Luna Irshaid Al Taher, Nader Hirmas
Modern Montessori School, Amman, Jordan
The aim of our experiments was to find a cheap unconventional source of energy in the form of liquid fuel from oil shale using solar power. We had previously heard about oil shale that can burn on its own, so we decided to find an economical way of utilizing it.
To begin with, many Physical experiments were executed on the stone, beginning with the first experiment; determining the specific heat capacity (C) of the stone by the method of mixtures (98.27cal/g.Co). The next experiment was to find the amount of energy emitted from the stone by burning it under a beaker of water to find the temperature reached. A dangerous smell was released and the stone took a very long time to burn. Therefore, the third experiment aimed at heating the stone in vacuum to remove all complex organic compounds, which resulted in leakages and an incomplete condensation of gases. The final experiment was executed to find out the temperature at which the stone starts producing fumes. The initial temperature was 30owhere as the maximum was 374o Celsius.
Furthermore, designs followed to build up Unit B (Converting Unit). We tried to heat the stone using fractional distillation. Since all gases were viscous, the beads of the fractionating column forced the gases back down, contributing to the next design; the same process without glass beads. Since it took a long time to heat the stone, a sand bath was used to decrease the time needed for the stone to heat up. Also, there were three types of gases that condense at different temperatures. Three condensers were used to condense each type, and the overall unit was made from red copper as it heats up and cools down quickly.
Finally, Unit A (Solar Unit) is summarized by using a parabolic dish covered with a layer of aluminum that can direct the sun rays to a focal point. Unit B was connected at that point and liquid petroleum was extracted. It was found out that about 94 grams of stone gave out 12.5ml liquid fuel. By simple calculations, about 1.2 tons of stone are equivalent to one barrel of petroleum.