September 21, 2018 NAME______________________

ChE 503 – Fuels Technology

Exam 1

This is an open notes test. You may use notes from the class, articles posted on the class
blackboard site, and any other information at your disposal including the internet.
You must answer the question using your own words. You are not allowed to cut and paste
text from another site, but rather are required to interpret this information and express in your
words. You can copy figures from the class notes or other sources, but include a note
referencing where it came from. I will be using the SafeAssign feature on Blackboard that
checks all submissions for plagiarism (i.e. direct copying of text from other sources).
For most questions you should be able to respond in half a page or less. I will base the score on
being correct and not on length. My advice is don’t put lots of rambling discussion hoping that
one of your sentences hits the question, but rather include only the information that does truly
respond to the question.
Feel free to download this as a Word document and complete the exam electronically, or if you
prefer, you can handwrite answers (using good penmanship so I can read it). Don’t worry so
much about grammar, but rather about the content.
You can have the exam open for three days. If you need more time, or have questions about
any aspect of the exam, don’t hesitate to let me know.
Also, if you could record and report the amount of time required to complete the exam that will
help me decide how many questions to include in the next exam.
1. What are the primary sources of energy currently used globally (proportions of coal, gas, oil,
nuclear, wood/waste, hydro, natural gas plant liquids, geothermal/other)?
2. Describe population growth and energy needs for the next 50 years in terms of the
Terawatt challenge – What is required to meet future energy needs? (give an example)
3. Describe the greenhouse effect and list the air borne components that contribute to it?
4. How much power can be derived from the sun each day (expressed as TW/day)? Why is
solar such a small component of our power use today?
5. Hydrogen is promoted by some as the fuel of the future. What are the potential sources of
hydrogen? What needs to be done so hydrogen can be a major fuel source?
6. Describe and contrast the oil forming and coal forming environments (use a diagram
illustrating diagenesis, catagenensis, and metagenesis)? Oil types (include a discussion of
 kerogens (type I, II, and III), coal types (include humic and sapropelic as well as macerals
(vitrinite, liptinite, inertinite).
7. What has changed the energy landscape in the US? What key combinations of technologies
has made this change possible?
8. Describe ºAPI and the ranges of values for light, intermediate and heavy crude.
9. Describe the basis for presenting the coal analysis results (ultimate and proximate analysis)
as-received, moisture free, moisture and ash free, moisture and mineral matter free. Make
sure to describe the difference between ash free and mineral matter free basis.
10. What are the major coal types? Describe differences (Brown, lignite, subbituminous,
bituminous and anthracite).
11. Describe the major maceral groups and their precursor (source materials).
12. Describe the major constituents of crude oil (paraffins, aromatics, cycloalkanes, alkenes,
dienes, alkynes).
13. What types of sedimentary rocks are good reservoir rocks? Why?
14. What are the major forms of biomass used today for energy resources? Discuss the
potential competition between food and fuel.
15. What issues must be address if we are to move towards a 100% renewable energy world?

HONOR CODE
I pledge my honor that I have neither given nor received assistance during this examination.

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