Fuels
| English | Chinese | Pinyin |
|---|---|---|
| fuels | 燃料 | rán liào |
| crude oil | 原油 | yuán yóu |
| hydrocarbons | 碳氢化合物 | tàn qīng huà hé wù |
| fractional distillation | 分馏 | fēn liú |
| incomplete combustion | 不完全燃烧 | bù wán quán rán shāo |
| complete combustion | 完全燃烧 | wán quán rán shāo |
| non-renewable | 不可再生的 | bù kě zài shēng de |
Burning for energy
- Most of the world's energy comes from burning fuels 燃料 — substances that release energy when they burn.
- The most important come from crude oil 原油.
Fuel chain lab
Follow a fuel from source to combustion products.
A hydrocarbon is a compound of:
Hydrocarbons contain only hydrogen and carbon.
Crude oil is separated into fractions by:
Fractional distillation separates by boiling point.
Crude oil and fractions
- Crude oil is a mixture of hydrocarbons 碳氢化合物 (compounds of hydrogen and carbon).
- It is separated by fractional distillation 分馏 into useful fractions (petrol, diesel, etc.).
An oil refinery separates crude oil into useful fuels
Fractions separate by boiling point: small molecules leave the cool top, thick bitumen stays at the hot bottom
Complete combustion of a hydrocarbon produces:
With enough oxygen: CO₂ + water.
Incomplete combustion can produce toxic carbon monoxide.
Too little oxygen makes CO and soot.
Complete and incomplete combustion 不完全燃烧
- Complete combustion 完全燃烧 (plenty of oxygen): fuel + oxygen → carbon dioxide + water.
- Incomplete combustion (too little oxygen): produces carbon monoxide and soot.
Fossil fuels will eventually run out because they are ______.
They cannot be replaced on a human timescale.
Problems with fossil fuels
- Burning fossil fuels releases carbon dioxide (greenhouse gas) and pollutants.
- They are also non-renewable 不可再生的 — they will run out.
Incomplete combustion is dangerous and wasteful. With too little oxygen, fuels make toxic carbon monoxide and sooty particles, and release less energy. Good ventilation ensures complete combustion.
You've got it
- crude oil is a mixture of hydrocarbons, separated by fractional distillation
- complete combustion → CO₂ + water; incomplete → carbon monoxide + soot
- fossil fuels release CO₂ and are non-renewable