What Fuels a VehicleWhat Fuels a Vehicle

May 3, 2023

HistoricallyHistorically• Motor vehicles have

an internal combustion engine which is powered by a fuel, which must be– compressed and– ignited

• The resulting energy is harnessed

Click here to learn how car engines work

Present DayPresent Day• Most passenger

vehicles run on a combination of hydrocarbons called gasoline

• The ingredients to make gasoline come from crude oil

• These are refined through the distillation of crude oil

GasolineGasoline• A blend of hydrocarbons (molecules containing

only carbon and hydrogen)• Some of the common molecules in gasoline are

decane, heptane, octane

GasolineGasoline• Gasoline contains a

lot of energy• If humans could

digest gasoline, a litre of it would contain about 8,200 calories - this is equivalent to the energy in about 29 McDonald’s hamburgers

Diesel FuelDiesel Fuel• Another common type of

fuel is diesel• The hydrocarbons in

diesel are bigger than those in gasoline

• Diesel fuel packs more energy than the equivalent amount of gasoline

• It releases less carbon dioxide, but more soot and acid rain containing molecules

Gasoline and Diesel - HealthGasoline and Diesel - Health• During World War II,

A form of lead was added to low quality gas to improve its use

• It is now understood that lead is toxic to many living organisms, including humans

Gasoline and Diesel – Global Gasoline and Diesel – Global WarmingWarming

• When hydrocarbons are combusted (burned), carbon dioxide is produced

• It is now widely accepted that carbon dioxide acts as a greenhouse gas, which potentially leads to an increase in global temperatures

Gasoline and Diesel - EconomyGasoline and Diesel - Economy• Worldwide demand for oil, to be used in the

manufacturing of goods has never been higher• Ever increasing oil costs are translating to ever

increasing gas prices

"Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration (Uly 2008)."

• Ethanol additivesEthanol additives• BiodieselBiodiesel• Hydrogen FuelHydrogen Fuel• Electric CarsElectric Cars

EthanolEthanol• In recent years, ethanol

(alcohol) has been added to gas

Pro – It increases the oxygen content, allowing a clean burn

Con – because more ethanol was needed for fuel, corn crops began to go towards fuel, causing an increase in food prices

BiodieselBiodiesel• Biodiesel is a fuel made

from the oils/fats of plants and animals

• Currently, biodiesel is blended with regular diesel

Pro – Is a renewable and recyclable source of fuel

Con – Less powerful than regular diesel, more nitrogen oxides, and doesn’t burn well in older vehicles

Hydrogen FuelHydrogen Fuel• Hydrogen is a potential

fuel of the future

Pro – Burns producing only water as a by product

Con – difficult (dangerous) to transport, production of hydrogen fuel requires some form of energy

Electric CarsElectric Cars• Currently, cars which run

on an electric charge do exist

Pro – car does not produce emissions when running on battery charge, which eliminates a point of pollution

Con – limited charge, some form of energy is required to recharge the battery

ReferencesReferencesBrain, M. (n.d.). HowStuffWorks "How Gasoline Works". Howstuffworks "Science". Retrieved December 15, 2010, from http://science.howstuffworks.com/gasoline1.htm

Brain, M. (n.d.). HowStuffWorks "How Car Engines Work". Howstuffworks "Auto ". Retrieved December 15, 2010, from http://auto.howstuffworks.com/engine.htm

APA formatting by BibMe.org.

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