| Fuel Comparison | |||||||||
| by Bryan A. Thompson | |||||||||
| Last Updated 2/12/03 | |||||||||
| Constants | |||||||||
| Propane Cost | $1.489 | per gallon | |||||||
| Gasoline Cost | $1.590 | per gallon | |||||||
| Electricity Cost | $0.060 | per KWH | |||||||
| Wood Cost | $75.000 | per cord of 20% moisture Hickory | |||||||
| Trioxane cost | $0.250 | per one ounce bar | |||||||
| Ethanol cost | $2.250 | per gallon | |||||||
| Methanol cost | $2.000 | per gallon | |||||||
| Natural Gas cost | $0.008 | per cu ft | |||||||
| Kerosene cost | $1.270 | per gallon | |||||||
| Heating Oil cost | $1.230 | per gallon | |||||||
| Cost to store liquid fuels | $1.200 | ||||||||
| Cost to store Propane (20lb bulk) | $4.255 | ||||||||
| Cost to store electricity | $61.594 | per KWH in deep cycle batteries | |||||||
| Cost to store wood | $0.000 | ||||||||
| Cost to store trioxane | $0.000 | ||||||||
| Type | Units | Stored Energy (in KWH) | Stored Energy (in BTU) | Weight (lbs) | Volume (cu ft) | Energy Density (KWH/lb) | Energy Density (KWH/cu ft) | Energy Cost ($/KWH) | Energy Cost from Stored Fuel ($/KWH) |
| Gasoline | 1 gallon | 36.33 | 124,000.00 | 6.00 | 0.134 | 6.055 | 271.78 | $0.0438 | $ 0.0740 |
| Methanol | 1 gallon | 19.78 | 67,500.00 | 6.58 | 0.134 | 3.006 | 147.95 | $0.1011 | $ 0.1618 |
| Ethanol | 1 gallon | 95.38 | 325,452.31 | 6.59 | 0.134 | 14.474 | 713.53 | $0.0236 | $ 0.0362 |
| Kerosene | 1 gallon | 39.55 | 134,970.00 | 7.20 | 0.134 | 5.493 | 295.83 | $0.0321 | $ 0.0625 |
| Propane | 1 gallon | 26.82 | 91,547.00 | 1.00 | 0.048 | 26.823 | 559.55 | $0.0555 | $ 0.2142 |
| Natural Gas | 1 cu ft | 0.29 | 1,000.00 | 0.00 | 1.000 | Unknown | 0.29 | $0.0286 | NA |
| Heating Oil | 1 gallon | 40.43 | 138,000.00 | 7.00 | 0.134 | 5.776 | 302.47 | $0.0304 | Unknown |
| Electricity | 1 KWH | 1.00 | 3,412.00 | 0.00 | 0.000 | NA | NA | $0.0600 | $ 61.6542 |
| Wood (Hickory) | 1 cord | 7,032.00 | 30,000,000.00 | 4,000.00 | 128.000 | 7,500.000 | 54.94 | $0.0107 | $ 0.0107 |
| Trioxane | 1 ounce bar | 0.55 | 1,862.95 | 0.06 | 0.001 | 8.736 | 944.47 | $0.4579 | $ 0.4579 |
| Notes: | |||||||||
| Energy Costs indicate cost when consumed in a 100% efficient device | |||||||||
| Stored Energy figures *do not* take into account any inefficiency encountered in consuming the energy! | |||||||||
| Information in bold was found on the internet. Other information is calculated based on this information | |||||||||
| These energy numbers are chemical energy figures. In other words, when they undergo a chemical reaction, this is the energy they release energy (they're exothermic). | |||||||||
| Volume | |||||||||
| 1 gal = 0.00378541m^3 | |||||||||
| 1 ft^3 = 0.02831685 m^3 | |||||||||
| 1 m^3 = 35.3146 ft^3 | |||||||||
| 1 gal = 0.133680 ft^3 | |||||||||
| Energy | |||||||||
| 1 cal = 4.186 J | |||||||||
| 1eV = 1.6E-19 J | |||||||||
| 1KWH = 3.6E6 J | |||||||||
| 1 BTU = 1.054E3 J | |||||||||
| 1 J = 1 W*sec | |||||||||
| Power | |||||||||
| 1W = 1J/sec | |||||||||
| 1BTU = 3.412 Watt Hours | |||||||||
| 1 BTU/hr = 0.293W | |||||||||
| 1 BTU = .293 W*hr | |||||||||
| 1 BTU = Amount of heat needed to increase the temperature of 1 pint (=1lb) of water 1 degree Farenheit | |||||||||