This estimate is only rough, because the HC composition in the exhaust is different from the HC
composition in the fuel gas. Normally the methane content in the exhaust HC is higher than in the fuel
HC, so that this estimate gives a to high NMHC emission.

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Methane number: The calculation is based on the algorithms and the measured data as
they were defined by AVL and published in Cartellieri, W.; Pfeifer, U. Erweiterung der
Energieerzeugung durch Kraftgase Teil 3. FVV-Forschungsbericht Heft 120

METHANE approximates the methane number of H2S, thus giving an accurate result for H2S contents
up to 5 Volume % only. If the H2S content is above 5 Volume a note is posted in the Output window.

For Methane number calculation all kinds of C4H10, C5H12 and C6H14 are treated as n-C4H10.

2.4. Retrieving data from Result Window back to the

Calculator
Data from the Result Window can be copied back to the Calculator by pressing the Retrieve button in
the Calculator. The data from the currently active (top) Result Window in the Main Methane Working
Area will be copied back to Calculator. The data which is copied back is already corrected to 100%.

Another way of copying the Result Window data into the Calculator is by pressing CTRL+LEFT
MOUSE BUTTON on the Result Window whose data are to be copied to Calculator. This action will
copy the gas data to the Calculator, and brings the Calculator Window to the front.

2.5. The File Menu

2.5.1. Saving and opening METHANE (.mth) files

METHANE 3.20 is capable of storing and retrieving the gas data contained in all result windows of the
Main Working Area. The program stores and retrieves the data using special METHANE file format.
Suggested extension for METHANE files is .mth. One .mth file can contain any number of gases.

There are three menu operations intended for METHANE file input/output:

Open... - Opens an existing METHANE (.mth) file. All the gases contained in the selected input
file will be read and re-calculated. Result windows will be added to the existing ones in the Main
Working Area.

Save Single... - Saves one single gas into a .mth file. The gas whose result window in the Main
Working Area is selected (front window) is saved.

Save All... - Saves all existing result windows into one .mth file.

2.5.2. Export File Formats

There are two file formats to which METHANE exports results when using the menu command File-
>Export Results...

2.5.2.1. Text (.txt)

Selecting this as export format will output the data of all result windows in normal DOS text format. No
tab stops will be used. The data is separated by spaces. Such files can be used in any text editor like
Microsoft Word or a simple Notepad. The text file contains the contents of the output window.

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2.5.2.2. CSV Comma delimited (.csv)

If you export gas data in CSV format then you can use your data in other applications like Microsoft
Excel. In the CSV format all data is separated by using a separator character.

Which separator character is actually used depends on the definition in the general Windows settings
under: Control Panel | Regional Settings | Number section. The setting may vary, according to your
local Windows settings.

Which output data will actually be exported into the CSV file can be selected under Options ->
Preferences -> CSV Export Options . If enabled for export, the data elements are sorted in the
following order:

1. Name

2. Date

3. Components in Volume Percent in the order O2, CO2, N2, H2, H2S, CO, CH4, C2H4, C2H6, C3H6,
C3H8, C4H10, C5H12, C6H14

4. Components in Mass Percent in the order O2, CO2, N2, H2, H2S, CO, CH4, C2H4, C2H6, C3H6, C3H8,
C4H10, C5H12, C6H14

5. Density

6. Gas constant

7. Lower calorific value

8. Molecular weight

9. Stoichiometric air/fuel ratio

10. Massparts of C, H, S, O and N

11. Molecular weight for THC

12. Non methane masspart in THC

13. Methane number

2.5.3. Importing data from CSV files

Use File->Import from CSV... to import data from a CSV formated File into METHANE. This option
is introduced in order to allow importing of data from external applications (like Microsoft Excel
tables) into METHANE.

When you prepare a CSV file which shall be used by METHANE 3.2 ensure the following file
structure:

The list (columns) separator and decimal symbol character are expected to be correctly specified
under Control Panel | Regional Settings | Number . METHANE expects exactly these characters to
be used in the CSV file.

The CSV file must have the following elements (columns) in the strict order:

1. Name

2. Components in the order O2, CO2, N2, H2, H2S, CO, CH4, C2H4, C2H6, C3H6, C3H8, C4H10,
C5H12, C6H14 (Decimal delimiter as specified in Control Panel | Regional Settings)

3. Volume / Mass Descriptor a integer variable 0 = Volume Percent / 1 = Mass Percent

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One CSV file can contain any number of lines formatted in this way. Each line represents one gas
analysis. All lines will be loaded, calculated and the results will be shown in the Main Window. Please
note that the name of the gas should never contain a list separator character since this would confuse
METHANE.

The CSV file which is produced by using File->Export Results... option of METHANE is not intended
to be imported into METHANE again, since that format and number of values might be different. To
store and re-load a gas analysis please use File->Save and File->Open .

2.5.4. Print
File -> Print sends the content of the active output window to the printer. It pops up a printer dialog in
which you can setup your printer.

2.6. Options Menu

All options are defined as check boxes, meaning that you can toggle between enabling and disabling the
specific feature.

2.6.1. General Options

Auto append extension, forces the file save and export operations to append the corresponding
extension to the filename.

Only show components with a Percentage > 0, causes that in the output window only components
greater than zero are shown.

2.6.2. CSV Export Options

Save Description, specifies to output a header in the CSV formatted file. This header holds the
descriptions of the saved columns.

Name of Gas, Date and Time, Components in Volume Percent, Components in Mass Percent,
Density, Gas constant, Lower calorific value, Molecular weight of the gas, Stoichiometric air/fuel
ratio, Masspart of C, H, S, O and N, Molecular Mass for THC corr. to C1, Non methane masspart
in THC, and Methane Number causes the file save command to save these elements in a column.

2.7. Window Menu

The Window menu helps you to activate the output windows. You can arrange the iconified windows or
tile and cascade the open windows. There is also a list of all Result Windows, showing the number and
the name of the gas analysis.

2.8. Post-processing with Excel

2.8.1. Importing CSV data to Excel

In METHANE: Make sure that the list separator character (which is separating columns in the CSV file
format) is set correctly. This parameter is set in the General Windows options (Control Panel | Regional
Settings | Number). The separator character which was used at the time of exporting the data from

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METHANE 3.20, should be set to the same value at the time of opening the CSV file in Microsoft
Excel!

In Microsoft Excel: After selecting the file via File -> Open (file type .csv) the CSV file exported from
METHANE can be loaded into Microsoft Excel.

Just double-clicking on the CSV files (extension .csv) may start Excel, but the data in the CSV file may
not be interpreted correctly. In some cases Microsoft Excel doesn't use the list separator character and
decimal symbol character which are specified under Control Panel | Regional Settings | Number section.
CSV files should be loaded to Excel by using File->Open... operation of Microsoft Excel.

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3. DYNAMIC LINK LIBRARY

METHANE.DLL
3.1.1. All available methods are declared and explained in
methane.h

3.1.2. Importing METHANE.DLL into applications

To use this DLL you need the files METHANE.H and METHANE.DLL.

For Borland C there is an additional METHANE.LIB which can be included into other projects using
the TLINK (command line) or by simply adding it into the project.

Alternatively you can explicitly specify the exported methods to be imported into your application by
using the IMPORTS statement in your definition file.

For detailed information look into your Windows Programmers Guide.

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4. CONTENT OF DISK
methane.exe
methane.dll
methane.h
methane.lib
methane.doc (Microsoft Word version of this document)
methane.pdf (for Acrobat Reader)

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