Fuel

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Fuel
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For other uses, see Fuel (disambiguation).
Fuel imports in 2005
Fuel imports in 2005

Fuel is any combustible matter used to maintain fire, such as coal, wood, oil, or natural gas, in order to create heat or power. Fuel releases its energy either through chemical means, such as combustion, or nuclear means, such as nuclear fission or nuclear fusion. An important property of a useful fuel is that its energy can be stored to be released only when needed, and that the release is controlled in such a way that the energy can be harnessed to produce work.

All carbon-based life forms—from microorganisms to animals and humans—depend on and use fuels as their source of energy. Their cells engage in an enzyme-mediated chemical process called metabolism that converts energy from food or solar power into a form that can be used to sustain life. [1] Additionally, humans employ a variety of techniques to convert one form of energy into another, producing usable energy for purposes that go far beyond the energy needs of a human body. The application of energy released from fuels ranges from heat to cooking and from powering weapons to combustion and generation of electricity.

In stars that undergo nuclear fusion, the fuel consists of atomic nuclei that can release energy by the aborption of a proton or neutron. In most stars the fuel is provided by hydrogen, which can combine together to form helium through the proton-proton chain reaction or by the CNO cycle. When the hydrogen fuel is exhausted, nuclear fusion can continue with progressively heavier elements, although the net energy released is lower because of the smaller difference in nuclear binding energy. Once iron-56 or nickel-56 nuclei are produced, no further energy can be obtained by nuclear fusion as these have the highest nuclear binding energies.[2]
Contents
[hide]

* 1 Fossil fuels
* 2 Biofuels
* 3 Nuclear fuel
* 4 Fuel trade
* 5 See also
* 6 Footnotes
* 7 References
* 8 Further reading

[edit] Fossil fuels

Main article: Fossil fuel

Fossil fuels are hydrocarbons, primarily coal and petroleum (fuel oil or natural gas), formed from the fossilized remains of dead plants and animals[3] by exposure to heat and pressure in the Earth's crust over hundreds of millions of years[4]. In common parlance, the term fossil fuel also includes hydrocarbon-containing natural resources that are not derived entirely from biological sources, such as tar sands. These latter sources are properly known as mineral fuels.

Modern large-scale industrial development is based on fossil fuel use, which has largely supplanted water-driven mills, as well as the combustion of wood or peat for heat. With global modernization in the 20th and 21st centuries, the growth in energy production from fossil fuels, especially gasoline derived from oil, is one of the causes of major regional and global conflicts and environmental issues. A global movement toward the generation of renewable energy is therefore under way to help meet the increased global energy needs.

The burning of fossil fuels by humans is the largest source of emissions of carbon dioxide, which is one of the greenhouse gases that enhances radiative forcing and contributes to global warming. The atmospheric concentration of CO2, a greenhouse gas, is increasing, raising concerns that solar heat will be trapped and the average surface temperature of the Earth will rise in response.

[edit] Biofuels

Main article: Biofuel

Biofuel can be broadly defined as solid, liquid, or gas fuel consisting of, or derived from biomass. Biomass can also be used directly for heating or power—known as biomass fuel. The most common use for biofuels is in automotive transport (for example E10 fuel). Biofuel can be produced from any carbon source that can be replenished rapidly e.g. plants. Many different plants and plant-derived materials are used for biofuel manufacture.

[edit] Nuclear fuel

Main article: Nuclear fuel

Nuclear fuel is any material that can be consumed to derive nuclear energy. By far the most common type of nuclear fuel is heavy fissile elements that can be made to undergo nuclear fission chain reactions in a nuclear fission reactor; nuclear fuel can refer to the material or to physical objects (for example fuel bundles composed of fuel rods) composed of the fuel material, perhaps mixed with structural, neutron moderating, or neutron reflecting materials. The most common fissile nuclear fuels are 235U and 239Pu, and the actions of mining, refining, purifying, using, and ultimately disposing of these elements together make up the nuclear fuel cycle, which is important for its relevance to nuclear power generation and nuclear weapons.

[edit] Fuel trade

World Bank reported that the USA was the top fuel importer in 2005 followed by the EU and Japan.

[edit] See also
Energy Portal

* List of energy topics

* Alcohol fuel
* Ammonia
* Alternative fuels
* Biomass
* Biofuel
* Combustion
* Energy density
* Fossil fuel
* Fuel oil
* Fuel poverty
* Hydrocarbon
* Liquid fuels
* Oxidation
* Propellant
* Solid fuel
* World energy resources and consumption
* Fuel cell

[edit] Footnotes

1. ^ "Metabolism," Encyclopaedia Britannica, retrieved August 17, 2006.
2. ^ Fewell, M. P. (1995). "The atomic nuclide with the highest mean binding energy". American Journal of Physics 63 (7): 653-658.
3. ^ Dr. Irene Novaczek. Canada's Fossil Fuel Dependency. Elements. Retrieved on 2007-01-18.
4. ^ Fossil fuel. EPA. Retrieved on 2007-01-18.

[edit] References

* Chemistry 1, Brian Ratcliff, Helen Eccles, David Johnson, John Nicholson, John Raffan. Cambridge University press 2000. ISBN 0 521 78778 5

[edit] Further reading
Wikimedia Commons has media related to:
Fuels

* DIRECTIVE 1999/94/EC OF THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND OF THE COUNCIL of 13 December 1999, relating to the availability of consumer information on fuel economy and CO2 emissions in respect of the marketing of new passenger carsPDF (140 KiB).
* Council Directive 80/1268/EEC Fuel consumption of motor vehicles.

Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fuel"

Categories: Fuels | Energy development
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