hydrocarbon energy content (was: Re: oh well!(kaboom))

[James Marriott <marriott@micron.net>]

Graydon D. Stuckey wrote:
> 
> On Fri, 24 Jul 1998, Jeffrey J. Goggin wrote:
> 
> > Actually, this sounds a bit low to me ... after all, one gallon of gas will
> > propel one ton of car 40 miles or more!  ;^)
> 
> But if you remember your physics, if you don't raise or lower an object,
> no work has been done.  :-)
> 
> Gasoline is 19,000 (roughly) BTU/gal or BTU/lbmass.  I think it is
> lbmass.  Bob Myers, you should know that.  Help me out here.

Nicely done. Nearly ***ALL*** HC compounds have 19500 +/- 300 btu/lb.
Propane, diesel, motor oil, gasoline, butane, natural gas, etc. This is
one of the three reasons why diesels get better mileage:  the fuel is
more dense (hence more lb/gal (kg/L) and more Btu/gal (J/L)).

cu
James
'89 200q
'87 4kq