Academic Year 2021-22

Unit: Fuels Grade: MYP5

Key concept: Change Related concept: Energy, Transformation
Global context: Orientation in space and time
Turning points in humankind

SOI: In order for structure and energy to continue driving change, finite fossil fuels will
need to be replaced by renewable raw materials.

Background information:

 Connection with SOI: Different types of fuels exist and having an alternative fuels
for the possible future is of utmost importance. Hence the notes focuses on the
process of fuel combustion and the alternative fuels available in the near future.
 Purpose: The following notes should be used by students for reference and
revision.
 The notes explore the concepts of change in physical states that helps to
understand the combustion of fuels and their possible by-products. It also covers
different types of fuels.

1) Introduction to fuels

• Definition

Fuel is any material that is burned or altered to obtain energy. Fuel releases its energy
either through chemical means, such as combustion, or nuclear means, such as nuclear
fission or nuclear fusion. An important property of a useful fuel is that its energy can be
stored to be released only when needed, and that the release is controlled in such a way
that the energy can be harnessed to produce work.

(“Fuel - New World Encyclopedia.” Www.newworldencyclopedia.org, www.newworldencyclopedia.org/entry/Fuel#Historical_use. Accessed 14 Dec.

2021.)

A brief history

Scientists think that the first use of fuel was the combustion of wood or sticks by Homo
erectus about two million years ago.[7] Throughout the majority of human history, fuels
derived from plants or animal fat were the only ones available for human use. Charcoal,
a wood derivative, has been used since at least 6000 B.C.E. for smelting metals. It was
only supplanted by coke, derived from coal, as the forests started to become depleted
around the eighteenth century. Charcoal briquettes are now commonly used as a fuel
for barbecue cooking.[8]
Coal was first used as a fuel around 1000 B.C.E. in China. With the development of
the steam engine in 1769, coal came into more common use as a power source. Coal was
later used to drive ships and locomotives. By the nineteenth century, gas extracted from
coal was being used for street lighting in London. In the twentieth century, the primary
use of coal is for the generation of electricity, providing 40 percent of the world's
electrical power supply in 2005.

(“Fuel - New World Encyclopedia.” Www.newworldencyclopedia.org, www.newworldencyclopedia.org/entry/Fuel#Historical_use. Accessed 14 Dec.

2021.)

Types of fuels

 Solid Fuel

 Liquid Fuel

 Fuel Gas

 Biofuel

 Fossil Fuel

Solid Fuel

These are solid materials that combust to produce energy. Some examples of Solid fuel are
coal, charcoal, soot, wood etc. These were most likely the first fuels utilized by mankind.
They were the fuels responsible for the invention of fire. Even today they have very
widespread household and industrial uses. Charcoal is still a very important fuel source
for all manufacturing products and power industry, And wood is still widely used in
houses to cook food and provide warmth.

Liquid Fuel

These are the fuels we burn to produce mechanical energy and kinetic energy. Most liquid
fuels such as crude oil form due to exposure to intense heat and pressure to fossilized
remains of plants and animals. Then there are biofuels in liquid form such as ethanol and
hydrogen fuel. These fuels are easy to transport and relatively easy to use,

Fuel Gas

Fuel Gas as the name suggests are fuels that are in a gaseous state under normal
conditions. Some examples are methane, carbon monoxide, propane etc. They have an
advantage that they can be easily transported to the place of consumption. However, they
also tend to leak from pipes and every precaution must be taken to avoid this. The best
example would be the CNG gas that comes to your kitchen via pipes that you utilize for
cooking. This is also known as Domestic fuel.

Biofuel

Biofuel can be solid, liquid or a gas. The only condition is that it must be derived from
Biomass. So essentially it is fuel derived from living matter that can be replenished. One
such example is ethanol made from sugarcane wastes
Fossil Fuel

These are conventional fuels. They are also non-

replenishable. They have formed over thousands
of years in the earth’s core where fossilized
remains of animals and plants have been
exposed to high pressure and temperatures.
These are fast depleting and our dependence on
them is a major concern for all of humanity.

(“Toppr.com.” Toppr-Guides, 3 Apr. 2018, www.toppr.com/guides/chemistry/combustion-and-fuel/introduction-to-fuel-and-fuel-efficiency/.)

Sources of fuels

General source of chemical fuels

Primary (natural) Secondary (artificial)

Solid wood, coal, peat, dung,

coke, charcoal
fuels etc.

Liquid diesel, gasoline, kerosene, LPG, coal

petroleum
fuels tar, naphtha, ethanol

Gaseous hydrogen, propane, methane, coal gas, water

natural gas
fuels gas, blast furnace gas, coke oven gas, CNG

(Wikipedia Contributors. “Fuel.” Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, 14 Feb. 2019, en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fuel.)

 2) Characteristics of ideal fuel

(“While Choosing the Most Appropriate Fuel for Our Domestic Use or for Use in Industry,.” Sarthaks EConnect | Largest Online Education

Community, www.sarthaks.com/1310881/while-choosing-the-most-appropriate-fuel-for-our-domestic-use-or-for-use-in-industry)

The Characteristics of an ideal fuel are discussed as follows:

1. The fuel should have high calorific value.

2. The fuel should have proper ignition temperature.
3. The rate of combustion should be balanced and moderate.
4. The content of non-volatile substances should be as low as possible.
5. There should be no poisonous or residue by-products on combustion.
6. The fuel should be easily available in plenty.
7. The fuel should be available at a low cost.
8. There should be convenience in transporting the fuel and should be easily storable.
3) Forms of fuels (solids, liquids and gases), Advantages and disadvantages

Advantages of solid fuels:

 They are easy to transport.
 They are convenient to store without any risk of spontaneous explosion.
 Their cost of production is low.
 They possess moderate ignition temperature.

Disadvantages of solid fuels:

 Their ash content is high.
 They burn with clinker formation.
 They combustion operations cannot be controlled easily.
 Their cost of handling is high.
 Their large proportion of heat is wasted during combustion.
 Their thermal efficiency is low.
 Their calorific value is lower as compared to that of liquids fuels.
 They require a large excess of air for complete combustion.
 They cannot be used as internal combustion engine fuels.

Advantages of liquid fuels:

 They possess higher calorific value per unit mass than solid fuels.
 They burn without forming dust, ash, clinkers etc.
 Their firing is easier and also fire can be extinguished easily by stopping the liquid
fuel supply.
 They are easy to transport through pipes.
 They can be stored indefinitely without any loss.
 The flame produced by burning liquid fuels can easily be controlled by adjusting
the liquid fuel supply.
 Liquid fuels are generally handled by pipes and one man can easily regulate a
large number of furnaces simultaneously.
 They are clean in use and economic in labour.
 Loss of heat to the chimney is very low due to greater cleanliness.
 They require less excess of air for complete combustion.
 They require less furnace space for combustion.
 There is no wear and tear of grate bars and cleaning of fires, unlike solid fuels.
 They can be used as internal combustion fuels.

Disadvantages of liquid fuels:

 The cost of liquid fuel is relatively much higher as compared to solid fuels.
 Costly special storage tanks are required for storing liquid fuels.
 There is a greater risk of fire hazards, particularly in the case of highly
inflammable and volatile liquid fuels.
 Liquid fuels give bad odour.
 For efficient burning of liquid fuels, specially constructed burners and spraying
apparatus are required.
 Choking for sprayers is a drawback of oil firing.
Advantages of Gaseous fuels:
 They can be conveyed easily through a pipeline to the actual place of need that is
the main reason for eliminating the manual labour cost in transportation.
 They can be lighted at moment's notice.
 They have high heat content and hence, help us in having high temperatures.
 They can be pre-heated by the heat of hot waste gases, thereby affording the
economy in heat.
 Their combustion can readily be controlled for changes in demand like oxidizing or
reducing atmosphere, length of flame etc.
 They burn without any smoke.
 They are ash less so there is no labour involved in ash handling.
 They are clean in use.
 They do not require any special burners.
 They can be produced by using even the poorest quantity of coal.
 They burn without heat loss, due to convection currents.
 They burn in slight excess of air supply.
 They are free from solid and liquid impurities.
 Complete combustion without pollution is possible due to the uniform mixing of
air and fuel.
 They have high calorific value as well.
 They can also be used in internal combustion engine fuels.
Disadvantages of Gaseous fuels:
 Very large storage tank needed for them.
 They are highly inflammable, so chances of fire hazards are high in their use.
 They are more costly as compared with solid and liquid fuels.

(MECHANICALFUNDA for Mechanical Engineer. www.mechanicalfunda.com/2018/09/advantage-disadvantage-gaseous-fuel.html)

4) Working of a fuel - Combustion reaction

Combustion is another word for burning. In a

combustion reaction, a fuel is heated and it
reacts with oxygen.

The fire triangle summarizes the three things

needed for combustion - a fuel, heat and oxygen.
If one of these things is removed from a fire, the
fire goes out.

When fuels burn in combustion reactions, they

release useful thermal energy (heat). Combustion
reactions are used to heat our homes, power
most cars, and to generate a lot of our electricity.

(BBC. “What Is Combustion?” BBC Bitesize, BBC, 5 Sept. 2019,

www.bbc.co.uk/bitesize/topics/zypsgk7/articles/zcwxcj6.)
Products of Combustion
Some of the fuel (hydrocarbon) may not completely burn during combustion and
therefore is released into the atmosphere along with the products. The products that are
formed during combustion of fossil fuels are shown in the image below:

Carbon dioxide is the principal product of combustion of fossil fuels since carbon
accounts for 60–90 percent of the mass of fuels that we burn.

Hydrocarbon combustion refers to the chemical reaction where a hydrocarbon reacts

with oxygen to create carbon dioxide, water, and heat. Hydrocarbons are molecules
consisting of both hydrogen and carbon. They are most famous for being the primary
constituent of fossil fuels, namely natural gas, petroleum, and coal

• By-products of combustion reaction and its effect on the environment

The pollutants that are emitted directly from a combustion process – or the products of
combustion - are called “primary pollutants.” We just described these products earlier in
the lesson, now we will look at their impact on the environment and human health.

Carbon Dioxide (CO2)

Carbon dioxide (CO2) is not a pollutant in the sense that would directly harm our health
but it is a proven greenhouse gas. It has an ability to absorb infrared radiation that is
escaping from the surface of the earth causing the atmosphere to warm up. Excessive
emission of CO2 along with other greenhouse gases are linked to climate change which is
reaching a critical point.
Carbon Monoxide (CO)
As we learned earlier, Carbon monoxide, or CO, is a colourless, odourless and tasteless
gas that is formed when carbon in fuel is not burned completely.

At much higher levels of exposure not commonly found in ambient air, CO can be
poisonous, and even healthy individuals can be affected. Exposure to elevated levels of
CO may result in:

 visual impairment;
 reduced work capacity;
 reduced manual dexterity;
 poor learning ability;
 difficulty in performing complex tasks.
The health threat from levels of CO sometimes found in the ambient air is most serious
for those who suffer from cardiovascular disease such as angina pectoris.

In the human body, Haemoglobin (an iron compound) in the blood carries the oxygen
(O20) from the lungs to various tissues and transports back carbon dioxide (CO2) to the
lungs. Haemoglobin has 240 times more affinity toward CO than it does for oxygen.
Therefore, when the haemoglobin reacts with CO, it reduces the haemoglobin that is
available for the transport of O2. This in turn reduces oxygen supply to the body's organs
and tissues.

Sulfur Dioxide (SO2)

High concentrations of SO2 can result in the following health problems:
Short-term exposure
 Adults and children with asthma who are active outdoors will experience temporary
breathing impairment.
 Individuals with asthma may experience breathing difficulties with moderate activity
and may exhibit symptoms such as wheezing, chest tightness, or shortness of breath.
Long-term exposure (along with high levels of PM)
 Aggravation of existing cardiovascular disease
 Respiratory illness
 Alterations in the lungs’ defences
(“Health and Environmental Effects of Primary Pollutants | EGEE 102: Energy Conservation and Environmental Protection”)
(“Products of Combustion | EGEE 102: Energy Conservation and Environmental Protection.” Psu.edu, 2010, www.e-

education.psu.edu/egee102/node/1951.)
5) Carbon cycle

The carbon cycle is nature's way of recycling carbon atoms. Carbon is

the foundation for all life on Earth. The carbon cycle describes the process in which
carbon atoms continually travel from the atmosphere to the Earth and then back into
the atmosphere.

“Carbon Cycle – Definition, Human Impacts, Importance & Diagram.” Science Facts, 10 Feb. 2020, www.sciencefacts.net/carbon-
cycle.html.
6) Nitrogen cycle

The nitrogen cycle is the biogeochemical cycle by which nitrogen is converted into
multiple chemical forms as it circulates among atmosphere, terrestrial, and marine
ecosystems.

“Nitrogen Cycle – Definition, Steps, Importance with Diagram.” Science Facts, 12 Feb. 2020, www.sciencefacts.net/nitrogen-
cycle.html.

5) Alternative fuels.
Alternative fuel, known as non-conventional and advanced fuels, are any materials
or substances that can be used as fuels, other than conventional fuels like; fossil
fuels (petroleum (oil), coal, and natural gas), as well as nuclear materials such
as uranium and thorium, as well as artificial radioisotope fuels that are made in nuclear
reactors.
Some well-known alternative fuels include bio-diesel, bio-
alcohol (methanol, ethanol, butane), refuse-derived fuel, chemically
stored electricity (batteries and fuel cells), hydrogen, non-fossil methane, non-
fossil natural gas, vegetable oil, propane and other biomass sources.
More than a dozen alternative fuels are in production or under development for use in
alternative fuel vehicles and advanced technology vehicles. Government and private-
sector vehicle fleets are the primary users for most of these fuels and vehicles, but
individual consumers are increasingly interested in them.

“Alternative Fuels Data Center: Alternative Fuels and Advanced Vehicles.” Energy.gov, 2021, afdc.energy.gov/fuels/.

For more details on alternative fuels, visit: https://afdc.energy.gov/fuels/

Emerging Alternative Fuels

 Biobutanol
 Dimethyl ether
 Methanol
 Renewable hydrocarbon biofuels (renewable diesel, renewable gasoline, and
sustainable aviation fuel)

For more details, visit: https://afdc.energy.gov/fuels/emerging.html

The following video links will help you to understand the topic
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K9kga9c0u2I

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R5aj0_pVT3k
References:
1 Cambridge IGCSE, Chemistry, 3rd edition by Bryan Earl and Doug Wilford,
ISBN971444176445, Chapter 6, page 88-100
2 Wikipedia Contributors. “Fuel.” Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, 14 Feb.
2019, en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fuel.
3 “While Choosing the Most Appropriate Fuel for Our Domestic Use or for Use
in Industry,.” Sarthaks EConnect | Largest Online Education Community,
www.sarthaks.com/1310881/while-choosing-the-most-appropriate-fuel-for-
our-domestic-use-or-for-use-in-industry. Accessed 14 Dec. 2021.
4 “Toppr.com.” Toppr-Guides, 3 Apr. 2018,
www.toppr.com/guides/chemistry/combustion-and-fuel/introduction-to-
fuel-and-fuel-efficiency/.
5 “Products of Combustion | EGEE 102: Energy Conservation and
Environmental Protection.” Psu.edu, 2010, www.e-
education.psu.edu/egee102/node/1951.
6 MECHANICALFUNDA for Mechanical Engineer.
www.mechanicalfunda.com/2018/09/advantage-disadvantage-gaseous-
fuel.html.
7 “Fuel - New World Encyclopedia.” Www.newworldencyclopedia.org,
www.newworldencyclopedia.org/entry/Fuel#Historical_use.
8 BBC. “What Is Combustion?” BBC Bitesize, BBC, 5 Sept. 2019,
www.bbc.co.uk/bitesize/topics/zypsgk7/articles/zcwxcj6.
9 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R5aj0_pVT3k
10 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K9kga9c0u2I
11 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xd1alir07q4