Page |1 BIACORA, Realyn E.

BSME-IV Research Paper- Internal Combustion Engine FUELS

Definition
FUEL - a material used to produce heat or power by burning

Raw Material
CRUDE OIL- Crude oil is a mixture of a vast number of different compounds which contain predominantly hydrogen and carbon (hydrocarbons) associated with small quantities of other elements. Crude Oil components 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. Carbon Hydrogen Sulfur Nitrogen Oxygen Metals Salts

Types of Fuel
1. BIOFUEL- is is a type of fuel whose energy is derived from biological carbon fixation a. ETHANOL- also called ethyl alcohol, pure alcohol, grain alcohol, or drinking alcohol, is a volatile, flammable, colorless liquid. b. NATURAL GAS -it is refers to methane- based gas found in coal beds. It can be found in landfills, bogs and marshes because of special organisms called methanogens. c. STRAIGHT VEGETABLE OIL- a fast food restaurant leftover, straight vegetable oil (SVO) can also act as a fuel. 2. FOSSIL FUEL- Fossil fuels are fuels formed by natural processes such as anaerobic decomposition of buried dead organisms a. PETROLEUM- or crude oil is a naturally occurring, flammable liquid consisting of a complex mixture of hydrocarbons of various molecular weights and other liquid organic compounds, that are found in geologic formations beneath the Earth's surface. b. COAL- is a combustible black or brownish-black sedimentary rock normally occurring in rock strata in layers

Page |2 c. COAL TAR ( tar sands/ asphalt)- is a black, sticky substance that comes from coal. Pitch, naphthalene, and phenol are among its products. d. SHALE OIL - a substance that similar to petroleum, it is obtained by heating certain types of shales (is a fine-grained sedimentary rock that contains significant amount of kerogen) known as oil shales.

3. HYDROGEN FUEL- oxygen and hydrogen are combined in a proton exchange fuel cell. When they are combined, they produced electricity that is used as fuel, creating water and vapors as a byproduct. 4. FUEL CELLS- are device that converts the chemical energy from a fuel into electricity through a chemical reaction with oxygen or another oxidizing agent.

Oil Refining Process

1. SEPARATION ( Distillation/ fractionation/ fractional distillation) - Separation by distillation into groups of hydrocarbons that boil between two specified boiling points.

FACTS The crude oil separates into fractions according to weight and boiling point. The lightest fractions, including petrol and liquid petroleum gas (LPG), vaporized and rise to the top of the tower. Kerosene (aviation fuel) and diesel oil, stay in the middle of the tower Heavier liquids separate lower down. The heaviest fractions with the highest boiling points settle at the very bottom.

Page |3 2. CONVERSION (cracking and rearranging molecules/ processing) - the method is called cracking because it uses heat and pressure to "crack" heavy hydrocarbon molecules into lighter ones. A cracking unit consists of one or more tall, thick-walled, reactors and a network of furnaces, heat exchangers and other vessels. a. Catalytic cracking, or "cat cracking,"- is the basic petrol-making process. This breaks down molecules that would be too large into smaller gasoline molecules and allows the conversion of heavier distillates into more commercially valuable gasoline. b. Hydrogen Cracking- This induces the heavier hydrocarbon molecules to split, and it is cheaper in large volumes than catalytic cracking, though the higher pressure vessel increases the upfront capital costs of the unit. c. Thermal cracking- uses heat to break down the residue from vacuum distillation. The lighter elements produced from this process can be made into distillate fuels and petrol. 3. TREATMENT - It involves blending, purifying, fine-tuning and improving products to meet specific requirements

Types of Petroleum
1. Gasoline- is a form of refined petroleum that is used primarily as a fuel. The primary fuel of cars, it powers the internal combustion engines that move most vehicles along the planet's highways and byways. Gasoline is highly flammable and must be handled with care. 2. Diesel- Petroleum-distillate fuel used in compression-ignition engines (as opposed to sparkignition engines powered by gasoline or natural gas). 3. LPG (Liquefied Petroleum Gas)- Petroleum gases (usually butane and propane) stored and transported as liquid under pressure. 4. Kerosene- is a lightweight material that flows easily, spreads rapidly, and evaporates quickly. Kerosene is easily dispersed, but is also relatively persistent in the environment. 5. Lubricating Oil- a medium-weight material that flows easily and is easily dispersed if treated promptly. This oil has a low volatility and moderate flash point, but is fairly persistent in the environment. 6. Asphalt (bitumen)- is a sticky, black and highly viscous liquid or semi-solid that is present in most crude petroleum and in some natural deposits, it is a substance classed as a pitch.