WHERE DOES GASOLINE COME FROM?

1
WHERE DOES GASOLINE COME FROM?
WHY IS THERE A FLAME BURNING AT OIL REFINERIES?

• Questions for ME, Mr. Asheim

2
Were does Gasoline Come from?

• Gasoline is one of the products that can be taken
  out of Crude Oil, a dark homogeneous substance
  that is found under the ground.

3
How Do We Process Crude Oil?

• We us a refining process to separate the
  different components into separate usable
  products
• i.e. Gasoline, Kerosene, Diesel, Heating or Fuel
  Oil, Waxes, Methane and Hydrogen
• This process is called distillation and can be
  seen in a simple example

4
Distillation Example

• If you dissolve Salt into water, there are a few
  techniques that will separate the salt and the
  water.
• The easiest way is to evaporate the water and
  then catch the water vapor on a condenser
  (plate).

5
Applying Distillation to Crude

• Crude Oil can be distilled into its components as
  seen in the diagram

6
What to do with the Gases?

• Methane and Hydrogen are two light gases that are
  the last products to be separated in the oil
  refining process.
• They are released in low enough quantities that
  they are not worth capturing and saving, but
  should we just vent them into the atmosphere

7
Burn the Gases

• Methane is a major problem when it is released
  into the atmosphere.
• Methane is a very reactive green house gas which
  is not beneficial in the atmosphere
• Burning methane creates Water and Carbon Dioxide.
  Both of which are abundant in the atmosphere and
  fairly stable.

8
The Flame

• Methane is burned off of most refineries and can
  be burned off old landfills once they start
  producing methane.
• Although the gases are not being directly used
  for something, it is cleaner to burn the fuel
  then let it pollute the atmosphere.