Basic Information
Sources
Fuel is a substance that can be burned to produce heat, lighting or power. Someone who sells fuel is called a fueller. A machine that burns fuel is called a generator if it produces energy, or an engine if it converts fuel into propulsion. Fuel may also be converted to energy by a fuel cell - a device using a process other than combustion.
In comparison to a battery, most fuels tend to provide more hours of power at lesser weight. So fuels may be the better choice if you need a lot of power all at once, or need the power over a long time, or if weight is an important consideration (such as in an aircraft or spacecraft). The trade off is that batteries tend to be less volatile or dangerous than a bunch of flammable fuel. Of course, there is fuel and then there is fuel - some are more energy dense and volatile than others - for example, steam powered vessels burning wood were vastly outranged by those burning coal and both were left standing by oil-fired propulsion (not to mention the increased ease of refuelling). Renewable energy is a cleaner and even better option if you have a tappable source and the space and weight capacity available and don't need the immediate high-burning on-demand power spike of a fuel (again, in terms of time between refuelling stops, sailing vessels outrange anything - even nuclear power - but rely on a vast expanse of rigging and, of course, the wind). All the preceding is assuming modern technology. Future technological breakthroughs may adjust any this.
List of Fuels:
- Alcoholic Spirits
- Algae Fuel
- Ammonia
- Antimatter
- Applied Phlebotinum
- Biofuel
- Calluna
- Candle
- Candlefish
- Charcoal
- Coal
- Coke
- Chlorophyll
- Crude Oil
- Diesel
- Dung
- Ethanol
- Fertilizer
- Food
- Fossil Fuel
- Fuel Cell
- Gasoline
- Heather
- Hydrogen (see also Hydrogen Fuel Cell)
- Kerosene
- Lamp oil (see also Lamp)
- Linseed Oil (see also Flax)
- Manure
- Metallic Hydrogen Fuel
- Methane
- Naptha
- Natural Gas
- Night Soil
- Nuclear Fuel
- Oil
- Olive oil (see also Olive)
- Peat
- Pitch
- Plutonium
- Propane
- Solar Fuel
- Solid Fuel Tablet
- Solid Rocket
- Tallow
- Thorium
- Torch
- Uranium
- Wax
- Whale Blubber
- Wood
Renewable Energies that might be used instead of Fuels:
Dangers Relating to Fuel
- BP's admits role in Lockerbie bomber's release
- Climate Change
- Deep Water Horizon
- Explosion (see also Blast Injuries)
- Fire
- Oil Spill
- Peak Oil
- What Nearly Punched a Hole in This Japanese Oil Tanker?