Mindblown: a blog about philosophy.

The organic material produced by plants and their derivatives is called biomass. It includes forest crops and residues, energy crops, and animal manure. It reacts with oxygen in combustion and natural metabolic process to release heat. The material may be transformed by chemical and biological processes to produce intermediate biofuels such as methane gas, ethanol,…

LNG comes from dry natural reservoirs, mainly constituting about 85–90% of methane (CH4) with very small percentages of ethane and propane. Its critical temperature is about 73°C. It is found in coal reserves in tight sands and is trapped in geo-pressurised zones within the earth. LNG is obtained when natural gas (NG) is placed under…

Liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) mainly contains propane and some fractions of butane. It must be stored under pressure to keep it in liquid form. LPG is gaining popularity as a gasoline substitute in IC engines because it costs 60% of petrol and gives 90% mileage of its fellow gasoline. It burns more clearly, has a…

Petroleum gases can be liquefied by slightly compressing them. When these gases liquefy, they contract and occupy less space. They can then be transported more easily in liquid form in pressurised containers. If the pressure is released by opening the valve, the liquid from the container begins to evaporate and provides a continuous supply of gas.…

The important properties of gaseous fuels are as follows:

The advantages of gaseous fuels are as follows: The disadvantages of gaseous fuels are as follows:

The calorific value of gaseous fuels is given in Table 1.4.   Table 1.4 Calorific value of gaseous fuels  

Liquid fuels should have the following desirable properties:

The calorific value of liquid fuels is given in Table 1.3.   Table 1.3 Calorific value of liquid fuels