Table 1.
Energetic potential of selected fuels.
| Fuel | Energy Type | Energetic Value [MJ/kg] | Energetic Value [kWh/kg] | Applications | References |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hydrogen (compressed 500–700 Ba) | Chemical | 120–142 | 39 | rocket engines, automotive engines, grid storage and conversion | [26,27,28,29] |
| Gasoline | Chemical | 47 | 13 | automotive engines, power plants | [26,29,30] |
| Propane-butane gas | Chemical | 45–46 | 13 | cooking, home heating, automotive engines, lighter fluid | [26,29,30] |
| Heating oil | Chemical | 40–42 | 11 | home heating | [26,29,30] |
| Coal | Chemical | 20–27 | 6–9 | electric power plants, home heating | [26,29,30,31] |
| Firewood | Biological | 19 | 6 | electric power plants, home heating | [26,29,30,31] |
| Pellet | Biological | 16.5–17.5 | 5–6 | home heating | [26,29,30,31] |
| Biogas | Chemical | 16.7–23 | 5–7 | home heating | [26,29,30,31] |
| Lithium-ion Battery | Electrochemical | 1.8 | 0.5 | portable electronic devices, flashlights | [31] |
| Ethanol Fuel (E100) | Chemical | 26 | 9 | flex-fuel, racing, stoves, lighting | [29,30,31] |
| Tritium | Nuclear decay | 583,500 | 162,000 | electric power plants (nuclear reactors), industrial process heat | [30] |