How much gasoline is produced from a barrel of oil?

Almost all modern technology is based on internal combustion engines. The latter, in turn, use gasoline as fuel. The discovery of this flammable liquid dates back to the first half of the 19th century, when the necessary fractions were isolated through distillation. The industry has significantly improved crude oil refining technology, making gasoline easier and more affordable. Let's figure out what gasoline is made from, how gasoline is made, and what stages the process consists of.

What is made from coal: making gasoline at home

Experts say that in order to make gasoline from coal simply at home, there are two very interesting and proven methods. They were developed by German scientists in the early years of the last century. During the Great Patriotic War, all German equipment ran on coal-based diesel fuel. After all, there were no oil deposits in Germany and the Federal Republic of Germany, but the extraction and processing of coal worked well. The Germans made liquid diesel fuel and excellent synthetic gasoline from brown coal.

One ton of coal can produce up to 80 kg of gasoline. However, our coal should contain about 35% volatile substances. At the beginning of processing, the coal is crushed to a powder state. After that, the coal dust is well dried and mixed with fuel oil or oil to obtain a paste-like mass. After adding the missing hydrogen, the raw material is placed in a specialized autoclave and heated to a temperature of 500 degrees, while pumping a pressure of 200 bar.

How is gasoline made?

In order to obtain fuel, it is necessary to carry out a certain number of operations with crude oil. The thing is that the initial product consists of a mixture of different hydrocarbons. It is also necessary to understand that each molecule of a given substance has a different number of carbon atoms. To put it simply, each of these molecules has its own height and weight.

In order to obtain gasoline molecules, which are considered the most common and light, you need to heat crude oil until the more complex and heavier particles break down into more common ones - gasoline. In other words, if you answer the question about how gasoline , it is necessary to state that it is obtained by heat treatment of crude oil. However, to this process it is necessary to add some more very small processes, such as cleaning and processing.

Mechanism of gas formation from organic raw materials

Biogas is a volatile substance without color or any odor, which contains up to 70% methane. In terms of its quality indicators, it approaches the traditional type of fuel - natural gas. It has a good calorific value; 1 m3 of biogas emits as much heat as is obtained from the combustion of one and a half kilograms of coal.

We owe the formation of biogas to anaerobic bacteria, which actively work to decompose organic raw materials, which include farm animal manure, bird droppings, and any plant waste.

To activate the process, it is necessary to create favorable conditions for the life of bacteria. They should be similar to those in which microorganisms develop in a natural reservoir - in the stomach of animals, where it is warm and there is no oxygen.

Actually, these are the two main conditions that contribute to the miraculous transformation of rotting manure into environmentally friendly fuel and valuable fertilizers.

To produce biogas, you need a sealed reactor without access to air, where the process of fermentation of manure and its decomposition into components will take place:

methane (up to 70%);

carbon dioxide (approximately 30%);

other gaseous substances (1-2%).

The resulting gases rise to the top of the container, from where they are then pumped out, and the residual product settles down - high-quality organic fertilizer, which, as a result of processing, has retained all the valuable substances present in the manure - nitrogen and phosphorus, and has lost a significant part of pathogenic microorganisms.

The second important condition for the effective decomposition of manure and the formation of biogas is compliance with the temperature regime. Bacteria taking part in the process are activated at temperatures from +30 degrees. Moreover, manure contains two types of bacteria:

Moreover, manure contains two types of bacteria:

mesophilic. Their life activity occurs at a temperature of +30 – +40 degrees;

thermophilic. To reproduce them, it is necessary to maintain a temperature regime of +50 (+60) degrees.

The processing time of raw materials in installations of the first type depends on the composition of the mixture and ranges from 12 to 30 days. At the same time, 1 liter of useful reactor area produces 2 liters of biofuel. When using installations of the second type, the production time of the final product is reduced to three days, and the amount of biogas increases to 4.5 liters.

Despite the fact that the efficiency of thermophilic plants is tens of times higher, they are used much less frequently, since maintaining high temperatures in the reactor is associated with high costs.

Maintenance and maintenance of mesophilic type plants is cheaper, so most farms use them to produce biogas.

Making gasoline from rubber tires with your own hands

Oil is a flammable liquid of natural origin. It consists of all kinds of hydrocarbons, as well as a certain amount of other organic substances. The production of gasoline from oil extracted in the ground is the destiny of oil refineries, but as an interesting experiment, it is possible to obtain it in small quantities at home.

For this you will need:

3 fireproof containers;
Rubber waste;
Distiller;
Bake.

Keep children away. Having prepared a container with a tight-fitting lid, you need to attach a heat-resistant tube. This will be our retort. Any container will suit us for the condenser, but in order to make a water seal, we need to find a durable vessel with two tubes. It is necessary to assemble this device for liquid hydrocarbons, connect the pipe from the retort lid to the condenser, and insert the hose. Connect its second end to the water seal tube. We connect the second valve tube to the furnace and place the retort on it. We get a closed system for the production of high-temperature pyrolysis. All we have to do is load the rubber tires and wait for gasoline at the exit.

Reforming

A high-tech process used to produce high-quality gasoline and other fuels, as well as aromatic hydrocarbons. It is very complex, but the principle is this: oil is divided into its component parts using chemical reactions, reducing the amount of water in it and getting rid of certain compounds, making the mixture simpler, which forms fuel.

Advantages of reforming:

High efficiency - the output of gasoline is up to 40–50% of the original volume of oil. This is on average three times more efficient than distillation. Thus, about 80 liters of fuel are obtained from a barrel, which allows for more rational use of the limited quantity of oil.
Higher octane number, reaching 80 units. Of course, such gasoline cannot be used immediately, but it requires fewer additives, which makes it possible to reduce production costs and make the gasoline itself higher quality and “natural.”

Modern specialists in the field of oil processing are striving to completely abandon the use of additives. For this purpose, technologies such as cracking, platforming and others are being developed.

There is only one drawback of this method in terms of producing gasoline yourself. This process is very complex, requiring precise control and serious preparation - equipment and knowledge.

How to make gasoline at home (video)

Oil is today the main source of energy and synthetic materials on Earth. It is difficult to imagine our world without cars, electricity, airplanes and other things. A lot depends on oil, and it seems that we ourselves depend on it. But isn’t it time for us to find other, alternative ways to extract fuel from the resources that lie under our feet? It’s so simple – take and recycle garbage. Much easier than depleting natural resources and depending on those who extract them.

A little digression, i.e. about the technology for creating ethanol (ethyl alcohol) and biodiesel fuel at home. INFORMATION ARTICLE. NOT A GUIDE TO ACTION!

Question: Can I make fuel for my car at home?

Watching modern reality shows, we, including myself, involuntarily asked ourselves the question: Is it really possible to make fuel for your car yourself at home? I understand that it is impossible to make real gasoline in artisanal conditions, but is it possible to get some derivatives from it or another type of fuel? They travel around the world both on wood and on water. What type of automobile fuel can be made independently at home?

Answer:

Whether you're looking for an alternative fuel or spending your time contemplating various apocalyptic scenarios, there are only two viable options that are compatible with today's engine systems found in cars and trucks. These are ethanol, one of the most suitable replacements for gasoline, and biodiesel, which respectively replaces diesel fuel itself. Both of these options can be used to replace industrial fuels. Moreover, biodiesel can be poured into the tank with virtually no major changes. Ethyl alcohol is mixed in certain proportions with gasoline, i.e. from 10 to 85%

Attention! Not all gasoline internal combustion engines are capable of operating on such a mixture.

But making these two above-mentioned substitutes for standard fuel is not entirely simple. Before you try to produce ethanol and biodiesel at home, you will need to study professional literature, purchase (or build) equipment, and create a functioning system capable of producing the required amount of fuel and the required quality. Of course, you shouldn’t forget about the safety you are in. It is likely that the production of certain quantities of surrogate fuel may be illegal.

And even if you study all the intricacies of this production, it’s hardly worth counting on a cheap product (unless you have a hectare to sow crops from which you can extract alcohol), the ingredients of a high-octane potion will also cost you a pretty penny and will cost more than the smaller wholesale you order for this item.

Despite all the difficulties in studying a new production technology, the purchase of expensive raw materials and the technology for creating fuel itself is quite simple.

Production process

If we answer the question of what gasoline is made from with a simple answer - from oil, then this is not an entirely correct statement, since this fuel also contains some impurities, but more on that later.

To obtain fuel in its primary form, it is necessary to subject the raw materials to primary processing. This treatment refers to the purification of oil from salts, as well as water impurities. These processes are carried out under the influence of an electric field. The result of this procedure is the separation of water from oil, as well as desalting to the required level. After completing this procedure, they proceed to thermal treatment of the oil. It is after such procedures that such fuels are obtained - gasoline, gas, diesel.

Next comes the catalytic reforming procedure. During this particular procedure, the resulting gasoline, after primary processing, is converted into fuel characterized by a high octane number. However, gasoline grades such as 92 oct or 95 oct are produced by mixing different components that were obtained as a result of different crude oil refining processes.

How to make gasoline at home

You can get gasoline at home using direct distillation. When the crude oil is heated, the fuel evaporates, for which a tube is passed from the main container to another. At different temperatures, different petroleum products are obtained:

gasoline - +35...+250°С;
kerosene - +150...+305°С;
diesel fuel - +150...+360°С.

The layout of the distillation apparatus is the same as that of moonshine. But making gasoline at home has many disadvantages. This includes a low fuel yield (150 ml from 1 liter of oil) and a low octane number (not higher than 60 units). To raise the octane level to 92 or 95 gasoline, additives and additives are needed. It is much more practical to make gasoline from various waste materials, straw, used tires, charcoal, etc.

Isomerization

Another important way to obtain high-octane feedstock for addition to motor fuel is through the isomerization process using aluminum chloride and other similar catalysts. Isomerization is used to increase the octane number of natural gasoline and straight chain naphthenes. Improved anti-knock properties result from the conversion of normal pentane and hexane to isopentane and isohexane. Isomerization processes are becoming important, especially in those countries where catalytic cracking to increase gasoline yield is carried out in relatively small quantities. With additional ethylation, i.e. introduction of tetraethyl lead, the isomers have octane numbers from 94 to 107 (this method has now been abandoned due to the toxicity of the resulting volatile alkyl lead compounds that pollute the natural environment).

Biofuel efficiency

Biogas from litter and manure is colorless and odorless. It provides the same amount of heat as natural gas. One cubic meter of biogas provides the same amount of energy as 1.5 kg of coal.

Most often, farms do not dispose of waste from livestock, but store it in one area. As a result, methane is released into the atmosphere, and manure loses its properties as a fertilizer. Timely processed waste will bring much more benefits to the farm.

It is easy to calculate the efficiency of manure disposal in this way. The average cow produces 30-40 kg of manure per day. This mass produces 1.5 cubic meters of gas. From this amount, 3 kW/h of electricity is generated.

Marketable condition

From a consumption perspective, fuel oil is a relatively cheap fuel for boilers and marine diesel engines. But in reality, we put wads of money in the oven with him. Until recently, zealous Germans, Finns and Dutch, for example, loaded cheap fuel oil at terminals near St. Petersburg and transported it on tankers to their homes. Then they further distill it and subject it to the same processes of vacuum distillation, cracking, reformin, etc. Let us recall that in Europe the depth of oil refining is 90% or more (for fuel oil that has already been distilled). This means that from one ton of fuel oil they are capable of extracting up to 800 kg of usable gasoline.

We come to the most interesting part. We got few marketable products after oil distillation. Conditioned kerosene is used as a component of rocket and aviation fuel. Some of the fuel oil was resold to neighbors, and some was used as fuel. The bottom residue - bitumen - is suitable for construction. So, diesel fuel and gasoline accounted for less than half of the volume of refined oil.

Fuel octane number

The higher the octane rating, the safer the gasoline is for the fuel system. Fuel of very poor quality creates a risk of engine explosion. Additional components are used to increase the octane number:

Alcohols;
Esters;
Alkyls;
Additives that increase resistance to freezing.

Increases octane number in different ways

Previously, tetraethyl lead was also used. It did an excellent job, but had a negative impact on the health of drivers and nature in general, settling in the lungs and causing cancer. Approved additives allow you to create fuel that is safe for both the engine and the environment, both in the laboratory and independently.

How does a biogas plant work?

The operating principle of the biogas production device is quite simple:

Biomass diluted with water is loaded into a sealed container, where it begins to “ferment” and release gases;
the contents of the tank are regularly updated - the raw materials processed by bacteria are drained and fresh ones are added (on average about 5-10% daily);
The gas accumulated in the upper part of the tank is supplied through a special tube to the gas collector, and then to household appliances.

Diagram of a biogas plant.

What raw materials are suitable for bioreactor?

Installations for producing biogas are profitable only where there is a daily replenishment of fresh organic matter - manure or droppings of livestock and poultry. You can also add chopped grass, tops, leaves and household waste (in particular, vegetable peelings) into the bioreactor.

The efficiency of the installation largely depends on the type of raw material being loaded. It has been proven that, with the same mass, the highest biogas yield is obtained from pig manure and turkey droppings. In turn, cow excrement and silage waste produce less gas for the same load.

Use of bio-raw materials for home heating.

What cannot be used in a biogas plant?

There are factors that can significantly reduce the activity of anaerobic bacteria, or even completely stop the process of biogas production. Raw materials containing:

antibiotics;
mold;
synthetic detergents, solvents and other “chemicals”;
resins (including sawdust from coniferous trees).

It is ineffective to use already rotting manure - only fresh or pre-dried waste can be loaded. Also, the raw materials should not be allowed to become waterlogged - an indicator of 95% is already considered critical. However, a small amount of clean water still needs to be added to the biomass in order to facilitate its loading and speed up the fermentation process. Manure and waste are diluted to the consistency of thin semolina porridge.

Direct distillation process

This is a very ancient method, it was invented at the dawn of gasoline engines. If you like, it is not distinguished by super technologies, and it can easily be repeated in every home, more on that a little later.

The physical process itself consists of heating oil and evaporating from it the necessary compositions in turn

. The process occurs at atmospheric pressure and in a closed container in which a gas exhaust tube is installed. When heated, volatile compounds begin to evaporate from oil:

Temperature from 35 to 200 °C – we get gasoline
Temperature from 150 to 305 °C – kerosene
From 150 to 360 °C – diesel fuel.

After which they are simply condensed into another container.

But there are a lot of disadvantages with this method:

We get very little fuel - so from one liter we get only 150 ml. gasoline.
The resulting gasoline has a very low octane number, approximately 50 - 60 units. As you understand, to catch it up to 92 - 95, you need a lot of additives.

In general, this process is hopelessly outdated; in modern conditions it is simply not commercially profitable. Therefore, many processing enterprises have now switched to a more profitable, advanced manufacturing method.

Primary processes

Primary refining processes do not involve chemical changes in oil and represent its physical separation into fractions. First, industrial oil undergoes a primary technological process of purifying extracted oil from oil gas, water and mechanical impurities - this process is called primary oil separation.

Oil preparation

Oil arrives at the refinery (oil refinery) in a form prepared for transportation. At the plant, it undergoes additional purification from mechanical impurities, removal of dissolved light hydrocarbons (C1-C4) and dehydration in electric desalting units (EDU).

Atmospheric distillation

The oil enters distillation columns for atmospheric distillation (distillation at atmospheric pressure), where it is divided into several fractions: light and heavy gasoline fractions, kerosene fraction, diesel fraction and the residue of atmospheric distillation - fuel oil. The quality of the resulting fractions does not meet the requirements for commercial petroleum products, so the fractions are subjected to further (secondary) processing.

Material balance of atmospheric distillation of West Siberian oil:

Boiling limits, °C	Fraction yield, % (wt.)
Gas	1,1
Gasoline fractions
less than 62°C	4,1
62—85	2,3
85—120	4,5
120—140	3,0
140—180	6,0
Kerosene
180—240	9,5
Diesel fuel
240—350	19,0
Fuel oil	49,4
Losses	1,0

Vacuum distillation

Vacuum distillation is the process of distilling fractions from fuel oil (atmospheric distillation residue) suitable for processing into motor fuels, oils, paraffins and ceresins, and other products of oil refining and petrochemical synthesis. The heavy residue remaining after this is called tar. Can serve as a raw material for the production of bitumen.

How to produce gasoline at home - instructions

You know, my grandfather would have easily and easily made gasoline fuel at home! This is because the moonshine still is perfect for this event. All that remains is to find crude oil somewhere!

SO, the process is point by point:

We are looking for a sealed container; there must be a gas outlet tube on top that will go into another container. A high-temperature thermometer should also be installed to monitor the temperature inside.
Now we pour oil into the first container, set it to heat (you can even use gas, but this is explosive, because we get gasoline), it is better to use the electric option. We place the second container in a cold room, about + 5 degrees; if this is not possible, then we place the tube that goes to the container in the cold, or even line it with ice from the refrigerator.
In the first container, heating begins, and as we have already seen from above, a temperature of 35 - 200 degrees is enough for the light fractions (gasoline) to begin to evaporate. Usually 100 - 120 degrees is enough. We heat it up and since the vapors enter a cold container or tube through a tube, they condense - they fall into a liquid state, into a second container.

Our fuel is ready! In essence, this is a method of direct distillation of oil. However, it will have a low octane number, as I already indicated above, about 50 - 60 units; in order to use it, you need to add additives - alcohols, alkyls, ethers. Thus, we will get the indicator we need 92 - 95. Of course, this is quite difficult to do at home, but through trial and error you can achieve a completely working formula. To be honest, the direct distillation method is as simple as “three kopecks.”

By the way, if we heat the remaining fractions at a higher temperature (+ 300, + 350 degrees), then we already get kerosene and diesel.

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Self-production of gasoline

Having studied the process of oil distillation, you can understand that it is not necessary to have a plant and laboratory to create fuel. It can be done at the dacha or in any other place using a simple unit and minimal knowledge. Of course, the initial quality of such fuel will leave much to be desired - it will have to be brought to condition with various additives.

What you will need:

A sealed container with a gas outlet tube. Any iron barrel with a tight lid and a welded outlet will do;
An industrial thermometer that will monitor the temperature inside this vessel;
Condenser - any container into which gas will flow from the first during distillation;
Distiller (an ordinary moonshine still will do);
Heating element - even a kitchen electric stove will do;
The third container, which serves as a water seal;
Oil or refinery waste (including old tires or used oil).

Installation assembly

Having prepared all three containers, you can begin assembly. The first vessel (retort) is connected to the second (condenser) via a gas exhaust tube. This design is fundamental in the distillation process. The condenser tank must have a hose that connects to the water seal tube (one of two) - both of them are located below the water level. The second water seal tube is connected to the furnace, on which the retort is placed. This design is closed and allows for the distillation of petroleum products. The process must take place outdoors or indoors with a powerful hood - gasoline vapors are explosive!

If regular oil cannot be found, secondary products will do. This could be fuel oil, used motor oil, old tires and other waste. Of course, using such materials, the final amount of fuel will be even less than 15% of the original volume.

How to use the distillation machine

Oil or its secondary products are placed in the retort. The container is placed on heat (if a kitchen stove is used, it must have electric burners - gas burners create a risk of igniting gasoline vapors). The capacitor must be placed in a cool room (about +5°C). If this is not possible, then you need to at least cover the tube connecting the retort and cover the condenser with ice.

You can get quite suitable fuel

The first container must be heated in the temperature range 35–200°C. If you exceed two hundred degrees, you will get not gasoline, but another type of fuel - diesel or kerosene. Gas will flow through the tube into the cooled second container, which, upon condensation, turns into liquid - the basis of gasoline. Its vapors rise above petroleum products as a result of heating, since they are lighter than other substances. High-boiling compounds will remain in the retort: kerosene, petroleum oil, etc.

During the operation of the device, not only gas is formed, which is the basis of gasoline, but also methane (as well as propane and butane in smaller quantities). This is why a tube is needed that either removes the hydrocarbon gases or directs them into the furnace if a combustion system is used.

In order to get more liquid, the remains from the first process should be placed in a thick-walled airtight container and heated to 450 degrees. The heavy components of petroleum products will decompose, and the resulting substance can be distilled again. This process is a simplified version of cracking, which is used in industry.

Increase in octane number

Formally, the liquid obtained in the condenser is gasoline. It has an insufficient octane number, so it is not suitable as a fuel. Thus, straight-run gasoline should be enriched with additives (even tetraethyl lead is suitable - in small quantities required for the operation of one car, it does not pose a danger). The resulting gasoline can be used for its intended purpose, but it is most likely not suitable for cars with a sensitive fuel system - a low octane content, coupled with impurities, will simply ruin an expensive vehicle.

As for use in simple and inexpensive cars that have a fussy fuel system, homemade gasoline is perfect for them. Increasing the octane number to the desired level occurs by trial and error, so you should not experiment on sensitive machines.

The production of diesel fuel and kerosene independently occurs in exactly the same way, with the exception of the heating temperature in the retort. These types of fuel require 300 and 350 degrees Celsius, respectively.

Calculation of installation profitability

Cow dung is usually used as a raw material for biogas production. One adult cow can produce enough to provide 1.5 cubic meters. fuel; pig – 0.2 cubic meters; chicken or rabbit (depending on body weight) – 0.01-0.02 cubic meters. To understand whether this is a lot or a little, you can compare it with more familiar types of resources.

1 cubic meter biogas provides the same amount of thermal energy as:

firewood – 3.5 kg;
coal – 1-2 kg;
electricity – 9-10 kW/h.

If you know the approximate weight of agricultural waste that will be available over the coming years and the amount of energy required, you can calculate the profitability of a biogas plant.

One of the main disadvantages of biogas production is the smell. The ability to use small compost heaps is a big plus, but you will have to endure the inconvenience and carefully control the process so as not to provoke the spread of pathogens

To put it into the bioreactor, a substrate is prepared, which includes several components in the following proportions:

manure (best cow or pork) – 1.5 t;
organic waste (this can be rotten leaves or other components of plant origin) – 3.5 t;
water heated to 35 degrees (the amount of warm water is calculated so that its mass is 65-75% of the total amount of organic matter).

The calculation of the substrate was made for one laying for six months, based on moderate gas consumption. After about 10-15 days, the fermentation process will give the first results: gas will appear in small quantities and begin to fill the storage. After 30 days, you can expect full fuel production.

Equipment for the production of biogas is not yet particularly widespread in our country. This is largely due to poor awareness of people about the advantages and features of biogas systems. In China and India, many small farms are equipped with makeshift plants to produce additional clean fuel

If the installation is working correctly, the volume of biogas will gradually increase until the substrate rots. The performance of the structure directly depends on the rate of biomass fermentation, which in turn is related to the temperature and humidity of the substrate.

Do-it-yourself biological fuel

Biofuel can also be obtained from human and animal waste.

This can be manure from large and small livestock, horses, pigs, poultry droppings, sewage, beet pulp, stillage after alcohol production, and much, much more. Getting energy is actually simple, because at home we have everything we need for this.

All of the above waste, like everything organic, begins to ferment over time due to the spread of bacteria. During the fermentation of manure and other waste, biogas is released, which can be used like natural gas. That is, biogas, like ordinary natural gas, can be used for heating, for using electricity, for refueling a car.

After the fermentation process, the resulting mass allows us to obtain environmentally friendly liquid and solid fertilizer with our own hands, which is perfect for use in agriculture. At the same time, the yield increases significantly.

Biodiesel fuel is already used in many European countries. The world's largest biodiesel plant is being built in Singapore. In addition, there are prerequisites that this type of fuel will soon enter the markets and residents of other countries will be able to appreciate its merits.

There are many video instructions on the Internet that tell you how to make biofuel at home. In these videos you can clearly see how you can use environmentally friendly raw materials without harming the environment and how high quality they are compared to conventional types of fuel.

You can talk for a long time about other options for producing biofuels at home and their advantages. In these difficult times (both environmentally and economically) this issue remains very relevant.

Recycling waste is a profitable business that brings many benefits. That's why turning it into a usable fuel is a tempting idea. There are many people trying to turn organic waste into high-octane gasoline using microorganisms and chemical processes.

Industrial units

Both plastic and tire can be processed in the same converter reactor. The oil extracted by industrial units contains up to 95% diesel fuel. In Russia, you can purchase internationally patented technological installations. Products have been tested to meet safety requirements.

Products obtained at home can be used as industrial fuel to generate heat and electricity, and in the production of petroleum products (gasoline, diesel fuel, lubricants). A plastic processing plant uses pyrolysis gas as fuel when heated.

Many countries do not have their own plastic processing plant. It is often not economically feasible to incinerate waste; it is easier to export. Craftsmen in Russia have come up with an alternative way to deal with this. Instead of sending plastic, tires, paper (carbon-containing materials) to landfills or incinerators, waste is recycled in home plants. Diesel and gasoline obtained through a chemical process are used for personal needs.

What is made from coal: making gasoline at home

Octane quantity

If you have a question about what gasoline is made

, it has become more or less clear that absolutely not everyone knows this octane quantity. Everyone knows that the name of each brand of gasoline has an alphabetic and also a digital designation. Letters such as A or AI indicate the method for determining the octane number. A is a motor process, AI is a research process. But the numbers that come after indicate the quantitative content of octane number in the fuel.

Everyone knows that oil

, and
gasoline are explosives. Since gasoline
is extracted from oil by refining it, this property does not go away. The octane number indicates the fuel's resistance to detonation. In other words, the larger it is, the higher the safety of the fuel brand. But it is necessary to understand that this indicator is relative, and every spark will still cause an explosion.

How to make gasoline at home (video)

Gasoline is becoming more expensive - although oil is falling! It’s so strange how everything works in our country. Well, okay, many of us are wondering - is it possible to make gasoline at home? And how is it made in general? What kind of complex technical process is this, after which gasoline now costs just like “gold”. Today I decided to write a short article where we will look at the manufacturing process of this fuel. You will see that everything is not as complicated as it really seems...

As you know, gasoline is made from oil; if you like, it is a “preparation” for future fuel. By the way, from the residues after distillation, many other things are obtained, for example, kerosene, fuel oil, etc. So a liter of this “fossil” is broken down into many components.

In turn, oil can be decomposed into two main components, these are carbon (approximately 85%) and hydrogen (approximately 15%). They are connected to each other by hundreds of bonds, which we then call hydrocarbons - in turn, they can also be divided into complex and light compounds - but all these compounds, in fact, are oil.

Gasoline is extracted from it in two main ways - this is the process of “direct distillation”, and a more advanced one which goes by a lot of names - platforming, reforming, hydro-reforming, but the most popular now are thermal and catalytic cracking. Now in more detail.

Secondary processes

The purpose of secondary processes is to increase the amount of motor fuel produced; they are associated with the chemical modification of hydrocarbon molecules that make up the oil, usually with their transformation into forms more convenient for oxidation.

According to their directions, all secondary processes can be divided into three types:

Deepening: catalytic cracking, thermal cracking, visbreaking, delayed coking, hydrocracking, bitumen production, etc.
Upgrading: reforming, hydrotreating, isomerization, etc.
Other: oil production processes, MTBE, alkylation, aromatic hydrocarbon production, etc.

Reforming

Catalytic reforming - catalytic aromatization of petroleum products (increasing the content of arenes as a result of reactions of the formation of aromatic hydrocarbons). Gasoline fractions with a boiling point of 85–180 °C are subject to reforming. As a result of reforming, the gasoline fraction is enriched with aromatic compounds, and the octane number of gasoline increases to approximately 85. The resulting product (reformate) is used as a component for the production of motor gasoline and as a raw material for the extraction of individual aromatic hydrocarbons, such as benzene, toluene and xylenes.

Hypotheses about the origin of oil

The exact origin of the oil has not yet been established. Oil formation is a long-term process of oil accumulation in the earth's crust. There are two main theories on the basis of which scientists are trying to understand where exactly oil comes from in the depths of the planet. According to the first, it is of organic (biogenic) origin, and according to the second, it is inorganic (abiogenic). Most facts point to the advantage of the first theory. Also, oil exploration and production are based on this concept.

Inorganic origin of oil

Proponents of the abiogenic theory insist that oil is of mineral origin. In other words, it gradually accumulated at great depths from various inorganic elements. The process of liquid formation is associated with high temperatures, pressure and chemical processes. Alternatively, oil emerged from deep-seated methane, which, in turn, was produced from the Earth’s mantle.

Inorganic origin of oil

Followers of this theory are confident that there is no need to worry about the fact that the mineral resource will soon be exhausted. In their opinion, oil formation continues, and this happens faster than people can extract and use it. However, the theory of the inorganic origin of oil has a weak evidence base. For example, researchers are unable to use it to discover new fossil deposits.

Organic origin of oil

The theory of the biogenic origin of oil is based on the fact that the liquid appeared due to the gradual processing of organic substances. In particular, over numerous geological epochs, the remains of algae, zooplankton, and various living organisms accumulated.

In particular, such accumulations formed at the bottom of reservoirs, since most of the planet was covered with water. Gradually, the remains of living organisms and other elements accumulated at the bottom along with sand and silt. As the mass of these deposits increased, they sank deeper and deeper - the pressure and temperature increased. Then hydrocarbons began to appear. This was facilitated by bacteria that can exist without air.

Subsequently, organic substances were transformed as a result of chemical processes. These are very long and complex processes that take millions of years. It takes from 50 to 350 million years for oil to appear, according to the biogenic concept.

Interesting fact: Along with the modern cost of gasoline, it is surprising that it was once considered useless, and therefore practically free. When kerosene was in demand, gasoline was considered only a by-product of its production during the processing of oil. Often it was simply poured into water bodies in huge quantities.

The origin of oil has two theories - biogenic and abiogenic. Most researchers are inclined to the biogenic concept, according to which oil was formed due to organic substances. These processes last for millions of years. The remains of living organisms and algae gradually accumulated at the bottom of reservoirs. There they mixed with silt and new organic substances and formed huge masses. Under the influence of bacteria, high temperature and pressure, and chemical processes, hydrocarbons were formed at great depths, and subsequently an oily liquid.

How gasoline is made from oil in factories

There are 32 oil refineries in Russia. Thanks to them, our oil industry keeps the bar high.

Let's start from the very beginning, namely with crude oil, which is the source of many types of fuel. So, in 1 barrel of oil there are 159 liters, when it is processed, the volume increases to approximately 168, and the yield from it is:

102 liters of gasoline fuel;
30 liters of diesel;
25 liters of aviation fuel;
11 liters of refinery gas as a result of distillation;
10 liters of secondary petroleum coke.

And now, in order. The bottom line is that crude oil is made up of a mixture of hydrocarbons, each with a different number of carbon atoms per molecule. In simple words, each molecule has a different length and weight; during the heating process, heavier and longer molecules are broken to the size of gasoline molecules. Gasoline is one of the lightest molecules. Before getting it in the form we know, oil must undergo several types of purification and processing.

Primary processing

Deep purification of oil from salts and water impurities is carried out under the influence of an electric field. As a result, water is separated from oil, and desalting occurs to the required values.

Next, the oil is subjected to heat treatment.

Catalytic cracking

After such heat treatment, the following are obtained: gas, gasoline, diesel and other flammable components.

Catalytic reforming

Here, oil fractions after primary processing are converted into gasoline with a high octane number.

Gasolines of specified grades, for example, 92, 95, are obtained by mixing components obtained from various types of oil refining.

What is octane?

Almost every type of transport has a four-stroke fuel engine. During the compression stroke in the engine cylinders, the fuel-air mixture is compressed and ignited by the spark plug. The octane number is determined by the compression ratio of the engine. Engine power increases if you simply increase the compression ratio; accordingly, an engine with a high compression ratio requires higher octane gasoline. How much it will cost you, see below.

Laboratory testing

After all the cleaning procedures, the next step will be the laboratory. Only there they do the final analysis of the product and sum up the results. Gasoline must be clean, without impurities and water.

Next, the fuel product is thoroughly tested on a special engine. The presence of detonation and knocking means premature combustion of the fuel; the cause may be an insufficient amount of octane in the mixture or an excess of heptane. A substance such as heptane is difficult to compress and ignites quickly, while octane can be compressed indefinitely. With such amendments, the results are sent back to production for improvement.

Upon completion of development, the ideally obtained mixture is released, for which the time has come for its transportation to specific gas station stations.

This is a rather lengthy and complex process of refining a barrel of oil into gasoline.

Theory

Until now, nothing has proven to be truly effective. There is no environmentally sound solution to the growing global landfill problem. In fact, fuel from waste did not live up to expectations; the resulting product turned out to be expensive, energy-inefficient, or equally harmful to the environment as the plastic itself.

With developing pyrolysis technology, there is a solution that is surprisingly simple, economically viable and safe.

It is possible to obtain fuel at home if a person is at least somewhat familiar with basic chemical reactions. In the process of decomposition of organic waste, a mixed culture of microorganisms found in the natural environment, such as cattle pastures and swamps, is used. Fermentation of the biomass converts the mixture into carboxylic acid. The process of acid fermentation, which converts biomass and carbon-containing raw materials, has long been used in the West. The resulting organic gas is converted into high-octane gasoline through gas condensation, which can be mixed directly into the fuel tank, avoiding the problems presented by ethanol.

How to ensure biomass activity

For proper fermentation of biomass, it is best to heat the mixture. In the southern regions, the air temperature promotes the onset of fermentation. If you live in the north or in the middle zone, you can connect additional heating elements.

To start the process, a temperature of 38 degrees is required. There are several ways to ensure this:

A coil under the reactor connected to the heating system;
Heating elements inside the container;
Direct heating of the container with electric heating devices.

The biological mass already contains bacteria that are needed to produce biogas. They wake up and begin activity when the air temperature rises.

It is best to heat them with automatic heating systems. They turn on when cold mass enters the reactor and automatically turn off when the temperature reaches the desired value. Such systems are installed in water heating boilers; they can be purchased at gas equipment stores.

If you provide heating to 30-40 degrees, then processing will take 12-30 days. It depends on the composition and volume of the mass. When heated to 50 degrees, bacterial activity increases, and processing takes 3-7 days. The disadvantage of such installations is the high cost of maintaining high temperatures. They are comparable to the amount of fuel received, so the system becomes ineffective.

Another way to activate anaerobic bacteria is by stirring the biomass. You can install the shafts in the boiler yourself and move the handle out to stir the mass if necessary. But it is much more convenient to design an automatic system that will mix the mass without your participation.

Rules for using a hydrogen generator at home

To increase the efficiency of your homemade installation, you must follow some rules. Otherwise, the cost of producing hydrogen may exceed the savings from its use in the heating system. Although one important advantage of Brown gas heating will remain in any case - the environmental friendliness of this type of fuel.

to construct a homemade generator, it is better to use ferromagnetic stainless steel - in this case, the tubes will not oxidize and attract debris;
You can also use plain tap water, but to improve the result it is better to use a solution of sodium hydroxide in distilled water;
before use, the electrode plates must be washed in a soapy solution and wiped with an alcohol-containing liquid;
Plates contaminated during operation can be cleaned with sandpaper.

The use of alternative fuels is a pressing problem for all of humanity.
Gradually, scientific developments are modified and adapted to the needs of the common man. Nowadays, hydrogen generators are quite exotic devices for heating. But the trend towards the ecological use of our planet’s resources is increasingly increasing the population’s interest in new types of energy. Date: September 25, 2021