Biofuels Lecture

Flashcards about Biofuels Lecture

What is a biofuel?

Any fuel that comes from a biological source (plant, animal, etc)

What is a Hydrocarbon?

A molecule with all Carbon and Hydrogen atoms

What are examples of Fossil fuels?

Natural Gas, Oil, Coal

What determines the properties and uses of a Hydrocarbon?

The carbon chain length

What state of matter are hydrocarbons with 1 to 4 Carbons?

Gas

What are hydrocarbons with 5 to 7 Carbons used for?

Naphtha or Liquid Solvents

What are hydrocarbons with 8 to 11 Carbons used for?

Gasoline

What are hydrocarbons with 12 to 17 Carbons used for?

Heating Oil, Jet Fuel, Kerosene, Diesel

What are hydrocarbons with 18 to 20 Carbons used for?

Lubricating Oils

What are hydrocarbons with 20 or more Carbons used for?

Wax, Asphalt, Plastics

What does viscosity refer to?

A substance's resistance to flow

Sugars can be used in cars by doing what?

Breaking down sugars to match the properties of gasoline

How is Biodiesel created?

Breaking off the long hydrocarbon chains from the three fatty acid tails of a triglyceride

What is a fat/triglyceride?

A molecule with a glycerol head and three fatty acid tails

What was the most common type of engine at first?

Steam

What type of combustion does the Diesel engine primarily use?

Compression

What type of ingition does the Gasoline engine primarily use?

Spark ignition

What is the biggest problem in using biofuels?

Food source