Few transportation fuels surpass the energy densities of gasoline and diesel

Energy Information Administration ^ | JANUARY 3, 2014 | Energy Information Administration

[thackney]

What has a higher energy density than diesel? Acetylene?

I think that would be limited to longer chain hydrocarbons. #6 Fuel Oil (bunker fuel) will have a greater energy density.

http://www.engineeringtoolbox.com/energy-content-d_868.html

[thackney]

So why didn’t Saturn V burn liquid oxygen and diesel instead of liquid hydrogen?

Because when it comes to lifting, energy per pound is more important than energy per gallon. Hydrogen one of the best at the first and one of the worst at the second.

[thackney]

Trinitrotoluene (TNT) already has the oxygen in the original molecule needed for combustion.

Fuels like diesel, gasoline, hydrogen need to be mixed with air for an oxygen source to take place.

[ckilmer]

Using this as the criteria, diesel would be best.
...............
Someone on one of these forums was telling me that the light sweet crude produced by most shale oil formations in the USA does not produce as nearly as much diesel as the heavy crude from say Venezuela.

Is this true?

[867V309]

OK, thanks.

[Squawk 8888]

The energy density of gasoline exceeds that of black powder by several orders of magnitude, which is why fuel-air explosives are so devastating. Not sure about HE, though.

[Squawk 8888]

The first stage of the Saturn burned kerosene which has a similar energy density. I think the opted for hydrogen on the upper stages to reduce weight and the load on the first stage.

[Sergio]

bookmark

[Squawk 8888]

Gasoline can make some pretty impressive booms if you do it right, but I won’t give the details here. You are correct about speed making the difference; high explosives don’t release much energy but they release it all nearly instantaneously.

[posterchild]

U235/U238 makes a pretty dense submarine fuel.

[thackney]

Someone on one of these forums was telling me that the light sweet crude produced by most shale oil formations in the USA does not produce as nearly as much diesel as the heavy crude from say Venezuela.

Light oil has less BTUs per barrel than heavy oil. But heavy oil takes more energy to refine because more energy is consumed cracking those longer chain hydrocarbons into the more valuable transportation fuels like gasoline and diesel.

The API gravity at 60°F (15.6°C) for No. 2 diesel fuel is between 30 and 42.

http://www.chevronwithtechron.com/products/documents/Diesel_Fuel_Tech_Review.pdf
Page 5

So while very light oil, nearly gas condensate with API gravities in the 40s and above, that should be true, Bakken, West Texas Intermediate, Brent and the like are most valuable because they have the most gasoline/diesel type hydrocarbons.

Long answer to say no, not true.

[Eric in the Ozarks]

Typical N6 is 149,000-150,000 BTUs/gallon.
Negative gravity slurry oils, some a full pound per gallon heavier, can run 159,000-160,000 BTUs/gallon.
Now, that's heat !

[HenpeckedCon]

“So why didn’t Saturn V burn liquid oxygen and diesel instead of liquid hydrogen?”

Cause hydrogen go boom?

[Steely Tom]

Gasoline can make some pretty impressive booms if you do it right, but I won’t give the details here.

It certainly makes some pretty impressive noise when it explodes in the cylinders of a Harley.

I'm guessing that being compressed to a few hundred psi before being ignited has something to do with it.

[BwanaNdege]

Fuel/Air Explosive (FAE)

http://www.fas.org/man/dod-101/sys/dumb/fae.htm

http://www.fas.org/man/dod-101/sys/dumb/faeanim.gif

[SunkenCiv]

> other options may have more energy per unit weight, but none have more energy per unit volume.

/bingo

Thanks thackney.