Flash point
The temperature at which the fuel must be heated in order to produce a mixture that will ignite when exposed to a spark or a flame discovers the flash point of a fuel. The smaller the fuel molecule, the easier it is to ignite.
Fuel Flashpoint
Petrol -45 0F
Diesel 165 0F
Natural gas -300 0F
Propane -100-1500F
Biodiesel -
Ethanol 55
Hydrogen -
Methanol 52
How much residue is left.
Certain fuels contain impurities, which can cause pollution such as smog and acid rain whereas pure hydrocarbons produce no residue if
the combustion is complete. When combustion occurs oxides of nitrogen and sulphur are released and dissolve in water in the atmosphere to make acid rain. The burning of fossil fuels such as coal forms Sulphur dioxide that contain high quantities of sulphur. Acid rain is constantly linked with damage to and the death of forests and lake organisms. Acid deposition occurs not only as wet precipitation (mist, snow or rain) but also comes out of the atmosphere as dry particles or is absorbed directly by lakes plants and masonry as gases. The burning of coal produces small airborne pollutants such as lead,
mercury and arsenic.
Cost
The cost of fuels is an ever-growing problem these days and it is also has a large impact as to whether the fuel is economically viable to produce. There is also the infrastructure to consider which is necessary to meet the demands of the fuel being used such as storage, transport and the building of petrol stations capable of delivering the fuel to the people.
Transport
Fuels need to be transported in different ways according to there state weather they are a solid a liquid or a gas. If a fuel is far too expensive to transport then the cost will be added to the price of the fuel making it less likely to be used.
Safety
Obviously safety is a major aspect when dealing with or transporting fuels.
For instance smoking is not permitted in petrol stations to ensure that the petrol does not ignite due to a flame. As well as this oil tanks need to be made extremely durable to be able to withstand any accidents that may occur which could cause them to burst into flames. The more flammable the fuel the stronger the tank would be.
Non Renewable Fuels
Non-renewable energy sources can only be used once and cannot be replaced.
Petrol (Gasoline) – Gasoline and diesel are both liquid fossil fuels and are obtained by a process called fractional distillation. The constant usage of fossil fuels continues to pollute the atmosphere and which causes acid rain and global warming. As people
Know how to use these fuels they are relatively easy to use but are both extremely flammable. The burning of fossil fuels such as gasoline diesel and coal all produce airborne pollutants. Some of these pollutants are carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide, nitrogen oxide, and methane. These pollutants contribute to the production of smog and acid rain. The combustion of these fossil fuels unlocks carbon that has been stored for millions of years causing global warming. Petrol and diesel are not biodegradable, so a spill could pollute substances such as soil and water. If less crude oil were to be transported across the seas there would be less disasters caused by oil spills such as the Sea Empress and the Prestige.
Natural Gas
Natural gas is a gaseous fossil fuel it is a non-renewable resource and will eventually run out. It is produced either from gas wells or in conjunction with crude oil production. Natural Gas is a clear burning fossil fuel producing, significantly fewer harmful emissions than gasoline or diesel.
As natural gas is a far more cleanly burning fossil fuel, far less harmful emissions are released than other fuels such as diesel. This particular fuel is fairly difficult to transport so it is regularly turned into a compressed gas or liquid state. There are almost 130, 000 natural gas vehicles on U.S roads today and over 2 million
world wide. On average natural gas costs one third less than conventional gasoline at the pump. Over 50 different manufacturers produce 150 models of light, medium and heavy-duty vehicles and engines. Roughly 22 percent of all new transit bus orders are for natural gas. There are many benefits of using these natural gas vehicles. Per unit of energy, natural gas contains less carbon than any other fossil fuel, and thus produces lower carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions per vehicle mile travelled. This has many positive effects towards the greenhouse effect. Natural gas is compressed into fuel storage cylinders. Those used in Natural Gas Vehicles (NGVs) are much stronger than gasoline fuel tanks. These will of course endure a sever abuse test to ensure that they are safe and could withhold the impact of a crash that may occur. Natural gas vehicle
fuel systems are sealed which prevents any spills or evaporative losses. If a leak were to occur in a natural gas fuel system then the natural gas would dissipate into the atmosphere as it lighter than air whereas petrol or diesel would just form a pool upon the floor. Natural gas is not toxic or corrosive and will not contaminate ground water Natural gas combustion produces no significant aldehydes or other air toxins, which are quite often a concern in gasoline and some other fuels. NGVs are most practical for fleets because fleets generally operate a number of vehicles that are centrally maintained and fueled, and travel more miles daily than the average personal use vehicle.
For example.
- Taxi cabs
- Street sweepers
- Transit buses
- School buses
- Airport shuttles
- Over the road trucks
- Ice resurfacers
- Refuse haulers
- Forklifts
- Delivery vehicles
Propane.
This is a liquefied petroleum gas. It is a non-renewable fuel consisting mainly of propane. It is a by-product of natural gas processing and cruse oil refining. Propane has been used for the transportation of fuels to destinations all over the world for more than 60 years. Liquefied Petroleum Gas releases 74% the amount of energy when compared to diesel.
This chart shows the comparisons between propane and regular diesel.
Conversion costs generally range from $1,500 to $3,000. LPG fuel is cheap, so although the energy released is less, refuelling costs very little, so travelling is cheaper as shown in the graph below.
If all vehicles were to be fitted with equal fuel tanks then propane gas would require the least fill ups in a during a journey followed by ethanol, methanol and natural gas.
Source: Michigan Propane Gas Association
Vehicles fuelled with propane often need less frequent servicing than the average gasoline vehicle. Vehicles with propane also produce far fewer emissions than cars that are powered by gasoline or diesel. Propane vehicles can produce 30% to 90% less carbon monoxide than gasoline engines. The cost of LPG is generally less than that of petrol so it is also more of a financially suited fuel.
Renewable fuels
These fuels are fuels that will not run out. They are obtained from renewable resources. A renewable energy resource is a natural resource that is replaced by natural processes in a reasonable amount of time. Soil, water, plants, forests and animals are all renewable resources as long as they are probably conserved. These include Biodiesel, Ethanol, Propane, Methanol, Hydrogen, and Natural Gas.
Biodiesel
Biodiesel is a liquid fuel. It can be used from new or used vegetable oils and animal fats. Both of which are non-toxic and biodegradable. Biodiesel produces 90% the amount of energy when compared to diesel.
This chart shows the comparisons between the two fuels diesel and biodiesel.
Biodiesel can be blended with diesel and used in any vehicle that runs on diesel. Any engines built since 1994 can also run on biodiesel without any or few medications. Using the same methods for that of diesel can transport Biodiesel. This causes no change to the infrastructure. Biodiesel can be stored in diesel tanks and pumped with regular equipment except in colder weather, where tank heaters or agitators may be required. Biodiesel is less toxic and far more biodegradable than a conventional fuel. Using biodiesel reduces the emission of the global warming gas carbon dioxide by 78 percent.
Vegetable oil
Vegetable oil
Is a renewable energy source
Currently in the U.K we consume and grow around 2 million tonnes of oilseed rape per year this turns out to be the equivalent of 5% of diesel consumed in the UK. A diesel engine has the capability and capacity to run on vegetable oil although this could result in a few slight modifications been made to the car.
Vegetable Oil
(Continued)
Growing crops to help produce fuel does not have a significant contribution towards the global warming effect. This is mainly down to the fact that crops use carbon dioxide to produce oil in a process called photosynthesis. This carbon dioxide, which is produced, is later released when the oil is burned. Due to this no carbon dioxide is released into the air.
Ethanol
Ethanol is one of the chief members of the group of organic compounds known as aldehydes. It is a colourless inflammable liquid boiling at 20.8 0C
It is formed by the oxidation of ethanol or ethane and is used to make many other organic chemical compounds. Ethanol is an alcohol based renewable fuel. It is produced by the fermentation of
sugars or starches converted to sugar.
Ethanol is a cleaner burning fuel than gasoline and reduces air pollution. It also produces 70% of the amount of energy when compared to diesel. As ethanol has a low flash point it must be handled in a similar way that diesel would be. This may have an effect upon the way in which it is transported or contained especially in a vehicle fuel system. Ethanol is not as dangerous in the cause of an accident whilst it is being transported as it has a low
evaporation speed helps keep alcohol concentration in the air low and non-explosive. However whilst it is in fuel tanks it can form into an explosive vapour. Co2 is released during the combustion of ethanol and is recaptured as a nutrient to the crops that are used in its production. Ethanol degrades rather quickly in water therefore has much less of a risk towards the environment.
Hydrogen
Hydrogen is the lightest of all the elements and occurs on earth in combination with oxygen as water. Hydrogen is a gaseous renewable resource. A method called electrolysis can be used to separate hydrogen atoms from oxygen atoms. When the hydrogen atoms are subsequently burned as fuel, they recombine with oxygen atoms and turn back into water.
Process of electrolysis
As hydrogen is a gaseous fuel it is far more difficult to transport. There is also no current infrastructure for transporting and distributing hydrogen although several special hydrogen fuelling station are being produced. Hydrogen currently has an excellent industrial safety record. For instance if hydrogen were to be spilled in large quantities then it would evaporate immediately this would eliminate potential disasters such as crude oil spills, or hazards on motorways when oil leaks.
Methanol
Methanol is a liquid alcohol fuel. It can be made from the dry distillation of wood or a range of sources including natural gas and coal (non renewable), and biomass.
At the present time most of the world’s methanol is produced from natural gas. Although this process has its disadvantages as it is not very cost effective. . There are no longer any methanol vehicles available to purchase Some methanol benefits include lower emissions, higher performance, and lower risk of flammability compared to that of gasoline. Methanol produces 57% amount of energy compared to diesel.
Electricity
Electricity is a completely unique fuel due to fact that it produces all its own energy independently whereas other fuels may need processes such as combustion. Solar energy technologies use sunlight to produce heat and electricity.