dcoyne78 wrote:Note that more than 1/3 of NGL output in the US is ethane (37 %) (not used at all in refining or blending), another third is propane. Maybe propane should be included, we could throw in Natural Gas as well as that offsets fuel use for heating.
It makes more sense to separate these fuels into gases and liquids, only C5 and C5+ should be included as liquids IMO.
DC
If you are talking about pure liquids and room temperature at sea level pressure than saying C5 and up are liquids makes perfect sense.
However Gasoline and Diesel fuel and even Kerosene are not pure liquids, every one of them is a blend of a half dozen or more types of molecule. Gasoline include Butane C4 in significant quantities, the blend of heavier components and a vapor tight gas cap create enough pressure in the fuel tank for it to remain in solution and behave as a liquid.
If you look at the history of Gasoline engines in the USA the first refineries often left significant quantities of Propane in the Gasoline blend as well, however back in those days fuel tanks were not pressure sealed and the Propane would actually fizz out like soda-pop on hot summer days. This created not only air pollution but also a fire hazard of the tank were in an enclosed building. LPG was invented when a smart man refined the fizzy gasses out of his gasoline and stored them in a pressurized tank, a mixture of Propane and Butane. Today we have the technology to make all vehicle tanks pressurized to the point they could hold Propane, we just have not bothered to do so because oil is still cheap enough that it doesn't matter and we have an alternative use in grilling and for rural heating for people not on the Natural gas network.