Ameer Randolph
Diesel fuel, also known as diesel oil, is a combustible liquid used as fuel for diesel engines. It is obtained from fractions of crude oil that are less volatile than the fractions used in gasoline. The first diesel engine was invented by Rudolf Diesel around 1892, and the fuel was initially a byproduct of the oil refining process that was often discarded. Diesel engines are unique in that they compress the liquid fuel to extreme pressures to cause ignition, rather than using an external ignition source such as a spark. Diesel fuel is commonly used in heavy trucks, ships, trains, and other vehicles, as well as in boilers for steam engines. It is produced by petroleum refineries and transported to consumers through pipelines, ships, trains, and trucks.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Common uses | Used in motor vehicles, such as freight and delivery trucks, trains, buses, boats, cars, light trucks, tanks, and construction, farming, and military vehicles. |
| Used in diesel-engine generators to generate electricity, especially in remote locations like villages in Alaska. | |
| Used in industrial facilities, large buildings, institutional facilities, hospitals, and electric utilities for backup and emergency power supply. | |
| Origin | Invented by German scientist and inventor Rudolf Diesel around 1892. |
| Originally designed to use coal dust as fuel but has since been standardized to use petroleum-based diesel fuel. | |
| Biodiesel, biomass-to-liquid (BTL), and gas-to-liquid (GTL) diesel alternatives are also being developed and adopted. | |
| Health and Environmental Impact | Diesel exhaust, especially from older engines, can cause health issues such as nausea, eye irritation, increased blood pressure, headaches, and skin irritation. |
| Long-term exposure to diesel exhaust has been associated with lung and bladder cancer, as well as impacts on the immune, respiratory, urinary, and cardiovascular systems. | |
| Ultra-low-sulfur diesel (ULSD) has been introduced to reduce air pollution emissions and their harmful effects on human health. |
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What You'll Learn
- Diesel engines: used in heavy trucks, tractors, trains, ships, and cars
- Ultra-low-sulfur diesel: used in the UK, Europe, and North America
- Biodiesel: made from biomass, soybean, or oil palm
- Fischer-Tropsch diesel: made from natural gas, synthesis gas, or biogas
- Crude oil: extracted from the ground through wells and offshore rigs
Diesel engines: used in heavy trucks, tractors, trains, ships, and cars
Diesel engines are used in a variety of vehicles, including heavy trucks, tractors, trains, ships, and cars.
Heavy Trucks
Heavy-duty diesel truck manufacturing brands are always looking to outdo each other with their engine offerings. Heavy-duty diesel trucks are manufactured by brands like Detroit Diesel, Volvo, Kenworth, and Peterbilt. Detroit Diesel's DD15 engine is widely regarded as one of the best and is used by many truck manufacturers. Diesel engines are also used in aftermarket engines, where buyers can get the most out of their heavy-duty trucks by combining the desired characteristics of different truck brands.
Tractors
Diesel engines are the preferred choice for tractors due to their fuel efficiency, high torque output, and durability. Off-highway diesel engines are commonly used in tractors, with four-stroke diesel engines being the most popular due to their high power output, durability, and fuel efficiency. Turbocharged and intercooled diesel engines are used in high-performance tractors for their high power output and low fuel consumption.
Trains
Diesel-electric railroad locomotion entered mainline service in 1934, with the Burlington Route and Union Pacific using custom-built diesel trains to haul passengers. The first milestone in the development of diesel engines for trains was the Winton 201A, a two-stroke, mechanically aspirated engine that could deliver the required performance for a fast, lightweight passenger train. The second milestone was the 1938 delivery of GM's Model 567 engine, which brought a fivefold increase in the life of some mechanical parts and showed its potential for freight service.
Ships
Most modern ships use reciprocating diesel engines as their prime mover due to their operating simplicity, robustness, and fuel economy. The use of diesel engines in ships began in the 20th century, replacing steam turbines and steam engines as the fuel of choice.
Cars
Diesel engines are used in various cars, including large trucks, SUVs, medium commercial cars, and buses. Common Rail Direct Injection (CRDI) diesel engines are the latest technology used in SUVs, and they work similarly to the EFI system on gasoline cars.
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Ultra-low-sulfur diesel: used in the UK, Europe, and North America
Ultra-low-sulfur diesel (ULSD) is a diesel fuel with a significantly reduced sulphur content. Since 2006, almost all petroleum-based diesel fuel available in the UK, mainland Europe, and North America has been ULSD.
The move to lower sulphur content allows for the use of advanced emissions control technologies, which substantially reduce the harmful emissions from diesel combustion. Testing has shown that the use of emissions control devices in conjunction with ULSD can reduce the exhaust output of ozone precursors and particulate matter to near-zero levels. The refining process that removes the sulphur also reduces the aromatic content and density of the fuel, resulting in a minor decrease in energy content of around 1%.
In 1993, the European Union began mandating the reduction of diesel sulphur content, and modern ULSD specifications were implemented in 1999. The United States started phasing in ULSD requirements for highway vehicles in 2006, with implementation for off-highway applications, such as locomotive and marine fuel, beginning in 2007. Since 2011, the United States has required ULSD at all fuel pumps, with a maximum of 15 parts per million (ppm) of sulphur and a minimum cetane rating of 40.
ULSD is also used as heating oil. In 2022, U.S. refineries produced about 1.75 billion barrels (73.46 billion gallons) of ULSD, with total consumption for all uses at about 1.44 billion barrels (60.30 billion gallons).
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Biodiesel: made from biomass, soybean, or oil palm
Diesel fuel, also known as diesel oil or heavy oil, is a liquid fuel designed for use in diesel engines, a type of internal combustion engine. Diesel fuel is most commonly a fractional distillate of petroleum fuel oil, but alternative sources are being increasingly developed and adopted, such as biodiesel.
Biodiesel is a liquid fuel produced from renewable sources, such as new and used vegetable oils, animal fats, and biomass. It is a cleaner-burning replacement for petroleum-based diesel fuel and is also non-toxic and biodegradable. Biodiesel can be produced from biomass through biological and thermochemical processes, such as pyrolysis, gasification, and hydrothermal liquefaction.
One major source of biodiesel is soybeans. Soybeans contain approximately 18-20% oil and soybean oil is a major feedstock for biodiesel production. The use of soybean oil for biodiesel was influenced by the United Soybean Board and the subsequent creation of the National Biodiesel Board. One bushel of soybeans can yield 1.5 gallons of biodiesel, and soybean production for biodiesel has grown from zero to over a billion gallons per year in the past two decades.
Another source of biodiesel is oil palm. Palm oil is a highly productive feedstock for biodiesel, yielding over 600 gallons of biodiesel per acre. Indonesia, a top palm oil producer, has launched the mandatory B40 biodiesel program, which has made palm oil more expensive than rival oils. Malaysia, another major palm oil producer, currently has a 10% biodiesel mandate, although there are no plans to raise the blend to 20% due to the required infrastructure development and funding.
Biodiesel is a first-generation biofuel that can be used in diesel engines without negative effects. It is produced by combining alcohol with vegetable oil, animal fat, or recycled cooking grease, through a process called transesterification. This reaction yields methyl or ethyl esters (biodiesel) and a byproduct of glycerin. Biodiesel is compatible with today's engines, pumps, and infrastructure, making it a viable alternative to petroleum-based diesel fuel.
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Fischer-Tropsch diesel: made from natural gas, synthesis gas, or biogas
Fischer-Tropsch diesel is a synthetic diesel fuel that can be made from natural gas, synthesis gas, or biogas. The Fischer-Tropsch (FT) process involves converting these gases into a synthetic diesel fuel through a catalytic reaction. This process was first developed by Fischer, who conducted early experiments with cobalt catalyst particles suspended in oil. The FT process generally operates in the temperature range of 150-300 °C, with higher temperatures leading to faster reactions and higher conversion rates, although favouring methane production. Therefore, the temperature is usually kept in the lower range.
One of the largest implementations of Fischer-Tropsch technology is in Bintulu, Malaysia, where a Shell facility converts natural gas into low-sulphur diesel fuel. Fischer-Tropsch diesel can also be produced from synthesis gas, or "syngas", which is a mixture of hydrogen and carbon monoxide obtained from biomass or coal gasification. In the United States and India, some coal-producing states have invested in Fischer-Tropsch plants to convert waste coal into low-sulphur diesel fuel.
Biogas, which primarily consists of carbon dioxide and methane, can also be used as a feedstock for Fischer-Tropsch diesel production. A novel single-pass biogas-to-diesel process has been developed, which operates at high CO conversions and does not require energy-intensive CO2 removal. This process, called Decentralized Diesel, enables off-grid applications by using non-recycled gas to generate power. Fischer-Tropsch diesel produced from biogas has been shown to be a successful transportation fuel, as demonstrated by a project that created transportation diesel from dairy solids.
Fischer-Tropsch diesel made from natural gas, synthesis gas, or biogas offers a sustainable alternative to traditional petroleum-based diesel fuel. The FT process allows for the production of low-sulphur diesel, which is important as sulphur in diesel fuel contributes to air pollution and is harmful to human health. By utilising feedstocks such as natural gas, synthesis gas, or biogas, Fischer-Tropsch diesel provides a promising option for reducing our reliance on petroleum and promoting the use of renewable resources.
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Crude oil: extracted from the ground through wells and offshore rigs
Crude oil is a fossil fuel that is extracted from the ground through wells and offshore rigs. The process of extracting crude oil from the ground involves several steps, and it begins with geologists studying the structure and history of rock layers to locate potential deposits of oil and natural gas. They use seismic surveys and other methods to identify suitable drilling locations. Once a promising site is identified, an exploratory well is drilled and tested. If the site is deemed financially viable, development wells are drilled.
The next step is to bring the drill rig to the location and assemble it. This involves transporting and setting up the necessary equipment, which can include 20 to 30 truckloads of components. The drilling process begins by creating a "surface hole" down to a depth below the deepest known aquifer. A steel casing is then cemented in place to prevent any risk of polluting water sources.
After the initial drilling, the "long hole" is drilled horizontally to reach the trapped oil and natural gas. This process requires advanced technology to maintain the drilling within a narrow interval, but it allows access to a larger area of oil and gas reserves. Once the target depth is reached, the drill pipe is removed, and a steel pipe, known as the "well casing," is inserted and cemented in place.
Before oil extraction can begin, rigorous tests are performed to ensure the well casing is impermeable. A perforating gun is lowered into the ground and fired, creating holes in the rock layer to release the trapped oil and natural gas. Fracking fluid, composed primarily of water and sand, is pumped at high pressure to create cracks in the rock, facilitating the release of oil and gas.
The extraction of crude oil can be classified into conventional and unconventional production methods. In conventional production, crude oil and natural gas flow naturally upwards through the well due to the pressure of the earth. Unconventional production, on the other hand, employs advanced techniques and technologies to enhance or enable oil and gas extraction beyond what is achievable with conventional methods. This includes hydraulic fracturing, steam injection, and the use of various gas mixtures to increase reservoir pressure and improve oil flow.
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Frequently asked questions
Diesel fuel is used as a combustible liquid for diesel engines. It is also used as heating oil.
Diesel fuel is derived from crude oil, which is extracted from the ground through wells and offshore rigs. Crude oil is sent to refineries, where it is turned into diesel.
Diesel fuel is known by various names in different regions. In the United Kingdom, diesel fuel for road use is often called "white diesel". In Australia, it is known as "distillate", while in Indonesia, Israel, and most Middle Eastern countries, it is referred to as "Solar", which is a trademarked name.
