Empirical equations for the thermal properties of petroleum products

Heat of combustion

At a constant volume the heat of combustion of a petroleum product can be approximated as follows:

Q_v = 12,400 − 2,100d²

where Q_v is measured in cal/gram and d is the specific gravity at 60 °F (16 °C).

Thermal conductivity

The thermal conductivity of petroleum based liquids can be modeled as follows:

,547

where K is measured in BTU · hr⁻¹ft⁻² , t is measured in °F and d is the specific gravity at 60 °F (16 °C).

Specific heat

The specific heat of a petroleum oils can be modeled as follows:

,

where c is measured in BTU/lbm-°F, t is the temperature in Fahrenheit and d is the specific gravity at 60 °F (16 °C).
In units of kcal/(kg·°C), the formula is:

,

where the temperature t is in Celsius and d is the specific gravity at 15 °C.

Latent heat of vaporization

The latent heat of vaporization can be modeled under atmospheric conditions as follows:

,

where L is measured in BTU/lbm, t is measured in °F and d is the specific gravity at 60 °F (16 °C).
In units of kcal/kg, the formula is:

,

where the temperature t is in Celsius and d is the specific gravity at 15 °C.