Internal Combustion Engine Heat Generated?

Question

There is plenty of evidence regarding the link between CO2 emissions and global warming. But what about the heat generated by running an internal combustion engine? Running a car's engine for even a few minutes heats up the air around it quite a bit. Given the number of vehicles on the road, does that heat generated contribute in any measurable way to global warming as well?

Answer 1

It does contribute, but not significantly. In the last 50 years so many motor vehicles were made, that their influence should be notified in global warming, but considering the amount of energy that comes to the Earth every day from the Sun, the influence of motor vehicles can easily be neglected, without making any error in calculating overall heating of the Earth.

The bigger problem is emmision of CO2 and CO, that cause "hot house" effect and damage the ozone layer, by reacting with an extra O atom from the ozone. Besides, all of those processes occur at high altitudes, where the heat from a small source, like vehicle's motor, cannot reach (it is dissolved by winds at up to 100 m of altitude, whereas the ozone layer is at about 10-50 km above the Earth's surface, and CO is not reacting until it gets enough energy, in this case from the Sun, and it is possible only at higher altitudes, like where the ozone layer is.).

One fact - overall production of man-made energy per year is about 10 times smaller than the energy sent to the Earth from the Sun EACH AND EVERY DAY.

Answer 2

Wholly insignificant.

Global warming concerns the collection of greenhouse gasses in theatmosphere (of which CO and CO2 are part of) which trap heat from the sun causing a warming of the planet, dirupting weather pattern, which leads to increased severe weather and degregation to environmental habitats.

All the heat produced on the planet is insignificant to that received from the sun. If the heat isn't trapped, it would readily dissipate into space.

Answer 3

Yes. It does. But the Co2 generated form that sits there in the atmosphere and creates greenhouse effect for ever. When you adds all of it the original heat generated becomes negligible.

Answer 4

You are asking about the relative contributions to the Earth's energy budget: natural versus manmade.

There are three natural sources of energy input to the Earth's surface: solar, geothermal and tidal. Solar radiation incident on Earth's surface (as opposed to incident on the top of the atmosphere) is approximately 174 petawatts = 174,000 terawatts. Geothermal energy reaching the Earth's surface from below is about 23 terawatts. Finally, tidal energy input to the Earth's crust and oceans from gravitational pulling by the Sun and Moon is about 3 terawatts. Total natural power input to the Earth's surface = 174,026 terawatts. By comparison, all power generated by fossil fuel burning (includes both vehicles and stationary power plants) is about 13 terawatts, or less than one ten thousandth (0.0001 fraction) of the natural power sources. So no, it is not a significant source contributing directly to global warming.

Answer 5

All the heat we produce has an effect upon the total planetary heat. Is it significant? Probably. Is the effect measurable? Perhaps not.