How is energy from petroleum released and stored?

Question

How is energy from petroleum released and stored?

Answer 1

Here is an explaination of how an engine works

http://auto.howstuffworks.com/engine1.ht...

http://www.jgames.co.uk/title/Internal_c...

If you want to store energy from an engine then you can preserve the kinetic energy using a flywheel.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flywheel

You can also convert the energy to electricity and store it chemically in baterries.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dynamo

You could even store it as potential energy by raising a weight or pumping water to a high reservoir.

Here is some info on how an oil power station works, as well.

http://www.eon-uk.com/EnergyExperience/3...

There are transparent engine kits you can build yourself if you want to.

http://www.wonderlandmodels.com/Internal...

Answer 2

The energy is stored in the chemical bonds of the petroleum

It is released when the petroleum is burned, breaking the bonds

Answer 3

Release is simply due to combustion, this is a generic equation:

Hydrocarbon ( like octane or petroleum) + Oxygen ---> (heat) ---> Carbon Dioxide + Water + Energy

The energy is due to the exothermic nature of this process. When a high energy reactant is turned into a low energy product (a more stable state), energy is release in some form, usually thermal.

Petroleum contains alkanes and aromatic hydrocarbons (examples: octane, and cylcohexane) and other organic compounds containing nitrogen, oxygen and sulfur, and some small amounts of metals. The hydrocarbons are the important part in combustion... dun dun dun.. Octane which is simply C8H10.

Storage is due to natural processes occurring in nature, the natural cycle of carbon settling back down to earth, a cycle that we've distroyed as humans which supposedly results in global warming (i'm not an environmentalist, but still, people are pigs LOL). I don't know alot about environmental science, I just know chem and bio  :) hope that makes sense.

Answer 4

Not sure of how technical an answer you want but:

Petroleum is a flammable liquid that explodes when it comes into contact with a flame or spark.

In a typical engine the petrol explodes thus moving the pistons up and down...this up and down motion can then be made into a circular motion to turn the wheels...