Hydrocarbon Fuels

This book provides a comprehensive and systematic reference on the conversion processes and technology applicable to the production of clean liquid fuels for both power generation and transport industries.

The Chemistry of Hydrocarbon Fuels is concerned with the chemical aspects of hydrofuels such as coal, petroleum, and natural gas. Topics covered include diagenesis and catagenesis, processing of natural gas and petroleum fractions, coal combustion, and chemicals that can be obtained from fuels. This book is comprised of 14 chapters and begins with a comprehensive treatment of the formation of fuels from accumulated organic matter, along with the organic geochemistry of coal, oil, and gas. The following chapters focus on the composition of hydrocarbon fuels and some of their important physical properties. Production and use of synthesis gas, alternate fuels from coal, and oxygenated fuels are considered. The remaining chapters deal with some of the chemistry of separation, refining, and use of hydrocarbon fuels. This monograph is written primarily for practicing scientists and engineers, fuel scientists, petroleum chemists, and those who are new to the field of fuel science and seek an introduction to fuel chemistry.

In this historical review the NBS work on hydrocarbons is discussed in terms of the three major classes of natural hydrocarbonaceous fuels: natural gas, petroleum, and coal. The work done on the measurement of properties of the pure components has included measurement of the values of the properties themselves and development of practical and accurate measurement procedures and instruments. In addition, combustion energies, densities, viscosities, vapor pressures, refractive indices, elemental compositions and other parameters have been determined for complex fuel mixtures and correlated to find methods of estimating properties. Extensive standard reference data tables have been compiled and a number of standard reference materials have been developed.

The first strand involves a critical overview of the design of experimental methods used for examining the thermal behaviour of solid fuels [pyrolysis, liquefaction and gasification], while the second will emphasise chemical structures and molecular mass distributions of coal derived tars, extracts and pitches, petroleum-derived asphaltenes, and biomass derived heavy hydrocarbon liquids. Two major, interdependent strands in the study of fossil and renewable fuel utilisation are focused on within this text: (i) Thermal characterisation of solid fuels including various ranks of coals, biomass and waste, and, (ii) The analytical characterisation of heavy hydrocarbon liquids, covering coal, petroleum and biomass derived heavy fractions. Two major, interdependent strands in the study of fossil and renewable fuel utilisation are focused on within this text: (i) Thermal characterisation of solid fuels including various ranks of coals, biomass and waste, and, (ii) The analytical characterisation of heavy hydrocarbon liquids, covering coal, petroleum and biomass derived heavy fractions.

Conventional coal, oil and gas resources used worldwide for power production and transportation are limited and unsustainable. Research and development into clean, alternative hydrocarbon fuels is therefore aimed at improving fuel security through exploring new feedstock conversion techniques, improving production efficiency and reducing environmental impacts. Advances in clean hydrocarbon fuel processing provides a comprehensive and systematic reference on the range of alternative conversion processes and technologies. Following introductory overviews of the feedstocks, environmental issues and life cycle assessment for alternative hydrocarbon fuel processing, sections go on to review solid, liquid and gaseous fuel conversion. Solid fuel coverage includes reviews of liquefaction, gasification, pyrolysis and biomass catalysis. Liquid fuel coverage includes reviews of sulfur removal, partial oxidation and hydroconversion. Gaseous fuel coverage includes reviews of Fischer-Tropsch synthesis, methanol and dimethyl ether production, water-gas shift technology and natural gas hydrate conversion. The final section examines environmental degradation issues in fuel processing plants as well as automation, advanced process control and process modelling techniques for plant optimisation Written by an international team of expert contributors, Advances in clean hydrocarbon fuel processing provides a valuable reference for fuel processing engineers, industrial petrochemists and energy professionals, as well as for researchers and academics in this field. A comprehensive reference on the range of alternative conversion processes and technologies Provides an overview of the feedstocks, environmental issues and life cycle assessments for alternative hydrocarbon fuel processing, including a review of the key issues in solid, liquid and gaseous fuel conversion Examines automation, advanced process control and process modelling techniques for plant optimisation