Finding Out Which Fuel Releases the Most Energy Per Gram Aim: To find out which fuel releases the most energy per gram. Scientific Theory: Heat is the transfer of energy between two objects due to a temperature. Heat is lost through the atmosphere because of combustion a process where a substance and oxygen or other elements combine to produce heat and light (fire). Combustion of alcohols produces water and carbon dioxide. Therefore the amount of heat which is not being used to heat the water is lost through the air. There are three types of heat: conduction, convection and radiation. There are a number of ways to control the heat lost, an example is taking tiles and surrounding the fire to decrease the area of the heat that can be lost so more heat is trapped to concentrate on the water. Another way to control the heat is to decrease the distance between the boiling tube and the container. The amount of energy released increases with the number of bonds present in the chemical substance or fuel. That is because each bond has a certain amount of energy stored in it therefore the more bonds the more energy is stored and more energy is released if these bonds break through combustion. Theoretical Values: Methanol CH OH 17000 J/g Ethanol C H OH 22000 J/g Propanol C H OH 25000 J/g Butanol C H OH 27000 J/g Hexane C H 35000 J/g Variables: The variables used in this experiment are: Volume of water, mass of fuel, temperature of water, height of tube, height of flame, type of fuel, time it takes, width of flame, colour of flame, material of container, size and surface area, purity of fuel, heat loss and shape of type of wick. The type of fuel, heat loss will be the variables to change. We will measure to control the temperature of the water using a thermometer, time it takes using a stopwatch, mass of fuel using a
First, 100 mL of regular deionized water was measured using a 100 mL graduated cylinder. This water was then poured into the styrofoam cup that will be used to gather the hot water later. The water level was then marked using a pen on the inside of the cup. The water was then dumped out, and the cup was dried. Next, 100 mL of regular deionized water was measured using a 100 mL graduated cylinder, and the fish tank thermometer was placed in the water. Once the temperature was stabilizing in the graduated cylinder, the marked styrofoam cup was filled to the mark with hot water. Quickly, the temperature of the regular water was recorded immediately before it was poured into the styrofoam cup. The regular/hot water was mixed for a couple seconds, and the fish tank thermometer was then submerged into the water. After approximately 30 seconds, the temperature of the mixture leveled out, and was recorded. This was repeated three
To investigate the relationship between three different alkanols in terms of their carbon chain length, rate of increased temperature, and heat of combustion, in order to determine which is the most efficient at heating water to a certain temperature whilst reducing time and effects on the environment.
Variables --------- During the experiments, the water will be heated using different spirit burners containing different alcohols. I will be able to change different parts of the experiment. These are the. Volume of water heated:
cm∆T where c is the specific heating capacity of water (4.17 Jg-1K-1) -m is the mass of water, in g -∆T is the change of temperature of the water Apparatus Apparatus I will use Size of the apparatus Value /quantity distill water / >3 litres, as much as possible* thermometer 0-110C thermometer 1 measuring cylinder 100 cm3 1 electronic balance correct to 2 decimal places 1 Bunsen burner / 1 draught shielding each approx. 20cm x 20cm 5 metal calorimeter *** 4 clamp about 1 meter 6 spirit burner with wick / 4 match/wooden stick / as many as possible burner cap / 4 tile as big as possible 1 Propan-1-ol / half filled the spirit burner * Butan-1-ol / half filled the spirit burner * Butan-2-ol / half filled the spirit burne * Cyclohexanol / half filled the spirit burner * ***-I will find out in preliminary test *-Half filled the spirit burner because alcohol should be away from
Any remaining carbon is to be cleaned off the beaker so that the flame can easily heat the water. Exactly 100ml of water is to be used. The length of the wick on the spirit burner must be the same. The height of the burner from the beaker (the brick height) must be the same. The beaker must stay the same shape as well because if it is not the flame may have more surface area where to heat the water.
Warmer water temperature discharged by waste industrial heat into water can affect many aquatic species that cannot tolerate the warmth. A higher level of temperature can result in low oxygen concentrations by speeding up the rate of decomposition of organic matter. "The discharges are often associated with coal-or nuclear-fuelled power plants, and sometimes with large factories." (H.J. Dorcey). The increase of heat materials dumped into water can increase the temperature level in the water bodies and can affect all living organisms within that body. There are many disadvantaging technology which has been affecting water and raising the water temperature from normal. For example, electric power plants might withdraw water from nearby water bodies for the purpose of cooling in the plant and then return the heated water back to the same water body. This is insanely affecting the regular temperature. If the water is not the same, it can lead to many damages within the water body. For example, fishes will dies exhausted from the warmth and it will also affect other aquatic organisms causing them to boil in the water caused by others, sacrificing these creatures. Water from excessively heating up can be best prevented by using special cooling towers and ponds that disperse the energy into the
This software enables you to simulate experiments. This means that I am able to quickly carry out experiments to help in planning for my investigation. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Alcohol Temperature Increase (oC) Mass of burner before exp. (g) Mass of burner after exp.
There would be a change in the amount of energy given off that is getting greater, the more carbon atoms in the fuel, the more there are more bonds to be broken and formed, thus producing more energy. In a chemical reaction, bonds in the reactant molecule are broken and new ones are formed. Atoms are rearranged and rearranged. Energy has to be put in to break bonds, and energy is given out when bonds are formed.’ When the total energy put in is greater than the energy put out, the substance cools down (it is endothermic).
The next type of heat transfer is convection. Convection is heat transferred by a gas or liquid. Such as dumping hot water into a cold glass of water, making the water overall warmer. The last type of heat transfer is radiation.
Investigation to Find the Relative Energy Release of Five Alcohols: Ethanol, Methanol, Propanol, Butanol and Propanol
Objects that are not the same size but have the same surface area to volume ratios loose heat at the same rate. So a flask, with a volume of 200cm3 with a surface area of 160cm2 and a surface area to volume ratio of 1.25:1, will loose heat at the same rate as a similar flask of volume 625 and a surface area of 500 which also has a surface area to volume ratio of 1.25:1. However, generally when you increase the size of an object the surface area to volume ratio decreases so in this example it is very likely that the two flasks in question are different shapes.
In order for a system to gain energy the surroundings have to supply it, and visa versa when the system looses energy the surroundings must gain it. As the energy is transferred it can be converted form its original form to another as the transfer takes place, but the energy will never be created or destroyed. The first law of thermodynamics, also known as the law of conservation of energy, basically restates that energy can’t be destroyed or created “as follows: the total energy of the universe is a constant.” All around the conservation of energy is applied. When gasoline burns in the engine of a car, an equal amount of work and heat appear as the energy is released. The heat from the engine warms its surroundings, the cars parts, the air, and the passenger area. The heat energy is converted into the electrical energy of the radio, chemical energy of the battery, and radiant energy of the lights. The change in the sum of all of the energies formed from the burnt gasoline would be equal to the “…change in energy between the reactants and products.” Biological processes, like photosynthesis, also follow energy conservation. The green plants convert the radiant energy emitted by the Sun into useful chemical energy, such as the oxygen that we breathe. The energy transferred between any surroundings and any system can be in the form of various types of work, chemical, mechanical, radiant, electrical, or heat.
Heat is thermal energy being transferred from one place to another, because of temperature changes. This can take place by three processes. These three processes are known as conduction, convection, and radiation.
The heating rate of biomass for fast pyrolysis can be high as 1000°C/s- 10,000°C/s, however maximum temperature for the process is maintained below 650°C. the primary interest is to produce for tis process is to produce bio-oil, however temperature can be increased up to 1000°C produce fuel gases in the same process (Table 1). There are 4 important factors that can affect the liquid yield heating rate, reaction temperature, residence time and rapid quenching of the product gas. Maintaining these factors can increase the liquid yield of biomass and maximize the production of bio-oil.
Fuel alternatives for the future are very important because, we need resources for life. We won’t have fossil fuels forever. It is important to start now. If we did not have any fuel alternatives how would the world be?