Energy Content of Common Fuels
The energy content of fuels refers to the amount of energy that can be released through combustion or other chemical reactions. This is typically measured in terms of energy per unit mass or energy per unit volume. The most common units for expressing energy content are joules or kilocalories.
The following table provides a curated list of energy content values for common fuels given in both SI (MJ/kg) and Imperial (BTU/lb) units. The last column gives the grams of carbon emitted as carbon dioxide per megajoule of energy.
| (BTU/lb) | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Hydrogen | 141.8 | 61 | 0 |
| Methane | 55.5 | 23.9 | 13.5 |
| Ethane | 51.9 | 22.3 | 15.4 |
| Propane | 50.3 | 21.7 | 16.2 |
| Hexane | 48.3 | 20.8 | 17.3 |
| Heptane | 48.1 | 20.7 | 17.5 |
| Octane | 47.9 | 20.6 | 17.6 |
| Methanol | 22.7 | 9.7 | 16.5 |
| Ethanol | 29.7 | 12.8 | 17.6 |
| 1-Propanol | 33.6 | 14.5 | 17.8 |
| 1-Butanol | 36.1 | 15.5 | 18 |
| 1-Octanol | 40.7 | 17.5 | 18.1 |
| Methyl tert-butyl ether | 38.2 | 16.4 | 17.8 |
| Natural gas | 54 | 23.2 | 13.9 |
| Gasoline | 46.5 | 20 | 17.6 |
| Kerosene | 46.4 | 20 | 18.5 |
| Fuel oil | 40.9 | 17.6 | 21.3 |
| Coal, high bituminous | 36.3 | 15.6 | 23.5 |
| Coal, low bituminous | 28.9 | 12.4 | 26.3 |
| Coal, anthracite | 34.6 | 14.9 | 27.3 |
| Wood, oak | 18.9 | 8.1 | 25.3 |
| Wood, locust | 19.7 | 8.5 | 25.7 |
| Wood, Ponderosa pine | 20 | 8.6 | 24.6 |
| Wood, redwood | 20.7 | 8.9 | 24.4 |
| Charcoal, wood | 34.7 | 14.9 | 26.8 |
| Newsprint | 18.6 | 8 | 26.5 |
| Cellulose | 17.3 | 7.5 | 25.6 |
| Grass (lawn clippings) | 19.3 | 8.3 | 24.9 |
Natural gas is assumed to be: 95% methane, 2.5% ethane, and 2.5% innert compounds. However the actual composition may vary widely.
Related Tables
References: 1) CRC Handbook of Chemistry and Physics, 97th Edition. United Kingdom: CRC Press, 2016-2017.