Fuel, Fuel Oil
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Any combustible substance that generates heat, power and energy when ignited can be classified as a fuel. Coal, wood, petrol and diesel are good examples of commonly used fuels.
Heavy commercial fuels obtained from crude oil are called fuel oil. Some facts about fuel oil are:
- Comprises of long hydrocarbon chains
- Are highly combustible
- Employed to generate heat or power in boilers, furnaces and engines
Table of Contents
Types of Fuel
Fuel can be classified into the following categories:
Any combustible substance that generates heat, power and energy when ignited can be classified as a fuel. Coal, wood, petrol and diesel are good examples of commonly used fuels.
Heavy commercial fuels obtained from crude oil are called fuel oil. Some facts about fuel oil are:
- Comprises of long hydrocarbon chains
- Are highly combustible
- Employed to generate heat or power in boilers, furnaces and engines
Types of Fuel
Fuel can be classified into the following categories:
- Fossil fuels: Such fuel, like petroleum and coal, is formed through the anaerobic decomposition of organisms that died 300 million years ago and is used to generate energy across the globe. Petroleum and coal are the critical sources of energy and are highly-traded commodities in the world. The Oil & Gas Journal had estimated the world’s proven oil reserves at approximately 1.3 trillion barrels in late 2007. The world’s proven coal reserves were 905 billion tones in 2005-2007, according to the Energy Information Administration’s International Energy Annual.
- Biofuels: It is the fuel obtained from recently dead organisms, such as plants, plant byproducts and animals. Biodiesel and biogas are among the commonly used biofuels. The use of biodiesel for energy production has been on the rise in the US, with its production in the country soaring to about 682 million gallons in 2008, from roughly 489 gallons in 2007, according to the US Census Bureau.
- Nuclear fuel: Nuclear fuels are heavy fissile elements that can undergo nuclear fissile chain reactions to produce energy. Examples of nuclear fuels include low enriched uranium (LEU) and mixed oxide (MOX), which is a mixture of plutonium oxide and natural uranium oxide.
Uses of Fuel
Fuel has the following uses:
- Fuels such as petrol, biodiesel and gas can be used to run vehicles and light burners.
- Biodiesel is used in cleaning oil spills. Spilled crude oil can be coagulated using biodiesel and later skimmed off the water surface.
- Petroleum-based fuels are used as industrial solvents
- Coal, biodiesel and even nuclear fuels are used to produce electricity
- Distillate fuel oil is used in buildings for heating purposes
