Sylvie Willis
National Fuel Gas Company, headquartered in Western New York, is a diversified energy organization that supplies natural gas in New York and Pennsylvania. Diesel fuel, also known as diesel oil, is a liquid fuel designed for diesel engines, which are internal combustion engines that use compression to ignite fuel without a spark. While diesel fuel is less prone to catching fire compared to gasoline, it is still combustible and can cause fires under certain conditions.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Origin | German scientist and inventor Rudolf Diesel invented the compression-ignition engine around 1892 |
| Definition | Any liquid fuel designed for use in a diesel engine, a type of internal combustion engine |
| Engine | A diesel engine is a type of internal combustion engine in which fuel ignition occurs without a spark as a result of compression of inlet air and then injection of fuel |
| Flash Point | Between 100°F and 140°F, which is the lowest temperature at which diesel releases enough vapour to form a flammable mixture with air |
| Fire Point | The temperature at which diesel burns after the flame is removed, which is higher than the flash point |
| Flammability | Diesel is not flammable as it has a flashpoint above 100°F, but it is combustible |
| Use Cases | Used in generators to produce electricity, and to power vehicles, tractors, heavy equipment, and more |
| Safety | Diesel is safer to handle than gasoline but still requires precautions as it can cause fires |
| Alternatives | Biodiesel, biomass-to-liquid (BTL), and gas-to-liquid (GTL) diesel |
| Standardization | Standardized in some countries, e.g. EN 590 in the European Union |
| Names | Commonly called diesel, also known as diesel oil, heavy oil, DERV (UK), distillate (Australia), and Solar (Indonesia, Israel, and the Middle East) |
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What You'll Learn
Diesel fuel is less flammable than gasoline
Diesel fuel is a liquid fuel designed for use in diesel engines, which are a type of internal combustion engine. These engines have fuel ignition without a spark, due to the compression of inlet air and the subsequent injection of fuel. Diesel engines are more efficient than gasoline engines, with efficiency ratings of 40% and higher, compared to 20% efficiency in gasoline engines.
Diesel engines require intense pressure or a sustained flame to ignite diesel fuel. This higher flashpoint makes diesel a less volatile substance and therefore less flammable. The flashpoint of a substance is an important indicator of its flammability or combustibility, and it is determined by heating a substance under controlled conditions and introducing an ignition source.
The use of diesel fuel has certain advantages. Firstly, it is more fuel-efficient, which is why it is commonly used in military vehicles and heavy equipment. Diesel fuel is also less prone to catching fire, making it a safer option. These characteristics have led to the widespread adoption of diesel engines and diesel fuel in various industries, including agriculture and mining.
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Diesel engines are more fuel-efficient
National Fuel Gas Company is a natural gas supplier and distributor in New York and Pennsylvania.
Diesel engines are particularly efficient for highway driving, with one source stating that they are 29% more efficient on the highway and 24% more efficient in the city. Diesel engines are also more efficient for those who need to tow or haul heavy loads, as they offer superior torque.
However, diesel engines have a lower horsepower than petrol engines, resulting in slower acceleration. They also require more frequent and expensive maintenance due to the complexity of the engines. Diesel cars also tend to have higher upfront costs, which can offset the fuel savings, especially for low-mileage drivers.
In summary, while diesel engines are more fuel-efficient, there are other factors to consider when choosing between a diesel and a petrol engine, such as maintenance costs, upfront costs, and driving preferences.
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Diesel fuel is derived from crude oil
Diesel fuel, also known as diesel oil, heavy oil, or simply diesel, is a liquid fuel used in diesel engines. Diesel engines are internal combustion engines that do not require spark plug ignition. Instead, they rely on the compression of inlet air and the subsequent injection of fuel to ignite.
Diesel fuel is primarily derived from crude oil through a process called fractional distillation. Crude oil is a naturally occurring liquid that can be refined into various fuels and other petroleum-based products. The distillation process involves heating the viscous crude oil to temperatures exceeding 400 degrees Celsius, turning it into vapour. This vapour then rises through a distillation tower, where it gradually cools and condenses back into a liquid state. Different products emerge at various levels of the tower, depending on their boiling points. The longest hydrocarbon chains, with boiling points above 400 degrees Celsius, condense first and exit the tower as asphalt or bitumen. As the vapour continues to rise, shorter hydrocarbon chains with lower boiling points condense and emerge as fuel oil and, eventually, diesel fuel.
The specific fractional distillate of petroleum fuel oil that becomes diesel fuel typically contains between 9 and 25 carbon atoms per molecule. This process results in a much lighter fuel than the original crude oil. Diesel fuel can also be derived from alternative sources such as biomass, animal fat, biogas, natural gas, and coal liquefaction.
The history of diesel fuel is closely linked to the development of the diesel engine by German scientist and inventor Rudolf Diesel in the late 19th century. Initially, Diesel experimented with various fuels, including crude oil, petrol, kerosene, and coal tar creosote. However, it was the French Otto society that first successfully ran a Diesel engine on crude oil in 1900, exhibited at the Paris Exposition. Despite these early experiments, diesel engines predominantly used petrol until after World War II, when the advantages of diesel fuel, such as improved fuel efficiency and lower flammability, led to its widespread adoption.
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Diesel engines were invented by Rudolf Diesel
Rudolf Diesel, born on March 18, 1858, in Paris, invented the pressure-ignited heat engine commonly known as the diesel engine. He was a German thermal engineer and a distinguished connoisseur of the arts, a linguist, and a social theorist. Diesel grew up in Paris until 1870 when he and his family were deported to England due to the outbreak of the Franco-Prussian War. At the age of 14, Diesel wrote to his parents expressing his intention to become an engineer. He graduated from Munich Polytechnic and began working as a refrigerator engineer for the Linde Ice Machine Company in Paris.
In 1890, Diesel moved to Berlin to manage the Linde Ice Machine Company's technical office. However, his passion for engine design remained a constant in his life. He worked on an idea for an efficient thermal engine in his free time, completing a design by 1892 for which he received a patent a year later. Diesel aimed to create a more efficient engine than those available at the time. His design, known as the diesel engine, does not require an externally applied ignition to the mixture of air and fuel inside. Instead, it achieves ignition through compressing the air inside the cylinder and heating it, allowing the fuel to ignite on its own.
During his initial tests, Diesel used illuminating gas as fuel and successfully built functional designs, both with and without pilot injection. He also experimented with a coal-dust prototype in 1899, but it suffered from piston ring failure due to coal dust deposition. Before the standardization of diesel fuel, diesel engines typically ran on cheap fuel oils, such as distilled petroleum in the United States or coal-tar creosote oil in Europe.
The high efficiency and simple design of Diesel's engine made it an immediate commercial success. The engine was smaller and lighter than contemporary steam engines, and its fuel efficiency was significantly higher. Diesel's invention not only revolutionized transportation but also had a lasting impact on various industries, including military vehicles, tractors, and heavy equipment. Today, diesel engines are widely used and known for their fuel efficiency, with diesel fuel being less prone to catching fire.
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Diesel fuel is used in generators to produce electricity
Diesel fuel is a liquid fuel designed for use in diesel engines, which are a type of internal combustion engine. Diesel engines are typically compression-ignition engines, where air is compressed in the cylinder, causing the diesel fuel to spontaneously ignite. This ignition occurs without a spark, as a result of the compression of inlet air and the subsequent injection of fuel.
Diesel fuel is widely used in generators to produce electricity, particularly in places without access to a power grid or as an emergency power supply. This process is known as electromechanical energy conversion. Diesel generators are valued for their ability to provide a stable and consistent source of electricity for extended periods, making them ideal for backup power solutions.
The diesel generator combines a diesel engine with an electric generator, often an alternator, to generate electrical energy. During the combustion process, the chemical energy stored in the diesel fuel is converted into mechanical energy. This mechanical energy is then transformed into electrical energy through electromagnetic induction.
The size of a diesel generator can range from 1 kVA to more than 1000 kVA, making them versatile for various applications. They are commonly used in building-integrated microgrids due to their size, cost-effectiveness, simplicity, and ease of fuel accessibility. Additionally, diesel generators are employed in ships, providing auxiliary power and, in some cases, indirect main propulsion.
The use of diesel fuel in generators offers advantages such as fuel efficiency and a lower risk of catching fire compared to other fuels. However, it's important to manage the fuel oil temperature to ensure proper flow while mitigating fire risks, especially in smaller generating stations.
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Frequently asked questions
Yes, diesel fuel is dangerous when not used properly. While it is less volatile than gasoline, it can still ignite under the right conditions.
Diesel fuel is specifically designed for use in a diesel engine, a type of internal combustion engine in which fuel ignition occurs without a spark. Diesel engines are more fuel-efficient and less prone to catching fire.
Diesel fuel is made from crude oil. It is a specific fractional distillate of petroleum fuel oil.
The flash point of diesel is between 100°F and 140°F. It is a combustible liquid, not a flammable one.
In the UK, diesel fuel for road use is called "diesel" or "white diesel" to differentiate it from agricultural diesel, which is called "red diesel". In Australia, diesel is known as "distillate", in Indonesia and Israel, it is called "Solar", and in France, it is called "gazole".
