Fuel Definition and 563 Threads

  1. G

    Would Cheap, Clean Hydrogen Make Fuel Cells Superior to Batteries?

    From what i understand, the only thing that makes using fuel cells in cars versus lithium batties less desirable, is the cost of hydrogen. If hydrogen can be produced extremely cheaply, assuming the same standards for compressing and transporting and storage of hydrogen, would it be better...
  2. S

    Cost estimate of Hydrogen Fuel Cells versus Gasoline

    Although a complete cost analysis is much more complicated, the particular question only requires the following: an energy cost estimate (in terms of $/Joule). This was directed to be done by taking volumetric or mass based costs of each fuel as well as the associated energy conent or energy...
  3. T

    How Do I Turn Algae into Biofuel?

    Hi, I am doing this science fair thing and for it I've decided to power something using biofuel from algae. I have everything i need to grow algae but I am not sure how to get from algae to biofuel. Could someone please tell me or suggest a website about how this process works. It would also...
  4. S

    Fuel cell stack model in femlab 3.1

    i am learning femlab 3.1...so following the model library given with the set of books.. but i am facing problems with the 3 d modelling.. as in case of fuel cell stack model..the solver is unable to solve even if all the steps are followed according to given instructions.. i have double...
  5. M

    Find Optimal Speed for Fuel Efficiency in a Car

    Hi, I would like help to solve the following question. Q: The graph shows the fuel consumption c of a car (measured in gallons per hour) as a function of the speed v of the car. At very low speeds the engine runs inefficiently, so initially c decreases as the speed increases. but at high...
  6. CFDFEAGURU

    MOX (Plutonium-Uranium mixed Oxide) Nuclear Fuel

    Hello all, I just read an article in POWER magazine for this month (January 2010) that Japan is now operating a MOX-fueled reactor. In this article it is stated that MOX-fuel usage should be about 5% globally this year. Is that statement accurate given the small number of facilites that...
  7. H

    Conversion of Internal Combustion Engine Vehicle to Hydrogen Fuel Cell Vehicle

    I’m from a group that is current working on the theory of a Hydrogen Economy. Our first area of development is the Hydrogen Highway. We are currently seeking help in the form of freelance / work for hire basically engineer(s) that could aid in design and calculations of internal combustion...
  8. G

    Components of Fuel System for Single Cylinder Engine w/o Carb & Above Tank

    Hi, i am interested to know the major components of the fuel system of a car. I know, these are the major ones: Fuel Tank, Fuel Pump, Fuel Filter, Injector Valve, Return Lines but what i am interested is in the fuel system for (1) a single cylinder engine, (2) no carburetor (instead, i am...
  9. M

    Calculating Friction Power from Fuel Consumption Graph

    how do we calculate friction power from the graph of total fuel consumption versus brake power?
  10. D

    How bad do we need a pressurized fuel tank?

    Imagine a fuel tank that can store fuel at pressure (it can store at pretty high pressure also) without having any component which provides it constant energy e.g. a pump (i.e energy has been previously fed into the system so as to maintain the pressure in the tank regardless of it's fuel...
  11. S

    Trying to adapt a fuel gage circuit

    Hi All.. Scratching my head here! does anyone have a circuit solution to a project I am working on? I have a WWII Fuel gauge out of a B-17 Bomber that will work on 12v DC, if I put 128K ohms inline the gauge reads "full" my Jeep fuel tank is 17 ohms full and 80 ohms empty. trying to create a...
  12. A

    Questions on Electrolysis and Fuel Cells

    Hey all, This is just a post about some questions I had regarding electrolysis and fuel cells. I know that when electricity is forced through water the water molecules split, and produce hydrogen and oxygen gas. I was wondering how things like the electrode material and how far apart they are...
  13. T

    Can Artificial Photosynthesis be a Fossil Fuel Alternative?

    If we can achieve artificial photosynthesis, might it replace fossil fuels once and for all? Can it also be an effective engine in vehicles?
  14. T

    Compare burning of fuel to reversible supply of heat

    Hi! I'm working on a problem regarding a jet engine and I actually did solve it but I'm not sure about two things: At some point in the engine, air is heated at constant pressure (with the gas being almost stationary). Of course, this is done by the burning of fuel. But I found the...
  15. G

    Homework help finding fraction of initial mass of rocket and fuel

    Homework Statement Obviously, we can make rockets to go very fast, but what is a reasonable top speed? Assume that a rocket is fired from rest at a space station in deep space, where gravity is negligible. If the rocket ejects gas at a relative speed of 1100 and you want the rocket's...
  16. P

    Resources for deep understanding about nuclear fuel materials

    Hello,everybody! I'm a PhD candidate from xi'an jiaotong university,china. There is an urgent need to make a deep understanding about the microstructure evolution of nuclear fuel materials under irradiation. To make my research more close to the frontiers, your suggestions are welcomed. I've...
  17. B

    Stars eventually die because they use up their fuel right?

    Stars eventually die because they use up their fuel right? If all of this fuel was to be used up, would there be no suns?
  18. F

    How does a fuel engine convert heat into mechanical work?

    Seems like a stupid question, to me. But well, I am stupid aswell, so it fits me. Its something I've been thinking about lately. How is the heat/buring of the fuel transformed into mechanical work? I've had some ideas but they are mainly stupid and the loss of energy would be massive in...
  19. P

    How Can Methane Be Used as a Viable Fuel Source for Transportation?

    I'm working really hard (within my limited knowledge) to figure out the details of using methane as a fuel source. I found https://www.physicsforums.com/showthread.php?t=224486" and would love to have responded there, but the thread was locked (due to age?). Presently gasoline accounts for...
  20. G

    How Does Fuel Expansion and Contraction Work in Pulse Jet Engines?

    When a fuel/air mixture burns it expands. How much does it expand? Is there a formula or known volume increase? After a fuel burns it contracts. How much does it contract? Is there a formula or known volume that it contracts? Gasoline/Air mixture ratio is 15 to 1 for jet engines. A...
  21. M

    Fuel consumption more in 2stroke?

    is it true that fuel efficiency is better in a 4stroke engine ? since the number of strokes are more in case of a 4stroke engine,the energy required would be more ,right?
  22. E

    Fuel Measurement: How PWR Nuclear Plants Calculate Fuel Amount

    How do (PWR) nuclear plants determine how much fuel is left? Do they measure it? I heard they calculate it, but i was wondering if any measurement is done? Thanks.
  23. S

    Engine size/type (ie. 2L inline-4) and fuel consumption

    Hi everyone, new poster here. :) Came across this forum the other day and found quite a few nice topics that were interesting and the people sounded like they knew their stuff ... so i joined. Now the question... I am interested in fuel efficiency as regards the engine capacity. For...
  24. B

    Combustion when there's left over fuel, what happens to it?

    hi, I'm wondering what happens when you burn a liquid fuel in a combustion chamber, eg. suppose you've got octane (C8H18) and you're using air as the comburent, but the equivalence ratio is less than one, so that not all the octane can get used up... Does the 'left over' octane come out of the...
  25. G

    Can Solar Energy Be Used to Efficiently Produce Hydrogen from Water?

    On-Demand Hydrogen System Ready To Roll A catalytic process that produces high-pressure H2 from liquid hydrocarbons as needed improves the prospects for using H2 as a fuel The University of North Dakota's Energy & Environmental Research Center (EERC) has announced development of a catalytic...
  26. M

    Oxide Measurement of a fuel element.

    Everyone, I am a Mechanical Engineer working on a design modification (or existing product recommendation) for an Idaho National Laboratory project. What follows is the situation description. At the end is the question. You can skip down to the bottom of the post (which details the...
  27. O

    What stops a star from fusing all its fuel at once?

    What's physically stopping all the fuel fusing at once or rather each stage of its fuel cycle fusing into the next quickly? i know there's a lot of it and gravity holds it together but what are these atoms doing while they wait to under go fusion exactly? They are after all under the same...
  28. M

    Why is peat classified as a fossil fuel?

    Why is it classified as a fossil fuel?
  29. Q

    Car fuel efficiency/throttle position?

    Which method of driving results in higher fuel efficiency? a) accelerating with the throttle only slightly open and delaying upshifting until high engine RPM or b) accelerating with the throttle full open (pedal to the metal) but at low engine RPM/upshifting early?
  30. djeitnstine

    [results]testing for microbial Contamination in jet fuel

    Hello I am sharing the results of my analytical report on "comparison on methods of testing for microbial contamination in jet fuel for private jet aircraft owners" for those who were interested (namely Cyrus) First I would like to talk a little about the scope and the limitations of my...
  31. Artlav

    Cooking saltpeter+sugar rocket fuel?

    Is there some place with good information on saltpeter+sugar rocket propellant and it's making? The problem is, there are a lot of places on the internet telling how to do it right, but next to none on how to do it wrong, and I'm not brave enough to follow someone's instructions without...
  32. C

    Understanding Nernst Voltage in Fuel Cells at High Temperatures

    Hello, I'm doing work in Fuel Cells and am having difficulty with a simple issue; the Nernst Voltage (E) is greater than the Standard Potential (EO) The only electrochemical reaction considered is H2 + 0.5O2 --> H2O The Nernst equation for this reaction is E = EO - (RT / 2F) ln (PH2O / (PH2...
  33. W

    Perchlorate in Baby Food: How Did It Get There?

    I just read the following article on MSN News http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/30028134/wid/11915773?GT1=31036 and I was wondering what kind of perchlorates? The only perchlorate rocket fuel I am famaliar with is ammonium perchlorate used in the solid fuel boosters on the Space Shuttle. That was...
  34. G

    Rockeet going from A to B with least fuel

    I'm not sure I should be asking this question in Maths, but I think it is a maths question and I don't care about the physics behind it. You are in some sort of simple space craft: It has a mass of 1kg To move, it has one rocket that produces a constant force of 10N in which ever...
  35. J

    Mass of fuel would ALSO increase as spaceship comes near the speed of light

    Hi everyone, Today a strange thought came into my mind. We know that the mass of an object increases as it gets closer to the speed of light so it is often stated we would require more and more fuel to accelrate it further. However the mass of the fuel would also increase. What could be done...
  36. djeitnstine

    Testing methods of contaminated jet fuel

    Hi, as I've stated before I am doing research in the area of jet fuel contamination. However I have shifted my focus to methods of testing. I know many of you work in the aerospace industry. What I need to know if there are any "popular" or "standard" methods you use at your company or perhaps...
  37. N

    Calculating Work & Displacement of a Piston w/ Fuel Energy

    Homework Statement The Internal energy of fuel in a combustion chamber increases by 75J due to 130J of heating. How much work can be done by the piston? How far does the piston move while pushing with 5000N of force? Homework Equations The Attempt at a Solution Since they gave us...
  38. Greg Bernhardt

    Ethanol Fuel for Indoor Lanterns: Where to Buy?

    i bought an indoor lantern that calls for ethanol as its fuel, however none of my hardware stores seem to carry ethanol (Ace, Truevalue, Home Depot). They do carry regular denatured alcohol in the paint sections. Can I use that or where can I buy canned/bottled (bio)ethanol?
  39. O

    Are Fuel Cells a Viable Alternative to Batteries Given Their Challenges?

    batteries or fuel cells? hydrogen costs too much to be an effective fuel alternative? the catalyst required for the electrochemical conversion reaction is pricey platinum? Using hydrocarbons as a source for hydrogen we have more CO2 in the atmosphere? and require a high temperature...
  40. A

    What Is the Stoichiometric Air-Fuel Ratio for a Dual Fuel IC Engine?

    Homework Statement a mixture of 0.64 x 100 percent iso-octane and {1-0.64} x 100 percent methanol, based on volume, is mixed with air and combusted. Calculate the stoichiometric air fuel ratio. Note: please not this is mixing on a molar basis, not mass basis. It is necessary to perform a...
  41. djeitnstine

    Preventing Jet Fuel Contamination: Helpful Tips and Resources

    Hi guys, are any of you familiar with jet fuel contamination? I'm doing a research paper on ways to reduce or prevent it. Any input and or links would be appreciated. Thanks in advanced
  42. E

    Impact of Temperature on Fuel Cell Work Output

    Homework Statement 2 H2(g) + O2(g) 2 H2O(l) K = 1.28e83 As temperature increases, does the maximum amount of work obtained from the fuel cell reaction increase, decrease, or remain the same? Homework Equations 1. G = -RTln(K) 2. dG = dH - tdS 3. w_max = dG The Attempt...
  43. F

    High Temperature Reactor Fuel Elements

    Folks, this is my first thread in this forum. I'm writing my PhD about HTR-Fuel Elements. I'm not quite sure if anyone in this forum knows about this sort of fuel which is totally different to "normal" fuel. Anyway, I'm looking for informations about research in the US (or global) what...
  44. B

    Can Radio Waves Turn Salt Water into Fuel?

    Here's the link: http://www.popsci.com/scitech/article/2007-11/turning-water-fuel I find the idea interesting that the radio waves may assist in breaking the oxygen-hydrogen bonds of the water molecule. But, why should this effect only exist with salt water and not pure water? Salt water is...
  45. L

    Switching to Hydrogen Fuel: Materials & Lubricants Needed

    Hi, any idea , what is the material inside a internal combustion engine need to be change when i change the gasoline fuel into hydrogen fuel.? Also what is the lubricant that will suitable for this hydrogen fuel. thanks Piston top - what is the suitable material Cylinder head-...
  46. C

    Is it safe to drink ethanol fuel?

    What would happen if you tried? I mean, I assume by default and in reasonable quantities you can, since grain alcohol is basically just ethanol, right? But do they put any additives in the stuff used for fuel, say? (Let us of course assume this is not ethanol/gasoline mix.) (This somewhat...
  47. S

    Rocketship problem- fuel burn and gravity

    Consider a spaceship, initially at rest on the surface of a planet that has no atmosphere. It takes off with constant force from thrust. The fuel mass decreases linearly with time, and the rocket accelerates directly away from the planet (no curving off orbit the planet). Use GMm/r^2 for...
  48. B

    Fuel may be designated by the chemical formula C51 H105 S2 (OH)3

    Homework Statement A fuel may be deignated by the chemical formula C51 H105 S2 (OH)3 Write out the balance equation for complete combustion of this fuel. Homework Equations Cx Hy Oz Sn [(x) + (y/4)] o2 > xCo2 + (y/2) H2o The Attempt at a Solution The problem is that I...
  49. S

    Rocket fuel consumption too easy?

    Homework Statement Rocket with fuel mass of m(initial) Rocket without fuel is m(final) Time for fuel to be used up is t(final) Homework Equations What is m(t) (slope of m vs t graph) (i assume t(initial) is zero The Attempt at a Solution [((m(final) -m(initial)) / t(final)]t +...
  50. D

    Help with robotic arm - fuel robot

    Hi, I have a college project running for which I have to design an automatic car refuelling cell. This includes automatic robot positioning, automatic payment, assisted car alignment et cetera. I like to stress that neither I nor my fellow students are mechanical or electrical engineers...
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