Oil and gas production handbook An introduction to oil ... - ABB Group
Oil and gas production handbook An introduction to oil ... - ABB Group
Oil and gas production handbook An introduction to oil ... - ABB Group
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<strong>gas</strong> – combined. However, research in<strong>to</strong> methane hydrates is still in its<br />
infancy.<br />
9.1.7 Biofuels<br />
Biofuels are produced from specially-grown products such as <strong>oil</strong>seeds or<br />
sugars, <strong>and</strong> organic waste, e.g., from the forest industry. These fuels are<br />
called carbon neutral, because the carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) released during<br />
burning is offset by the CO 2 used by the plant when growing.<br />
Ethanol alcohol (C 2 H 5 OH) is distilled from fermented sugars <strong>and</strong>/or starch<br />
(e.g., wood, sugar cane or beets, corn (maize) or grain) <strong>to</strong> produce ethanol<br />
that can be burned alone with retuning of the engine, or mixed with ordinary<br />
<strong>gas</strong>oline.<br />
Biodiesel is made from <strong>oil</strong>s from crops such as rapeseed, soy, sesame, palm<br />
or sunflower. The vegetable <strong>oil</strong> (lipid) is significantly different from mineral<br />
(crude) <strong>oil</strong>, <strong>and</strong> is composed of triglycerides. In these molecules, three fatty<br />
acids are bound <strong>to</strong> a glycerol molecule shown in the following picture (The<br />
wiggly line represents the carbon chain with a carbon a<strong>to</strong>m at each knee<br />
with single or double bonds <strong>and</strong> two or one hydrogen a<strong>to</strong>ms respectively):<br />
Figure 38, Vegetable <strong>Oil</strong> structure<br />
The glycerol backbone on the left is bound (ester OH binding) <strong>to</strong> three fatty<br />
acids, shown here with palmitic acid, oleic acid <strong>and</strong> alpha-linolenic acid <strong>and</strong><br />
a <strong>to</strong>tal carbon number of 55.<br />
This molecule is broken down <strong>to</strong> individual alkyl esters through a chemical<br />
process called transesterification, whereby the glycerin is separated from the<br />
fatty acids. Methanol (CH 3 OH) is added <strong>to</strong> the lipids <strong>and</strong> heated. <strong>An</strong>y strong<br />
base capable of depro<strong>to</strong>nating the alcohol, such as NaOH or KOH is used as<br />
catalyst.<br />
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