Fuels Flashcards
Fuel
A substance with stored energy which can be released relatively easily for use as heat or power. The stored energy can be in the form of chemical energy (e.g coal) or nuclear energy (e.g uranium)
Fossil Fuel
A fuel made from organic matter of ancient origin which cannot be replaced as quickly as it is consumed. The main fossil fuels are coal, crude oil, natural gas and coal seam gas.
Biofuel
A fuel made from organic matter of recent origin. This fuel can generally be replaced as quickly as it is consumed. The main types of biofuels are biodiesel, biogas and bioethanol.
Biodiesel
A fuel made from vegetable oil or animal fat, consisting of long chain alkyl esters. Biodiesel is typically made by triglycerides with an alcohol, typicaly methanol in the presence of KOH as a catalyst.
Biogas
A mixture of gasses produced by the breakdown of organic matter in the absence of oxygen. Biogas consists typically, mainly a mixture of methane and carbon dioxide.
Cloud Point
The temperature at which diesel or biodiesel appear cloudy because of the formation of small crystals and thus begins to freeze. These crystals thicken the fuel and clog filters and fuel injectors in engines.
Coal Seam Gas
Natural gas trapped by pressure on the surface of a coal seam.
Enhanced Greenhouse Effect
The warming of the temperature of the Earth’s surface because of an increase in the concentration of greenhouse gasses as a result of human activities.
Flashpoint
The lowest temperature at which the vapour of a liquid will ignite when a 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 by which heat radation from the Earth’s surface is absorbed then re-radiated by gasses in the 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 then reradiate heat radiation. These gases contribute to the ‘Greenhouse Effect’. Examples inclufe carbon dioxide (CO2), methane (CH4) and water vapour (H2O).
Hydrogen Economy
A proposed system of delivering energy for society using hydrogen as the source of energy.
LPG (Liqufied Petroleum Gas)
A mixture of propane and butane that is separated from natural gas or crude oil. It’s stored under pressure to liquefy the propane and butane.
Natural Gas
A fossil fuel comprising mainly of methane (CH4) which exist in the gas phase under the conditions which they are extracted from the Earth.
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 not in limited supply and can be replenished at a rate that is faster than it is used. (i.e buofuels such aa biodiesel, bioethanol, biogas)
Petrodiesel
Diesel fuel derived from crude oil by fractional distillation. The composition of petrodiesel varies, but is generally around 75% alkanes (typically C10-C15 hydrocarbons) and 25% aromatic hydrocarbons.
Shale Gas
Natural gas which is trapped beneath shale rock deposits, usually well below the Earth’s surface.
Energy Transformation
The process of converting one form of energy into another form of energy (i.e heat energy into mechanical energy).
Fractional Distillation
The separation of components/hydrocarbons in a mixture on the basis of their temperatures.
Non-renewable
Non renewable energy resources are resources which are being used at a rate that is faster than they are being replaced.
