Fuel Management Flashcards
What is the most common fuel in the US?
Gasoline
What types of vehicles use gasoline?
cars, SUVs, RVs, small aircraft, equipment, and generators
What is the difference between unleaded and leaded gasoline?
leaded has tetraethyl lead and is poisonous. Only unleaded is legal now.
What seasonal cycles do the demand for gasoline follow?
Demand is lower in colder months and higher in warmer months.
What process if used to refine crude oil?
simple distillation.
When is gasoline recovered during the refining process?
during the lowest temperatures of refining
What is downstream distillation?
encompasses a variety of highly complex units designed for very different upgrading processes.
Why are additives used in gasoline?
attempt to increase the octane rating
What are the main additives used in gasoline?
oxygenates, antioxidants, antiknock, fuel dyes
What are the most common vehicle emissions caused by gasoline?
hydrocarbons, carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide, sulfur dioxide, nitrogen oxides, and particulate matter
What are the uses of diesel fuel?
trucks, trains, boats, barges, buses etc
What is ultra low Sulphur diesel?
has lower sulfur content than other diesel fuels
Why is USLD valuable in North America?
because the maximum allowable sulfur is 0.05 percent nationwide compared to other nations that may be 10 to 20 times that.
At which point is diesel recovered in the distillation process?
middle temperature (not low like gas) 356 to 716 degrees
What is cetane and how is it measured?
colorless gas that requires a low amount of heat to ignite
Why is water a concern in diesel fuel?
water can make microbes form at the meting point. Once formed, they cause acid formation, rust, corrosion and filter plugging
What can happen to diesel fuel and the equipment that is used in if there is a microbial contamination in the fuel?
acid formation, rust, corrosion and filter plugging
Why are additives used in diesel fuel?
increase mileage, clean injectors and engine deposits, remove water, increase cetene rating
What terms are used to characterize the cold flow properties of diesel fuel?
Cloud point and Cold filter plugging point
What is cloud point of diesel?
temperature at which small crystals are first visually observed
What is cold filter plugging point for diesel?
temperature at which a fuel will cause a fuel filter to plug
How is diesel fuel kept warm in most modern engines?
excess fuel is brought to the engine and warm fuel that has come close to the engine is recycled back to the fuel tank.
What are the leading options to treat diesel in the cold weather?
blend it with kerosene, utilize and additive that enhances cold flow properties, utilize fuel tank, fuel filter or fuel line heaters and store vehicle in building when not in use
How can you find certified retrofitted technologies to reduce diesel emissions?
Go to the EPA or CARB website
What vehicle emissions are listed by the DOE and EPA as problems?
Particulate matter, nitrogen oxide, hydrocarbons, carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide
What are the effects of the problematic emissions?
damaged trees/crops, hard to breathe, acid rain, ozone issues, respiratory irritation
What is particulate emission and why is it controlled?
from diesel exhaust that creates respiratory irritation
What is ozone and what are the health risks associated with it?
great thing in the upper atmosphere where it blocks harmful UV radiation. Creates smog which damages trees/crops, respiratory problems and eye irritation
What are some other problems associated with vehicle emissions?
Dirty air, global warming, energy dependence
What are two types of ambient air quality standards?
Primary standards - provide public health protection
Secondary standards - provide public welfare protection (protection against decreased visibility etc)
What might US states in non-attainment areas for ground level ozone have to do?
impose new controls on industrial plants, restrict transportation, require tougher vehicle inspection programs, require special use of cleaner burning gas
Define alternative fuels
any materials or substances that can be used as a fuel, other than conventional fuels
What is the main purpose of fuel?
to store energy in a form that is stable and can easily be transported from the place of production to the end user.
What is the major environmental concern according to the intergovernmental panel on climate change?
greenhouse gas emissions increasing raising global temperature
Describe the peak oil theory concern
predicts a rising cost of oil derived fuels causes by severe shortage of oil during an era of growing energy consumption.
What are sustainable alternative fuels?
fuels that can be derived from living and recently dead biological material which can be turned into fuel (plant matter for biofuel)
Why would non-sustainable alternative fuels be used?
they still help reduce pollution at the point of use
What is biomass?
refers to living and recently dead biological material which can be used as fuel or for industrial production.
What is non-conventional oil?
fossil fuel chemically identical and with the same origin as convectional or traditional oil, but existing in a different form (more contaminants and more energy intensive).
What are the sources of non-traditional oil?
tar sands, oil shale and biutmen
What is the fischer-tropsch process?
converts carbon monoxide and hydrogen into heavier liquid hydrocarbons, including synthetic oil.
What is methane hydrate?
form of natural gas that consists of methane molecules trapped within the crystalline structure of water ice and is found in deposits under ocean sediments.
How can methanol and ethanol be used as energy sources?
Methanol and ethanol can be used in an internal combustion engine (with minor modifications)
What are the alternative fuels being considered to power today’s fleet vehicles?
Biodiesel, renewable diesel, ethanol, electric, hybrid, hydrogen, natural gas and propane
What is biodiesel?
clean burning alternative fuel, produced from domestic, renewable sources (no petroleum unless blended).
How can biodiesel be used?
it can be used in compression ignition (diesel) engines with little to no modifications.
How is biodiesel made?
chemical process called transesterification whereby the glycerin is separated from the fat or vegetable oil.
How might an organization adopt biodiesel for purposes such as federal or state statute?
put in regular diesel engines
Why use biodiesel?
better for the environment than conventional diesel because it is made from renewable sources and has lower emissions compared to petroleum diesel.
Are renewable diesel and biodiesel similar?
yes. Both use similar feedstocks, but they have different processing methods and create chemically different products.
What is renewable diesel?
broad class of fuels derived from biomass feedstocks including oils or animal fats, but processed by other means.
How is renewable diesel made?
Hydrotreating - hydrogen replaces other atoms such as sulfur, oxygen and nitrogen and converts the oil’s triglyceride molecules into paraffinic hydrocarbons.
What are the benefits of renewable diesel?
reduced waste and byproducts, higher energy density and improved cold flow properties.
How might the use of renewable diesel be able to impact carbon emissions?
reduces emissions of hydrocarbons, carbon monoxide and particulate matter.
What is ethanol?
clean burning, high octane motor fuel that is produced from renewable sources. Mostly produced from corn or other starch based crops.
How can ethanol be used as fuel?
a percentage of ethanol is combined with regular unleaded fuel and can be used in regular flex fuel vehicles
What is E10?
10 percent ethanol and 90 percent gas (can be ran in most vehicles)
What is E85?
85 percent ethanol and 15 percent gas (must be put in flex fuel vehicle)
Are all vehicles ethanol compatible?
Yes. All vehicles can run on up to 10 percent ethanol with no modifications to the engine.
What is the ultimate blend level of ethanol?
E20 or E30 because fuel efficiency is higher than gas
What is cellulosic ethanol?
made from cellulosic feedstocks such as grass, wood and crop residues.
What is an electric vehicle?
vehicle with one or more electric motors for propulsion.
What sources might the energy used to power the vehicle come from?
batteries, fuel cells or a generator
What sources of energy could hybrid electric vehicles use?
onboard rechargeable energy storage system and an internal combustion engine
What is hybrid electric vehicle?
auto that has two or more major sources of propulsion power.
What are some of the considerations when looking at hybrid fuel sources?
fuel efficiency, power, driving distance, or reduced green house gas emissions.
How does a gasoline electric hybrid function?
has one or two auxiliary electric motors that supplement the main gasoline engine.
What is a hydrogen vehicle?
uses hydrogen as its on board fuel for power
What are two broad categories for hydrogen fueled vehicles?
combustion or electrochemical conversion (fuel cell)
What is the source of hydrogen fuel?
natural gas or water
What are the benefits of using hydrogen as a fuel?
decreased ghg emissions and ozone precursors. less reliance on petro products
How does a fuel cell function?
uses hydrogen fuel and oxygen from the air to produce electricity
What are the most significant issues involved in using hydrogen as a fuel source?
hydrogen storage, cold weather operation, availability, safety
What are some of the issues with storing hydrogen?
the amount of hydrogen stored in a vehicle does not allow it to travel as far as a regular ICE vehicle
What are the temperature concerns with hydrogen powered vehicles?
fuel cell systems contain water which will freeze at low temperatures.
What are some of the current limitations of hydrogen powered vehicles?
getting hydrogen to customers, availability, safety, competition with other fuels and public acceptance
What are some of the safety concerns regarding hydrogen fuel?
handling compressed hydrogen is dangerous and can explode.
How has the competition from other fuel sources affected the adoption of hydrogen as a fuel source?
ICE and other alternative fuel vehicles are getting more fuel efficient and more affordable in comparison.
How can natural gas be used to decrease our dependence on foreign oil?
There is an abundance of natural gas in the US which can lead to not relying on foreign oil
How might the use of natural gas powered vehicles reduce vehicle exhaust emissions?
produces lower Co2 emissions than gas or diesel.
Why is natural gas the lowest producer of GHG out of all of the fossil fuels?
substantial reduction in co2 emissions when compared to other fuels
What are the safety benefits of using natural gas as a fuel?
dissipates into the atmosphere in the event of an accident (gas pools on ground and is flammable)
how common are natural gas vehicles and their refueling infrastructure?
very available and often used in buses or large trucks
How expensive is natural gas as a fuel?
25-42% cheaper than diesel
Is propane an alternative fuel?
yes. It qualifies for EPAct
What is a bi-fuel propane vehicle?
two separate fueling systems that enable the vehicle to use either propane or gas
How do propane powered vehicles handle in comparison to gasoline powered vehicles?
power, acceleration and cruising speed are all similar
How expensive is it to maintain a propane vehicle?
maintenance is generally much lower
What are some of the other benefits of propane powered vehicles?
significant decrease in harmful emissions and less dependence on foreign oil.
Why is RFG used?
has lower sulfur levels and includes an oxygenate to promote complete burning. Produces less carbon monoxide
Is RFG an alternative fuel?
No.
How common is the use of RFG?
used in over 1/3 of US vehicles