Fuel types Flashcards
(18 cards)
What is a fuel?
A substance that easily releases energy, as a result of a chemical or nuclear reaction.
Why are fossil fuels a good fuel source?
They are relatively stable upon combustion and have a relatively high energy content
What is the difference between renewable and non-renewable energy resources?
Non-renewable resources are those that cannot be produced as fast as they are consumed, whereas renewable resources can be produced as fast they are consumed
What are 2 pros of non-renewable energy resources?
1) High energy content
2) Fairly inexpensive
what are 3 pros of renewable energy resources?
1) Won’t run out
2) Produce far fewer greenhouse gases
3) They can be made in a relatively short amount of time, via natural processes.
What are 4 cons of non-renewable energy resources?
1) They are a finite resource that will eventually run out
2) Combustion releases high levels of emissions
3) Disturbs biodiversity, when digging deep
to extract the substances
4) They can be explosive at certain concentrations
5) they take a long time to produce
6) Energy is required for transport of fuels as they can only be mined from specific places
What are 4 cons of renewable energy resources?
1) lower energy content
2) need a lot of water for crops
3) Land for food crops is now used for crops
for food production
4) higher cost of production
Where is coal with the highest heat value found?
The farther down the coal the higher the heat value
What is crude oil made up of?
A mixture of hydrocarbons, mainly alkanes. `
How is crude oil used?
It undergoes fractional distillation to separate out the useful compounds based on their size. It itself is not used as a fuel source.
Where is natural gas found?
in reservoirs, as a component of oil deposits bonded to the surface of coal (i.e. coal seam gas) and trapped in shale rock (i.e. shale gas)
What is natural gas mainly made up of?
methane gas (CH4)
What are biofuels?
A fuel that comes from the products of living systems
Do biofuels produce greenhouse gases upon combustion?
Yes, but they have minimal levels of emissions overall due to the carbon dioxide the plant materials they are made out, of removing carbon dioxide from the air through photosynthesis
How is bioethanol produced?
Through a fermentation reaction of glucose
What is the reaction that occurs during fermentation to produce bioethanol?
yeast
Glucose -> 2 ethanol + 2 carbon dioxide
How is biogas produced?
anaerobic bacteria break down organic waste into the more simple compounds methane and carbon dioxide.
How is biodiesel produced?
Through an esterification reaction between a triglyceride (vegetable oil or animal fats) and a small alcohol molecule.
