Unit 3: Fuels

 Crude Oil Processing

Fuels
 Dense repositories of energy that are
consumed to provide energy services
such as heating, transportation and
electrical generation.
 Classified as solids, liquids and gaseous
fluids.
o The crude oil is refined in a
distillation chamber.
o The boiling liquid is separated
into different liquids and gases
in a distillation column. These
liquids are used to make petrol,
paraffin, asphalt, kerosene, etc.
 Diesel Oil
o A mixture of hydrocarbons
including paraffins, naphthenes,
and aromatics.
o Expensive and not as competitive
as petroleum-based fuels.

Types of Fuels

Solid Fuels – readily available such as wood

and charcoal. It is cheap and plentiful. It is a
dirty fuel since it contaminates the air.

 Coal – One of the most important

primary fossil fuels.
o Most often occurs in stratified  Diesel Engine
sedimentary rocks. o Four stroke otto cycle engine
o Contributes to the CO2 o Used in almost all automobiles.
imbalance in the atmosphere.  Four stages of operation of an
 Coke – produced when a bituminous coal Internal Combustion Engine
is devolatilized by heating to o The intake valve opens to let in
temperatures ranging from 900°C - gasoline-air mixture.
1200°C. o The two valves are closed during
compression.
Liquid Fuels – it is primarily used in the
o The spark plug fires and the
transportation industry. It is a combustible
piston is pushed outward.
energy-generating molecule that can be
o The exhaust valve opens to let
utilized to produce mechanical energy.
out the exhaust gas.
 Crude oil – it is a major liquid fuel and is
also the basis of most other liquid fuels.
o Formed by refining petroleum or
crude oil.
o Can be refined to produce usable
products such as gasoline, fuel
and various other forms of
petrochemicals.
  Gasoline Fuel Alternative Fuels – the production of
o Best known petroleum product. alternative fuels is stimulated by
o A mixture of volatile environmental concerns due to emissions of
hydrocarbons, cycloalkanes and diesel and gasoline engine.
few aromatic hydrocarbons.
o Rated according to the octane
 Hydrogen
o An infinitely renewable and
number. The higher the octane
relatively pollution-free fuel that
number of the hydrocarbon the
scientists and politicians alike
better its performance in
see as a viable alternative to
internal combustion.
fossil fuels.
 Antiknocking-Agents
o The advantage of using hydrogen
o Used to improve the octane
is that the only product of H2
rating of gasoline.
oxidation is H2O.
o Most common are
o It yields three times energy per
Tetramethylead and
gram as the oxidation of fossil
Tetraethyllead.
fuels.
o Adding 2 to 4 g of antiknocking
 Biofuels
agents in a gallon of gasoline
o A renewable energy source made
increases the octane by 10
from organic matter.
percent more.
o Gasoline sold today often
Gaseous Fuels - hydrocarbons, hydrogen and contains ethanol (C2H5OH).
carbon monoxide mixtures present o Ethanol can be made readily
in gaseous state. It is convenient requiring the from fermented sugars derived
least amount of handling and simplest and most from renewable such as corn,
maintenance free burner systems. sugar cane, etc.

 Natural Gas
 Biodiesels
o Derived from plant an animal oils.
o It emits fewer pollutants when
o Promoted as an alternative to
burned than other fossil fuels.
petroleum-based products.
o Gas powered power-plants emits
o A mixture of esters of long-
40% less carbon dioxide.
chain fatty acids prepared from
o There is no mercury pollution.
plant and animal fats by trans-
esterification.

Properties of Fuels

 Density - The ratio of the mass of the

fuel to the volume of the fuel at a
reference temperature of 15°C.
 Specific Gravity - the ratio of the
density of a fuel to the density of
water
  The disadvantage with fossil fuels is
 Viscosity that it is not renewable and it pollutes
o Measure of the internal the environment.
resistance to flow  There is no exact answer to how long
o influences the degree of pre- will our supply of fossil fuels will last.
heating required for handling and
storage
 Flash Point - lowest temperature at
which fuel is ignitable by an external
burning source.
 Pour Point - lowest temperature at
which fuel oil is ready to be pumped.
 Specific Heat - amount of calories
needed to raise the temperature of 1 kg
of oil by 10C
 Calorific Value - measures the heat or Energy Conservation – total energy must be
energy produced
conserved.
 Sulfur Content - depends on the source
of the crude oil and on the refining  Heat and work are the only possible
process forms of energy transfer, we can
 Ash Content attribute the overall change in energy,
o related to the inorganic material
E, of a system to these two components.
or salts
o gives rise to high temperature  Heat is commonly designated as q and
corrosion and fouling of work as w.
equipment
∆𝐸 = 𝑞 + 𝑤
 Carbon Residue - tendency of oil to
deposit a carbonaceous solid residue on ∆𝐸 = 𝐸𝑓𝑖𝑛𝑎𝑙 − 𝐸𝑖𝑛𝑖𝑡𝑖𝑎𝑙
a hot surface
 Water Content
o
o Percentage of water in fuels
o Can cause damage to the inside
surfaces of the furnace during
combustion.

Energy

Energy Resources – as the years pass the

global demand for energy has increased
rapidly.

 Energy derived from fossil fuels is

cheaper and the world is highly
dependent on it as a source of energy.