Chapter 1: Fuels Flashcards
Define fuel
A substance with stored energy that can be released relatively easily for use as heat or power. The stored energy can be in the form of chemical energy (eg coal) or nuclear energy (eg uranium).
Fossil Fuel
A fuel made from organic matter of ancient origin which cannot be replaced as quckily as it is consumed. The main fossil fuels are coal, crude oil, natural gas and coal seam gas.
Biofuel
A fuel made from organic material of recent origin. This fuel can generally be replaced as quickly as it is consumed. The main types of biofuel include biogas, bioethanol and biodiesel.
Biodiesel
A fuel made from vegetable oil or animal fat, consisting of long-chain alkyl esters. Biodiesel is typically made by reacting triglycerides with an alchol, typically methanol in teh presence of KOH as a catalyst.
Biogas
A mixture of gases produced by the breakdown of organic matter in the absence of oxygen. Biogas consits typically mainly of a mixture of methan and carbon dioxide.
Cloud point
The temperature at which diesel or biodiesel appears cloudy because of the formation of small crystals and thus begins to freeze. These crystals theicken the fuel and clog filters and fuel injectors in engines.
Coal Seam Gas
Natural gas trapped by pressure on the surface of a coal stream.
Enhanced Greenhouse Effect
The warming of the temperature of the Earth’s surface because of an increase in the concentration of greenhouse gases as a result og human activities.
Flashpoint
The lowest temperature at which the vapor of a liquid will ignite when an ignition source (such as a flame) is applied to it.
Fracking
The process of injecting sand, water or chemicals at high pressure into coal or rock to release trapped natural gas.
Greenhouse effect
The process of which heat radiation from Earth’s surface is absorbed and then re-radiated by gases in teh atmosphere. The greenhouse effect maintains the temperature of Earth at conditions which are suitable for life.
Greenhouse Gas
A gas which is able to absorb and then re-radiate heat radiation. These gases contribute to the Greenhouse effect. Examples are carbon dioxide,methane and water vapour.
Hydrogen economy
A proposed system of delivering energy for society using hydrogen as the source of energy.
Hydrogen economy
A proposed system of delivering energy for society using hydrogen as the source of energy.
Natural Gas
A fossil fuel comprising mainly of methane which exists in the gas phase undr the conditions in which they are extracted from Earth.
LPG
A mixture of propane and butane that is serperated from natural gas or crude oil. It is stored under pressure to liquify the propane and butane.
Bioethanol
A biofuel made by converting starches from plants into sugars using enzymes and then fermenting the sugars to ethanol using yeast.
Renewable
Renewable resources are abundant, for example win power. They can be replaced as quickly as they are consumed. This includes biofuels.
Petrodiesel
Diesel fuel derived from crude oil which is seperated by fractional distillation. The composition of petrodiesel is generally 75% alkanes and 25% aromatic hydrocarbons. The size of the hydrocarbons ranges from C10 to C15.
Shale gas
Natural gas which is trapped beneath shale rock deposits, usually well below the Earth’s surface.
Energy Transformations
The process of converting one form of energy into another for of energy. For exaxmple heat energy into mechanical energy.
Fractional distillation
The seperation of the components in a mixture on the basis of their boiling temperature.
Non-renewable
Non-renewable energy resources are those which are being used at a faster rate than they are being produced.
