Sylvie Willis
Diesel fuel is made from a variety of sources, the most common being petroleum, which is produced by the fractional distillation of crude oil. This process involves heating crude oil and separating it into various parts or fractions based on their different boiling points. The container that the heated crude oil enters has several condensers at different heights, with substances with higher boiling points condensing at the bottom and lower ones at the top. When the vapour reaches between 200 and 350 degrees Celsius, diesel fuel begins to emerge and is siphoned off into a holding tank. The distillation process allows for the extraction of shorter hydrocarbon chains, which can also be recombined to create diesel fuel.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| How is diesel fuel made from crude oil? | Fractional distillation of crude oil is the process by which diesel fuel is obtained. |
| The process | Crude oil is heated and enters a container with several condensers at different heights. Substances with higher boiling points condense at the bottom, while those with lower boiling points condense at the top. |
| As the vapor rises in the distillation tower, shorter hydrocarbon chains begin to liquefy. Diesel fuel emerges when the vapor cools down between 200 and 350 degrees Celsius. | |
| Other sources of diesel fuel | Biomass, animal fat, biogas, natural gas, and coal liquefaction. |
| Use cases | Diesel fuel is commonly used in freight and delivery trucks, trains, buses, boats, military vehicles, and some cars and light trucks. It is also used in diesel-engine generators for electricity generation. |
| Advantages | Diesel engines are more fuel-efficient and less prone to catching fire compared to petrol engines. |
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What You'll Learn
Fractional distillation
The fractions obtained from crude oil have different hydrocarbon chain lengths and boiling points. The lightest fractions, with boiling points around 70-200°C, include gasoline, naphtha, kerosene, jet fuel, and paraffin. These products have small molecules, are highly volatile, easily ignitable, flow easily, and have low boiling points. The middle distillates, with boiling points of 200-350°C, include diesel fuel and gas oil. The longest hydrocarbon chains have boiling points over 400°C and emerge as asphalt or bitumen at the bottom of the column.
The design and operation of fractionation towers in the oil industry are complex and largely based on empirical knowledge. The calculations involved in designing these towers require numerous charts, tables, and complex empirical equations. However, recent advancements have been made to develop computer-aided design procedures to improve efficiency and reliability. The two main types of distillation columns used are tray and packing columns, with tray columns being more common for larger columns with high liquid loads and in most oil refinery operations.
The process of fractional distillation has been used for centuries, dating back to the 9th century in the works of the Islamic alchemist Jabir ibn Hayyan. Today, it plays a crucial role in the production of diesel fuel and other petroleum products that are essential for internal combustion engines, machinery, aircraft fuel, and heating oil.
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Crude oil enters a container with several condensers
Crude oil is a finite resource that takes millions of years to form beneath the Earth's surface. It is found in an 'oil reservoir' deep within the layers of the seabed, formed from living creatures and plants. Geologists use devices that utilise infrared signals and sonars to detect possible flowing oil. Once an area is discovered, scientists survey the seabed surface to confirm preparations for extraction. The drills attached to the rig or platform must travel through the seabed and several layers of sedimentary and impermeable rock to reach the crude oil pool.
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Substances with higher boiling points condense at the bottom
Diesel fuel is made from crude oil through the process of fractional distillation. This process separates the solution into various parts, or fractions, based on their different boiling points. The container into which the heated crude oil enters has several condensers at different heights. Substances with higher boiling points condense at the bottom, while those with lower boiling points condense at the top. This separation occurs because the components of crude oil have different boiling points.
The longest hydrocarbon chains have boiling points exceeding 400 degrees Celsius. As soon as these chains enter the distillation tower, they begin turning back into a liquid, resulting in asphalt or bitumen, which exits from the bottom. As the vapour rises, shorter hydrocarbon chains start to liquefy. When the vapour cools down below 370 degrees Celsius, fuel oil is formed. This process continues up the tower, with various distillates emerging as the vapour cools further.
Diesel fuel begins to emerge when the vapour reaches between 200 and 350 degrees Celsius. The vapour collects on distillation plates, from where it is siphoned off into a diesel holding tank. The distillation process extracts shorter and shorter hydrocarbon chains as it rises in the tower. The shortest chains emerge at the top as a vapour gas. Alternatively, diesel fuel can be created by recombining some of these shorter hydrocarbon chain distillates.
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Diesel emerges when vapour cools to 200-350°C
The fractional distillation of crude oil is used to produce petroleum diesel, the most common type of diesel fuel. This process involves heating the oil to temperatures between 200 and 350°C, which causes the oil to turn into vapour. As the vapour rises, it cools and begins to condense into liquid distillates. When the vapour reaches temperatures between 200 and 350°C, diesel fuel begins to emerge. This happens because the vapour is made up of hydrocarbon chains of varying lengths, and the length of the hydrocarbon chain corresponds to the temperature at which it liquefies. The longest hydrocarbon chains have boiling points above 400°C, while shorter chains liquefy at lower temperatures. When the vapour cools to between 200 and 350°C, it is primarily the medium-length hydrocarbon chains that liquefy and form diesel fuel.
The distillation process takes place in a tower, with the longest hydrocarbon chains exiting at the bottom as asphalt or bitumen. As the vapour rises, it cools further, and various distillates emerge at different temperatures. Fuel oil, for example, emerges when the vapour cools below 370°C. When the vapour reaches the temperature range for diesel fuel, it is collected on distillation plates and siphoned off into a diesel holding tank. This process results in a mixture of carbon chains containing between 9 and 25 carbon atoms per molecule.
The diesel fuel produced through fractional distillation is often insufficient in supply and quality, so other sources and processes are used to supplement it. One method is to crack heavier fractions using visbreaking and coking, which converts them into usable diesel fuel. Another source of diesel fuel is hydrocracking, and kerosene is added to modify the viscosity of the final product.
The process of fractional distillation is crucial in the production of diesel fuel from crude oil. By controlling the temperature and collecting distillates at specific temperature ranges, we can separate the various hydrocarbon chains present in crude oil and produce diesel fuel with the desired properties. This process is essential for the petroleum industry and contributes significantly to the global supply of diesel fuel.
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Petroleum diesel is the most common type
Diesel fuel is commonly used in oil and gas extraction equipment, tractors, heavy equipment, and military vehicles. It is also used in diesel-engine generators to generate electricity. The most common type of diesel fuel is petroleum diesel, which is produced by the fractional distillation of crude oil. This process involves heating crude oil and separating it into various parts or fractions based on their different boiling points. The container into which the heated crude oil enters has several condensers at different heights, allowing substances with higher boiling points to condense at the bottom and those with lower boiling points to condense at the top.
The fractional distillation of crude oil to produce diesel fuel typically occurs between 200 and 350 °C at atmospheric pressure. This temperature range is critical as it results in a mixture of carbon chains with 9 to 25 carbon atoms per molecule, which is suitable for diesel fuel. During the distillation process, as the temperature decreases, different distillates emerge. For example, fuel oil emerges when the vapor cools down below 370 °C, and diesel fuel begins to emerge when the temperature reaches between 200 and 350 °C. The vapor is then collected on distillation plates and siphoned off into a diesel holding tank.
The hydrocarbons in crude oil, particularly those with high boiling points, are crucial for creating diesel fuel. These hydrocarbons have large molecules, making them ideal for fuel solutions due to their volatility, flow characteristics, and ease of ignition. By combining these hydrocarbons in specific proportions, diesel fuel is created. This process can also be achieved by recombining some of the shorter hydrocarbon chain distillates obtained during the distillation process.
Petroleum diesel is the predominant type of diesel fuel due to its widespread production and consumption, particularly in the United States. U.S. petroleum refineries play a significant role in producing diesel fuel, with an average yield of 11 to 12 gallons of diesel fuel from each 42-gallon barrel of crude oil. The United States also contributes to the production and consumption of biomass-based diesel fuels, further diversifying the sources of diesel fuel.
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Frequently asked questions
Diesel fuel is made from various sources, the most common being petroleum. Other sources include biomass, animal fat, biogas, natural gas, and coal liquefaction.
Fractional distillation of crude oil is the process by which diesel fuel is made. Crude oil is heated and enters a container with several condensers at different heights. Substances with higher boiling points condense at the bottom, and those with lower boiling points condense at the top. Diesel fuel emerges when the vapour cools down to between 200 and 350 degrees Celsius.
Diesel fuel is important for running fleets and managing businesses. It is used in freight and delivery trucks, trains, buses, boats, military vehicles, and some cars. Diesel fuel is also used in diesel-engine generators to generate electricity.
On average, 11 to 12 gallons of diesel fuel can be produced from each 42-gallon barrel of crude oil.
