Diesel fuel is a specific distillate fraction of fuel oil that is used in a diesel engine invented by German engineer Rudolf Diesel, and perfected by Charles F. Kettering. Overwhelmingly the term refers to fuel that is processed from petroleum, but increasingly, alternatives such as biodiesel that are not derived from petroleum are being developed. For the workstation, see SGI Fuel. ... Nodding donkey pumping an oil well near Sarnia, Ontario, 2001 Petroleum (from Latin petra – rock and oleum – oil), crude oil, sometimes colloquially called black gold, is a thick, dark brown or greenish flammable liquid, which exists in the upper strata of some areas of the Earths crust. ... The diesel engine is a type of internal combustion engine; more specifically, it is a compression ignition engine, in which the fuel is ignited by being suddenly exposed to the high temperature and pressure of a compressed gas containing oxygen (usually atmospheric air), rather than a separate source of ignition... Rudolf Diesel Rudolf Diesel (March 18, 1858 - September 30, 1913) was a German inventor, famous for the invention of the Diesel engine. ... Charles Franklin Kettering (August 29, 1876 _ November 25, 1958), a. ... Nodding donkey pumping an oil well near Sarnia, Ontario, 2001 Petroleum (from Latin petra – rock and oleum – oil), crude oil, sometimes colloquially called black gold, is a thick, dark brown or greenish flammable liquid, which exists in the upper strata of some areas of the Earths crust. ... Bus running on soybean biodiesel. ...

Petroleum diesel

One can obtain diesel from petroleum, which is sometimes called petrodiesel when there is a need to distinguish it from diesel obtained from other sources. As a hydrocarbon mixture, it is obtained in the fractional distillation of crude oil between 250°C and 350°C at atmospheric pressure. Diesel is generally simpler to refine than gasoline and often costs less (though price fluctuations often mean that the inverse is true). Nodding donkey pumping an oil well near Sarnia, Ontario, 2001 Petroleum (from Latin petra – rock and oleum – oil), crude oil, sometimes colloquially called black gold, is a thick, dark brown or greenish flammable liquid, which exists in the upper strata of some areas of the Earths crust. ... In chemistry, a hydrocarbon is any chemical compounds that consists only of carbon (C) and hydrogen (H). ... Strathisla whisky distillery in Keith, Scotland Distillation is a means of separating liquids through differences in their boiling points. ... Nodding donkey pumping an oil well near Sarnia, Ontario, 2001 Petroleum (from Latin petrus – rock and oleum – oil), mineral oil, or crude oil, sometimes colloquially called black gold, is a thick, dark brown or greenish flammable liquid, which exists in the upper strata of some areas of the Earths... diurnal (daily) rhythm of air pressure in northern Germany (black curve is air pressure) Atmospheric pressure is the pressure above any area in the Earths atmosphere caused by the weight of air. ... Gasoline, as it is known in North America, or petrol, in many Commonwealth countries (sometimes also called motor spirit) is a petroleum-derived liquid mixture consisting primarily of hydrocarbons, used as fuel in internal combustion engines. ...

However, diesel fuel often contains higher quantities of sulfur. In Europe, emission standards and/or preferrential taxation have forced oil refineries to dramatically reduce the level of sulfur in diesel fuels. The United States has long had "dirtier" diesel, although more stringent emission standards have been adopted with the transition to ultra-low sulfur diesel (ULSD) occurring in 2006 (see also diesel exhaust). However, the US diesel fuel has lower cetane number (a measure of ignition quality) than European diesel, resulting in worse cold weather performance and some increase in emissions. General Name, Symbol, Number sulfur, S, 16 Chemical series nonmetals Group, Period, Block 16, 3, p Appearance lemon yellow Atomic mass 32. ... A satellite composite image of Europe Europe is geologically and geographically a peninsula, forming the westernmost part of Eurasia. ... Emission standards limit the amount of pollution that can be released into the atmosphere. ... View of the Shell/Valero Martinez oil refinery An oil refinery is an industrial process plant where crude oil is processed and refined into useful petroleum products. ... Ultra low sulfur diesel is the fuel being mandated for use by 2006 in the United States by the EPA. It contains much lower sulfur content (15 ppm vs. ... 2006 is a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Exhaust gas is gas which occurs as a result of combustion of fuel such as gasoline/petrol or diesel. ... Cetane number or CN is to diesel fuel what octane rating is to gasoline. ...

Reducing the level of sulfur in diesel is better for the environment. It allows the use of catalytic diesel particulate filters to control diesel particulate emissions, as well as more advanced technologies, such as NOx adsorbers (still under development), to reduce emissions of nitrogen oxides (NOx). However, lowering sulfur also reduces the lubricity of the fuel, meaning that additives must be put into the fuel to help lubricate engines. Biodiesel is an effective lubricity additive. NOX is nitrous oxide or laughing gas. ... A lubricant (colloquially, lube) is a substance introduced between two moving surfaces to reduce the friction and wear between them. ... Look up Additive in Wiktionary, the free dictionary When used as a noun, additive refers to something that is introduced to a larger quantity of something else, usually to alter characteristics of the larger quantity. ... Bus running on soybean biodiesel. ...

Diesel contains approximately 18% more energy per unit of volume than gasoline, which along with the greater efficiency of diesel engines contributes to fuel economy (distance traveled per volume of fuel consumed). Gasoline, as it is known in North America, or petrol, in many Commonwealth countries (sometimes also called motor spirit) is a petroleum-derived liquid mixture consisting primarily of hydrocarbons, used as fuel in internal combustion engines. ...

In the Maritime field various grades of Diesel fuel are used. From the latin maritimus, maritime refers to things relating to the sea. ...

Chemical composition

Petroleum derived diesel is composed of about 75% saturated hydrocarbons (primarily paraffins including n, iso, and cycloparaffins), and 25% aromatic hydrocarbons (including napthalenes and alkylbenzenes).¹ An alkane in organic chemistry is a type of hydrocarbon in which the molecule has the maximum possible number of hydrogen atoms and so has no double bonds (they are saturated). ... Paraffin is a common name for a group of high molecular weight alkane hydrocarbons with the general formula CnH2n+2, where n is greater than about 20, discovered by Carl Reichenbach. ... Cycloalkanes are chemical compounds with a single ring of carbons to which hydrogens are attached according to the formula CnH2n. ... An aromatic hydrocarbon (abbreviated as AH), or arene is a hydrocarbon, the molecular structure of which incorporates one or more planar sets of six carbon atoms that are connected by delocalised electrons numbering the same as if they consisted of alternating single and double covalent bonds. ... Naphthalene (also known as naphthalin, naphthaline, tar camphor, white tar, albocarbon, or naphthene) is a crystalline white solid hydrocarbon with a typical mothball odor. ... Benzene, C6H6, PhH, or benzol is a colorless and flammable liquid with a pleasant, sweet smell. ...

Biodiesel

Main article: Biodiesel

Biodiesel can be obtained from vegetable oil and animal fats (bio-lipids, using transesterification). Biodiesel is a non-fossil fuel alternative to petrodiesel. It can also be mixed with petrodiesel in any amount in modern engines, though it is a strong solvent and can cause problems in some cases. There have been reports that a diesel-biodiesel mix results in lower emissions than either can achieve alone. A small percentage of biodiesel can be used as an additive in low-sulfur formulations of diesel to increase the lubricating ability that is lost when the sulfur is removed. Bus running on soybean biodiesel. ... Bus running on soybean biodiesel. ... A vegetable oil or vegoil is an oil extracted from oilseeds or another plant source. ... Figure 1: Structure of a Lipid. ... In organic chemistry, transesterification is the process of exchanging the alkoxy group of an ester compound by another alcohol. ... Coal rail cars in Ashtabula, Ohio Fossil fuels, also known as mineral fuels, are hydrocarbon-containing natural resources such as coal, petroleum and natural gas. ... A solvent is a liquid that dissolves a solid, liquid, or gaseous solute, resulting in a solution. ...

Chemically, biodiesel consists of alkyl (usually methyl) esters instead of the alkanes and aromatic hydrocarbons of petroleum derived diesel. However, biodiesel has combustion properties very similar to regular diesel, including combustion energy and cetane ratings. An alkyl is a functional group of an organic chemical that contains only carbon and hydrogen atoms, which are arranged in a chain. ... In chemistry a methyl-group is a hydrophobic Alkyl functional group which is derived from methane (CH4). ... In organic chemistry and biochemistry esters are substances where an organic group replaces a hydrogen atom (or more than one) in an oxygen acid. ... Hexadecane, also called cetane, is an alkane hydrocarbon with the chemical formula CH3(CH2)14CH3. ...

Uses

Diesel is identical to heating oil, used in central heating. In both Europe and the United States taxes on diesel fuel are higher than on heating oil, and in those areas, heating oil is marked with dye and trace chemicals to prevent and detect tax fraud. In the UK it is known as red diesel, and is also used by agricultural vehicles. Heating oil is used to fuel building furnaces. ... HVAC may also stand for High-voltage alternating current HVAC is an initialism that stands for heating, ventilation and air_conditioning. This is sometimes referred to as climate control. ...

Diesel is used in diesel engines (cars, boats, motorbikes...), a type of internal combustion engine. Rudolf Diesel originally designed the diesel engine to use coal dust as a fuel, but oil proved more effective. The diesel engine is a type of internal combustion engine; more specifically, it is a compression ignition engine, in which the fuel is ignited by being suddenly exposed to the high temperature and pressure of a compressed gas containing oxygen (usually atmospheric air), rather than a separate source of ignition... A colorized automobile engine An internal combustion engine is an engine that is powered by the expansion of hot combustion products of fuel directly acting within an engine. ... Rudolf Diesel Rudolf Diesel (March 18, 1858 - September 30, 1913) was a German inventor, famous for the invention of the Diesel engine. ... The coal is transported to thermal power plants, where it is ground into dust. ...

Packard diesel motors were used in aircraft as early as 1927, and Charles Lindbergh flew a Stinson SM1B with a Packard Diesel in 1928. A Packard diesel motor designed by L.M. Woolson was fitted to a Stinson X7654, and in 1929 it was flown 1000 km non-stop from Detroit to Langley, VA. In 1931, Walter Lees and Fredrick Brossy set the nonstop flight record flying a Bellanca powered by a Packard Diesel for 84h 32m. Packard was a United States based brand of automobile originally known as the Ohio Automobile Co. ... Charles Lindbergh with the Spirit of St. ... The Stinson Aircraft Company was an aircraft manufacturing company in the United States predominantly in the first half of the 20th century. ... This article refers to the largest city of Michigan. ... Langley is a community in the census-designated place of McLean in Fairfax County, Virginia, United States. ...

The first diesel-engine automobile trip was completed on January 6, 1930. The trip was from Indianapolis to New York City - a distance of nearly 800 miles (1300 km). This feat helped to prove the usefulness of the internal combustion engine. A small variety of cars, the most popular kind of automobile. ... January 6 is the 6th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar. ... 1930 is a common year starting on Wednesday. ... This article needs to be wikified. ... Midtown Manhattan, looking north from the Empire State Building, 2005 New York City (officially named the City of New York and abbreviated NYC) is the most populous city in the United States, and is at the center of international finance, politics, communications, music, fashion, and culture. ... A mile is any of several units of distance, or, in physics terminology, of length. ... A colorized automobile engine An internal combustion engine is an engine that is powered by the expansion of hot combustion products of fuel directly acting within an engine. ...

Notes

• Note 1: Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR). 1995. Toxicological profile for fuel oils. Atlanta, GA: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Public Health Service

The United States Department of Health and Human Services, often abbreviated HHS, is a Cabinet department of the United States government with the goal of protecting the health of all Americans and providing essential human services. ...

See also

• Liquid fuels
• List of diesel automobiles

Liquid fuels are those combustible or energy-generating molecules which can be harnessed to create mechanical energy, which in turn usually produces kinetic energy, and which also must take the shape of their container. ... The following is a list of automobiles (including pickup trucks, SUVs, and vans) made with diesel engines. ...

External links

• Can I use diesel fuel instead of regular gas? (from The Straight Dope)

• DieselNet.com: US Diesel Fuel

• DieselNet.com: EU Diesel Fuel