Fuel in cars

Process for gasoline

Crude oil extraction

Distillation to obtain its different components

Combustion for gasoline

• General combustion for a hydrocarbon

(hydrocarbon)

• Combustion for octane gasoline

(octane)

Octane's structural formula

Other information :

- non-renewable

- ignition point is - 43 °F

What is the problem with it ?

Environmental

- Release more carbon dioxide into the atmosphere (largest source of greenhouse gas emission in US)

- Quebec, transportation is accountable for 43% of greenhouse gases emissions

- Causes climate change which leads to

1- increase temperatures

2- Melting of glaciers

3- Increase of the sea level

4- Increase of extreme meteorological phenomenon

5- Increase of frequency and intensity of heat waves = higher risk of forests fires and also risky to children and elderly people

Health

- Higher risk of death due to dehydration (higher temperatures), risky to children and elderly especially

- Increase respiratory problems and cancer

- When inhaling CO, it blocks oxygen from vital organs (brain, heart, etc. )

What are biodiesel fuels ?

- type of biofuel

- renewable

- made from animal and plant oils, lipids and fats

- frying oils such as vegetable oils, corn oil

- These oils need to go through a whole process in order to become biodiesel which will be used to fuel the car. Principle #7: Renewable Resources – "A raw material feedstock should be renewable rather than depleting whenever technically and economically practical. "

Combustion of biodiesel

+ Energy

- Carbon in plants are the same carbon in the carbon dioxide released

- Due to photosynthesis

- fossil fuels release carbon that wasn't there before since it was buried

- Principle #4 : "[...] reducing toxicity."

photosynthesis

Energy released

Type of bonds

octane

biodiesel

carbon dioxide

water

We find that for 1 mole of octane, 5139.5 kJ is released while a mole of biodiesel releases 11 314 kJ. So, biodiesel releases more energy per mole than octane.

Principle #4 : safer chemical products where the chemical products preserve their efficacy of function while reducing toxicity.

Ignition point

Principle #12 : preventing accidents (biodiesel higher ignition point = prevents accidents)

Biodiesel has an ignition point of 350 °F versus gasoline is -43 °F. So, it reduces the chance of unexpected fire hazards.

Sources

Biofuel Chemistry : How they Burn? [Internet]. 2010. United Kingdom : BioFuel ; [cited 2020 October 29 ] Available from : http://biofuel.org.uk/how-do-biofuels-burn.html

Global Climate Change [Internet]. NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology : Earth Science Communications Team ; [updated 2020 October 27 ; cited 2020 October 29 ] Available from : https://climate.nasa.gov/causes/

Karmakar, R., Kundu, K. & Rajor, A. 2017. Fuel properties and emission characteristics of biodiesel produced from unused algae grown in India. Springer Nature [Internet]. [updated 2020 October 27 ; cited 2020 October 29 ]; Pet. Sci. 15, 385–395 (2018). Available from : https://doi.org/10.1007/s12182-017-0209-7

Natural resources Canada. 2014. Learn the fact: Fuel composition and CO2. Available from : https://www.nrcan.gc.ca/sites/www.nrcan.gc.ca/files/oee/pdf/transportation/fuel-efficient-technologies/autosmart_factsheet_6_e.pdf

Union of Concerned Scientists. 2008. Cars, Trucks, Buses and Air Pollution [Internet].[updated 2018 July 19 ; cited 2020 October 29] Available from : https://www.ucsusa.org/resources/cars-trucks-buses-and-air-pollution