A fuel is a material used to generate power, usually through combustion. While the use of renewable energy sources like wind and solar are on the rise, fossil fuels such as coal and natural gas still power the majority of homes and vehicles in the US.
Although we rely on fuel for practically everything we do on a daily basis, and we certainly realize when we run out of it, many of us don’t have a clear idea of its composition or where it comes from. In this blog post, we’ll go over the three basic categories of fuels that are responsible for powering so many of our day-to-day activities.
Fuel type #1: solid fuel
Coal, one of the most common kinds of solid fuel, is a sedimentary rock formed by dead plant matter exposed to heat and pressure over millions of years—yes, that’s where the term “fossil fuel” comes from.
Archaeological evidence suggests that the practice of burning coal for heat goes back thousands of years, but it wasn’t until the Industrial Revolution that its use really took off on a planetary scale. Coal was used to power steam engines, and mining this solid fuel source became an important industry.
In the US, coal’s primary function is to produce electricity. When coal is burned in power plants, the heat turns water into steam, which then drives a turbine and generates electricity. Coal is also sometimes used to heat homes, although this use has been on the decline for decades. That’s because, while coal is a potent fuel, inhaling coal dust has adverse health effects.
But there’s another kind of fuel that humans have been using for much longer than coal: wood. You probably have an image in your head of early Homo Sapiens sitting around a fire roasting the day’s catch. Indeed, this solid fuel source has been used for cooking and heating since before civilization, and it’s still used for those purposes today, although with less frequency.
Fuel type #2: gaseous fuel
The most widely used kind of gaseous fuel is natural gas, a fossil fuel made up primarily of methane. In the US, the two main uses of natural gas are heating and electricity generation. A benefit of natural gas is that burning it emits less carbon dioxide compared to other fossil fuels. However, when leaks occur and methane is released into the atmosphere, it contributes to the greenhouse effect.
Propane is another fuel that exists naturally in a gaseous state, although it’s compressed into a liquid for transportation and storage. This fuel type accounts for approximately 2% of energy use in the US. Propane is used for home and water heating, cooking, refrigeration, powering industrial equipment, and more.
One benefit of propane is that it’s an efficient fuel option—you can get double the energy out of it per cubic foot, compared to natural gas. In addition, it has lower levels of impurities and carbon dioxide production compared to gasoline and coal, making it a slightly more environmentally friendly choice.
One drawback of propane is that it’s a byproduct of petroleum refining, so its supply (and fuel prices) will be affected in the case of a petroleum shortage. Also, since it’s a flammable gas, its use does pose some safety risks. Every precaution must be taken to avoid leaks. And, since it’s stored under high pressure, a rupture of its receptacle could cause an explosion.
Fuel type #3: liquid fuel
Gasoline is a liquid fuel that everyone reading this is surely familiar with, since it powers the internal combustion engines inside our cars, motorcycles, and small machinery. Gasoline boasts a high energy density and well-established infrastructure for production and distribution. The downside of gasoline, of course, is that it’s a non-renewable fuel source that emits pollutants and greenhouse gasses.
Heating oil is a type of liquid fuel that’s widely used for space heating throughout the Northeast. It’s derived from crude oil through a refining process. A benefit of heating oil is that it has a high energy density, which means it can produce a significant amount of heat per unit volume. This makes it an efficient fuel choice for heating large spaces. In addition, this fuel is widely available and has an established distribution network, ensuring a consistent supply for users.
A drawback of heating oil is that, while it’s an efficient energy source, it’s still a non-renewable fossil fuel. When oil spills occur, they cause environmental damage, and burning heating oil releases carbon dioxide into the atmosphere.
Final thoughts
We hope this post has helped you understand the main types of fuel and a few of the products that fit within each of the three categories.
If you’ve been googling “fuel delivery near me” in hopes of getting your home all set up before the cold weather hits, contact New England Oil for a heating oil delivery service you can count on.