Sunday, June 2, 2013

What One Should Know About New Orleans Diesel

By Ladonna Chambers


In New Orleans diesel finds application in many fields, but before getting into applications, it is better to learn some fundamentals concerning it. In general, this liquid refers to all forms of fuels used on diesel engines. The most common of all are fractional distillates of petroleum although other non petroleum alternatives exist. They include biodiesel, biomass to liquid, and gas to liquid. Currently, there is a higher preference for the alternatives.

In order to distinguish between these two types, those that are derived from petroleum are called petrodiesel. The term ultra-low-sulfur is used to define diesel that contains substantially low amounts of sulfur. By the year 2007, almost all fuel in New Orleans was the low sulfur type. The term is named after a German inventor who invented a compression ignition engine in the year 1892.

The main source of this material is petroleum, but there are other minor sources. Petrodiesel is also known as fossil diesel. Petrodiesel is derived from crude oil through fractional distillation at temperature ranges of 200 to 350 degrees Centigrade at atmospheric pressure. Distillation results in a combination of carbon strings that comprise between 8 and 21 carbon atoms in every molecule.

The quality of the fuel is gauged by the cetane number. High cetane number implies that the gas will ignite more easily in presence of hot compressed air. Most states set the minimum level for the cetane number. The pricing is done per liter or gallon depending on the state one is.

This substance is applied as a car fuel. Here, it is lit by hot air inside the combustion chamber. After ignition, it mixes with oxygen in air and expands as temperature increases. The difference in pressure or thermal then converts into mechanical work that moves pistons. More air is consumed in these form of engines than chemical reactions that take place.

The level of sulfur contained in this fuel is being reduced because of its environmental hazards. Sulfur does harm to the environment by preventing the use of diesel particulate filters and nitrogen oxide absorbers, which reduce emission. The emission of sulfur dioxide and sulfur trioxide is harmful because the two easily convert to sulfuric acid in the presence of water. This causes acid rain. Sulfur is normally used to lubricate engines hence failure to use means that other kinds of additives need to be used.

If the fuel spills on road surfaces, it stays till it is washed by heavy downpours. This is opposed to gasoline which evaporates fast. There have been discussions concerning some microbes and algae that consume this fuel. This has prompted the need to provide good and frequent maintenance to storages to prevent microbes from consuming the fuel.

New Orleans diesel is derived from both sources. The synthetic type may be derived from any carbonaceous substance. Such materials include coal, biomass, natural gas, and biogas. The raw materials are first gasified. After gasification, they turn into synthesis gas, which gets purified and then turned using the Fischer Tropsch procedure into the end product.




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