Fuel composition

Abstract

A gasoline fuel composition for a spark-ignition internal combustion engine, the gasoline fuel composition comprising (a) renewable naphtha at a level of 40% to 60% volume / volume, (b) an oxidized hydrocarbon at a level of 15% to 25% volume / volume, and (c) an aromatic hydrocarbon at a level of 25% to 45% volume / volume, 5 wherein the gasoline fuel composition has an RON of 87 or greater. Although the low octane number of renewable naphtha typically strictly limits its blendability in gasoline to a low level, the fuel composition of the invention allows the use of renewable naphtha at significant levels while maintaining a good octane rating for the entire composition.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention belongs to the field of fuel formulations, and in particular to gasoline-type fuel formulations containing renewable naphtha for spark-ignition internal combustion engines. Background Technology

[0002] Fuels are typically produced by refining crude oil (petroleum). This usually involves separating various fractions of crude oil through distillation. One such fraction is naphtha, a volatile liquid fraction distilled between the lighter gaseous components of crude oil and the heavier kerosene fraction. Naphtha contains a mixture of hydrocarbons (straight-chain alkanes, branched-chain alkanes, cycloalkanes, and aromatics) with boiling points between about 30°C and about 200°C. The density of naphtha is typically 750 kg / m³. 3 -785kg / m 3 Naphtha has many uses, one of which is as a fuel for automobiles.

[0003] Although the longer-chain molecules in gasoline have high cetane numbers and can be blended into diesel, naphtha has historically not been used in gasoline, or only in small quantities, due to its low octane rating. This remains true despite naphtha having distillation properties comparable to gasoline.

[0004] Renewable fuels derived from biomass (“biofuels”) are increasingly being used as more sustainable alternatives to fossil fuels. Given the increased production of renewable naphtha in recent years, it is advantageous to blend renewable naphtha into gasoline, particularly at high blending ratios. Using renewable naphtha at higher blending ratios offers the advantage of achieving greater CO2 emission reductions and can help meet the emission reduction targets set forth in the Paris Agreement (2016). Simultaneously, it is desirable to be able to formulate gasoline fuel compositions that comply with existing gasoline fuel specifications, such as, but not limited to, EN228 and North American specifications, such as ASTM D4814-13b, US standard, CaRFG Phase 3, Federal RFG Phase II, and CAN / CGSB-3.5.

[0005] WO2017 / 093203 discloses a liquid fuel composition for spark-ignition internal combustion engines comprising (a) a gasoline blend component, (b) up to 50% by volume level of Fischer-Tropsch-derived naphtha and (c) less than 50% by volume level of oxidized hydrocarbons.

[0006] US2009 / 300971 discloses naphtha compositions produced from renewable feedstocks, wherein the naphtha has a boiling point range of about 70℉ to about 400℉ and a specific gravity of about 0.680 to about 0.740 at 20°C. In one embodiment, the renewable naphtha, when blended with ethanol at a concentration of 1% to 85% by volume, is used as an alternative gasoline fuel for internal combustion engines.

[0007] WO2018 / 234187 relates to a method for producing renewable base oils, diesel oil, and naphtha from biologically derived feedstocks. However, WO2018 / 234187 does not disclose specific gasoline fuel formulations containing renewable naphtha produced in the method.

[0008] WO2018 / 069137 relates to a method for preparing an alkylated gasoline composition comprising renewable naphtha and isooctane and isopentane. Examples of alkylated gasoline in Table 2 contain up to 5% by volume of renewable naphtha. The gasoline compositions in this application are free of oxidized hydrocarbons and are primarily intended for use in small, general-purpose gasoline engines for various portable gasoline-powered tools, such as chainsaws and lawnmowers.

[0009] US9885000B2 relates to a renewable hydrocarbon composition that can be obtained from renewable biofuels. This composition can be used as a fuel component.

[0010] WO2009 / 148909 relates to a method for producing naphtha products from renewable feedstocks. The renewable naphtha products can be used as fuel or fuel blends.

[0011] While the low octane number of renewable naphtha typically severely limits its miscibility in gasoline, attempts have been made to include it in gasoline fuel compositions, such as those containing ethanol. To this end, WO2022017912 relates to a gasoline fuel composition for spark-ignition internal combustion engines comprising (a) a gasoline blending component, (b) 10% to 30% by volume of renewable naphtha, and (c) 20% by volume or less of oxidized hydrocarbons.

[0012] The gasoline blend component comprises (a) 0% to 30% by volume alkylate, (b) 0% to 15% by volume isomer, (c) 0% to 20% by volume catalytic cracking top product (CCT) naphtha; and (d) 20% to 40% by volume heavy reformate, wherein the total amount of alkylate, isomer, CCT naphtha, and heavy reformate is at least 50% by volume based on the gasoline fuel composition.

[0013] Furthermore, the gasoline fuel composition therein meets the EN228 fuel specification.

[0014] We hope to provide an alternative solution to this problem. Summary of the Invention

[0015] According to a first aspect of the invention, a gasoline fuel composition for a spark-ignition internal combustion engine is provided, comprising (a) 40% to 60% by volume of renewable naphtha, (b) 15% to 25% by volume of oxidized hydrocarbons and (c) 25% to 45% by volume of aromatic hydrocarbons, wherein the gasoline fuel composition has 87 or greater RON.

[0016] According to another aspect of the invention, a method for preparing a gasoline fuel composition is provided, the method comprising blending (a) 40% to 60% by volume of renewable naphtha, (b) 15% to 25% by volume of oxidized hydrocarbons, and (c) 25% to 45% by volume of aromatic hydrocarbons based on the gasoline fuel composition.

[0017] The inventors have surprisingly discovered that renewable naphtha can be included in gasoline fuel compositions, such as those containing ethanol, in surprisingly high amounts, while still providing fuel compositions with high octane numbers and preferably meeting as many gasoline fuel specification elements as possible, such as, but not limited to, EN228 and North American specifications, such as ASTM D4814-22, US Standard, CaRFG Stage 3, Federal RFG Stage II, and CAN / CGSB-3.5. Therefore, the present invention can provide a significant new avenue for renewable naphtha fuels.

[0018] It has been surprisingly found that by blending various selected gasoline blending components at specific concentrations and ratios, the limitations usually imposed by the low octane number of renewable naphtha can be overcome.

[0019] Furthermore, the fuel composition of the present invention has the advantage of meeting the requirements of current gasoline fuel specifications.

[0020] It has also been surprisingly discovered that the fuel compositions of the present invention have higher RON values ​​than expected, exceeding the levels anticipated by the volumetric linear blending rule.

[0021] In accordance with requirements such as EN228, the liquid fuel compositions of the present invention also provide excellent fuel economy, emissions and power efficiency. Detailed Implementation

[0022] The liquid fuel composition of the present invention is a gasoline fuel composition comprising at least three components.

[0023] As used herein, the term "comprising" is intended to mean that at least the stated components are included, but may also include other unspecified components.

[0024] The first component of the liquid fuel composition described herein is renewable naphtha. Those skilled in the art will understand the meaning of the term "naphtha." Generally, the term "naphtha" refers to a mixture of hydrocarbons typically having 5 to 12 carbon atoms and a boiling point in the range of 30°C to 200°C. The liquid fuel composition described herein contains naphtha, which is renewable naphtha, also known as renewable naphtha distillate, or biorenewable naphtha.

[0025] Renewable fuels (such as renewable naphtha distillates) are derived from resources that are naturally replenished over human timescales, as opposed to fossil fuels (such as petroleum gasoline derived from crude oil refining). Under the Renewable Energy Sources Directive (RED II), renewable fuels are any fuel produced from biomass. Suitable feedstocks for producing renewable fuels include, for example, edible and inedible vegetable oils, animal fats, agricultural waste products and residues, municipal solid waste algae oil, specialty growing crops, and woody biomass. The term renewable naphtha, as used herein, refers to a naphtha fraction containing biobased carbon atoms, as determined by ASTM method D6866-10 entitled “Standard Test Methods for Determining the Biobased Content of Solid, Liquid and Gaseous Samples using Radiocarbon Analysis.” This can then be addressed through methods involving… 14 C 13 C and / or 12 The isotopic distribution of carbon is used to determine renewable contents, as described in ASTM D6866. As used herein, a renewable fuel component (such as renewable naphtha) should be considered renewable if the bio-based content (bio-based carbon content) is above 97%.

[0026] Renewable naphtha distillates can be produced by a variety of methods, and the production method is not critical to this invention.

[0027] In one embodiment, renewable naphtha can be produced as part of a refining process for manufacturing renewable diesel and renewable kerosene. Both renewable diesel and renewable kerosene can be obtained from the processing of fatty acid-containing materials, such as animal fats, algae, and plant materials. Plant materials can include vegetable-based materials, such as rapeseed oil, and oils obtained from other plants, such as oils from trees, such as tall oil. Renewable diesel, renewable kerosene, and renewable naphtha distillates can be obtained by hydrogenation of fatty acids and their derivatives, such as triglycerides. Hydrogenation of fatty acids and their derivatives involves deoxygenation reactions, such as hydrodeoxygenation (HDO), and may also involve other hydrogenation reactions, such as isomerization (e.g., hydroisomerization) and cracking (e.g., hydrocracking). Renewable naphtha is also obtained when producing renewable diesel and renewable kerosene. This distillate may have an initial boiling point (IBP) of about 30°C or higher and a final boiling point (FBP) of about 200°C or lower. The range of hydrocarbons present in this distillation is typically from hydrocarbons containing 4 or 5 carbon atoms to hydrocarbons containing about 10, 11 or 12 carbon atoms.

[0028] Another method for obtaining renewable naphtha is via the Fischer-Tropsch process from renewable natural gas. "Fischer-Tropsch" means that the naphtha is a product of or derived from the Fischer-Tropsch synthesis (or Fischer-Tropsch condensation process). An example of Fischer-Tropsch derived naphtha is GTL (gas-liquid) naphtha. Further details about GTL naphtha can be found in WO2017 / 093203, which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.

[0029] The Fischer-Tropsch reaction converts carbon monoxide and hydrogen (synthesis gas) into longer-chain hydrocarbons (usually alkanes):

[0030] n (CO+2H2)=(-CH2-)n +n H2O + heat

[0031] In the presence of a suitable catalyst and typically at elevated temperatures (e.g., 125°C to 300°C, preferably 175°C to 250°C) and / or pressures (e.g., 5 bar to 100 bar, preferably 12 bar to 50 bar). If desired, a hydrogen:carbon monoxide ratio other than 2:1 may be used.

[0032] To produce renewable naphtha via the Fischer-Tropsch process, carbon monoxide and hydrogen (syngas) can themselves be derived from renewable sources. For example, in one embodiment, renewable naphtha can be produced via the Fischer-Tropsch process from renewable natural gas derived from agricultural, industrial, and domestic waste. In another embodiment, renewable naphtha is produced via the Fischer-Tropsch process from renewable syngas, wherein the syngas is derived from “green,” “blue,” or “pink” hydrogen, and carbon dioxide is captured from an industrial process or directly from the air. In one embodiment, the syngas is derived from “green” hydrogen, which is produced via the electrolysis of water, in which an electric current is used to separate hydrogen from oxygen in the water. In another embodiment, the syngas is derived from “blue” hydrogen, a general term for decarbonized hydrogen, which is hydrogen produced through natural gas reforming coupled with carbon capture and storage (CCS). Examples of methods used for this are the Shell Blue Hydrogen Process (SBHP), steam methane reforming (SMR), and autothermal reforming (ATR). In another embodiment, the syngas is derived from “pink” hydrogen, which refers to hydrogen produced by electrolysis powered by nuclear energy. In yet another embodiment, renewable naphtha is produced from renewable syngas via the Fischer-Tropsch process, wherein the syngas is derived from the gasification of waste biomass or other waste materials.

[0033] Fischer-Tropsch derived naphtha can be obtained directly from the Fischer-Tropsch reaction or indirectly from the Fischer-Tropsch reaction, for example, by fractionation of the Fischer-Tropsch synthesis product and / or by hydrogenation of the Fischer-Tropsch synthesis product.

[0034] Other methods for producing renewable naphtha include methanol-to-gasoline, ethanol-to-gasoline, and Shell IH. 2 The (RTM) method is an integrated approach to hydropyrolysis and hydroconversion at moderate pressures (250 psi to 500 psi) and temperatures ranging from 350 °C to 450 °C.

[0035] In a preferred embodiment of this document, when renewable naphtha is obtained from the processing of materials containing fatty acids (such as animal fats and plant materials), the renewable naphtha distillate is a chain of alkanes containing very few cycloalkanes and almost no aromatics or oxygen-containing compounds.

[0036] Renewable naphtha distillates preferably consist primarily of alkanes (alkanes), which can be straight-chain n-alkanes or branched iso-alkanes. Renewable naphtha may contain an iso-alkanes / n-alkanes ratio greater than 1, such as greater than 1.2, for example, between 1 and 2. In one embodiment herein, the renewable naphtha used herein has a total alkane content of at least 90% by mass, an iso-alkanes content of at least 60% by mass, a n-alkanes content of up to 30% by mass, and an iso-alkanes / n-alkanes ratio of 3:1 or greater.

[0037] In another embodiment, the renewable naphtha contains 92% by weight or more of alkyl molecules based on the weight of the renewable naphtha.

[0038] In another embodiment, the renewable naphtha has 90% or more of C5-C based on the renewable naphtha. 12 Alkanes, such as 95% by volume or more C5-C 12 Alkanes or 98% by volume or more of C5-C 12 Alkanes.

[0039] When a renewable naphtha distillate is produced as part of a refined renewable diesel fuel as described above, the renewable naphtha distillate may contain 30% by volume or more of C5-C6 alkanes, such as 40% by volume or more of C5-C6 alkanes.

[0040] In addition to primarily containing alkanes, renewable naphtha distillates also contain low amounts of cycloalkanes, which are alkanes having at least one non-aromatic ring structure, typically with 5 or 6 carbon atoms. The renewable naphtha distillate may contain 5% by mass or less of cycloalkanes, such as 4% by mass or less, or 3.4% by mass or less, or 1% by volume or less, or 0.5% by volume or less.

[0041] In addition to primarily containing alkanes, renewable naphtha distillates also have very low levels of aromatics. These aromatic compounds contain benzene rings or other aromatic ring structures. The renewable naphtha distillate may have 1% or less of aromatics based on the amount of aromatics in the distillate, such as 0.5% or less by volume, 0.4% or less by mass, or 0.1% or less by volume (as measured according to ASTM D6729).

[0042] In addition to primarily containing alkanes, renewable naphtha distillates also have very low levels of oxygenated compounds. Oxygenated compounds are organic molecules that contain oxygen as part of their chemical structure and are commonly used as gasoline additives to reduce carbon oxides and soot produced during fuel combustion. Common oxygenated compounds include alcohols, ethers, and esters. The renewable naphtha distillate may have 1% or less of oxygenated compounds based on the volume of the distillate, such as 0.5% or less, or 0.1% or less, although it is preferably substantially free of oxygenated compounds.

[0043] In one embodiment of this document, the renewable naphtha used herein comprises: 90% by volume or more of C5-C based on the renewable naphtha. 12 Alkanes, 30% or more of C5-C6 alkanes, 5% or less of cycloalkanes, 1% or less of aromatics, and 1% or less of oxygenated compounds.

[0044] The renewable naphtha used herein typically has a low octane number, i.e., RON and / or MON, such as 35 to 70, 35 to 60, 35 to 50, 35 to 45, or 38 to 42. It has been surprisingly found that despite the low octane quality of renewable naphtha, it can be included in the gasoline fuel compositions of the present invention at relatively high levels, and the final gasoline fuel compositions have a higher octane number (RON) than expected.

[0045] Renewable naphtha distillates may have a vapor pressure below 30 kPa. In one embodiment, the renewable naphtha distillate used herein has a Reid vapor pressure (as measured according to ASTM D5191) in the range of 8 kPa to 30 kPa, more preferably in the range of 10 kPa to 28 kPa, and even more preferably in the range of 25 kPa to 28 kPa.

[0046] In one embodiment, the renewable naphtha used herein comprises: 90% by volume or more of C5-C based on the renewable naphtha. 12 Alkanes, 30% or more of C5-C6 alkanes, 5% or less of cycloalkanes, 1% or less of aromatics, and 1% or less of oxygenated compounds.

[0047] Renewable naphtha distillates can have boiling point ranges from 30°C to 200°C, such as 90°C to 200°C, or 40°C to 180°C.

[0048] In a preferred embodiment of this document, the renewable naphtha is selected from Fischer-Tropsch-derived renewable naphtha. Therefore, the naphtha will typically be close to 100% alkanes, for example 95% by weight or more, preferably 98% by weight or more, and more preferably 99% by weight or more alkanes.

[0049] The amount of renewable naphtha present in the gasoline fuel composition of the present invention is 40% to 60% by volume, preferably 40% to 50% by volume, and even more preferably 45% to 50% by volume, based on the gasoline fuel composition. In order to increase the renewable portion of the gasoline composition of the present invention, it is preferable to add as much renewable naphtha as possible.

[0050] The renewable naphtha component used in the fuel composition of the present invention can be prepared, for example, according to the methods provided in WO2018 / 069137, WO2018 / 234187, US9885000B2 and WO2009 / 148909, all of which are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety.

[0051] These references also provide further details on the chemical and physical properties of renewable naphtha components.

[0052] Examples of commercially available renewable naphtha components include Neste renewable naphtha (also known as NexNaphtha) from Neste Oyj, Finland; BioVerno naphtha from UPM; and heavy naphtha from World Energy's AltAir Paramount plant in California, USA, marketed as AltAir Paramount Heavy Grade Renewable Naphtha, which uses tallow and a small amount of non-edible vegetable oil as raw materials.

[0053] In the gasoline fuel compositions described herein, the renewable naphtha component of the present invention may comprise a mixture of two or more renewable naphthas, or a mixture of renewable naphthas with petroleum-derived naphthas and / or Fischer-Tropsch-derived naphthas.

[0054] In addition to renewable naphtha, the gasoline fuel composition of the present invention contains 15% to 25% by volume, preferably 20% to 25% by volume, of oxidized hydrocarbons based on the gasoline fuel composition, and even more preferably 20% by volume.

[0055] The amount of oxidized hydrocarbons defined by these ranges is the amount of oxidized hydrocarbons added to the fuel composition that far exceeds any oxygenated compounds already present in naphtha, which typically does not contain oxygenated compounds.

[0056] Examples of suitable oxidized hydrocarbons that can be incorporated into gasoline include alcohols, ethers, esters, ketones, aldehydes, carboxylic acids and their derivatives, as well as oxygen-containing heterocyclic compounds and mixtures thereof. In one embodiment of the invention, the oxidized hydrocarbon is selected from alcohols, ethers, and esters and mixtures thereof.

[0057] Suitable alcohols for use herein include methanol, ethanol, propanol, 2-propanol, butanol, tert-butanol, isobutanol, 2-butanol, and mixtures thereof. Ethers suitable for use herein include ethers containing five or more carbon atoms per molecule, such as methyl tert-butyl ether and ethyl tert-butyl ether, and mixtures thereof. Preferred ethers for use herein are ethyl tert-butyl ethers (ETBE). Esters suitable for use herein include esters containing five or more carbon atoms per molecule.

[0058] The oxidized hydrocarbon is preferably selected from alcohols, ethers, and mixtures thereof. In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the oxidized hydrocarbon is selected from alcohols.

[0059] The particularly preferred oxidized hydrocarbon used herein is ethanol. In one embodiment of the invention, ethanol is present as the sole oxidized hydrocarbon.

[0060] When both oxidized hydrocarbons and naphtha are renewable sources, the share of renewable contents in the gasoline composition increases. For example, bioethanol can be used as the oxidized hydrocarbon herein. Preferably, the ethanol is so-called “second-generation” ethanol. As used herein, the term “second-generation” ethanol means ethanol produced from cellulose (plant fiber), which is the inedible part of agricultural plants such as corn and sugarcane.

[0061] The third basic component of the fuel composition described herein is an aromatic hydrocarbon at a level of 25% to 45% by volume, preferably 30% to 40% by volume, and more preferably 35% to 40% by volume, based on the gasoline fuel composition.

[0062] The amount of aromatic hydrocarbons defined by the above range is the amount of aromatic hydrocarbons (such as toluene) added to the fuel composition that far exceeds any aromatic hydrocarbons (such as toluene) already present in naphtha.

[0063] Suitable aromatic hydrocarbons are preferably selected from those having 6 to 9 carbon atoms. Preferably, the aromatic hydrocarbons are selected from toluene, xylene (including o-xylene, m-xylene, and p-xylene), benzene, alkylbenzenes (such as methylbenzene, ethylbenzene, and trimethylbenzene), and mixtures thereof. A particularly preferred aromatic hydrocarbon for use herein is toluene. Preferably, the aromatic hydrocarbon for use herein comprises 95% by volume or more toluene based on the aromatic hydrocarbon.

[0064] Toluene is naturally present in crude oil at low levels and is typically produced during the production of gasoline via catalytic reforming, in ethylene crackers, or during the production of coke from coal. The final separation, via distillation or solvent extraction, occurs in one of many available methods for extracting BTX aromatics (benzene, toluene, and xylene). The aromatics used in this invention are preferably toluene grades having a RON of 120 or higher and a MON of at least 107 and containing less than 1% by volume of C8 aromatics.

[0065] In a preferred embodiment herein, the toluene is renewable toluene. Examples of commercially available aromatic hydrocarbons used herein are Bio-p-xylene, toluene, and benzene produced using Annellotech's Bio-TCat (RTM) technology.

[0066] Preferably, the gasoline fuel composition of the present invention comprises 65% by volume or more, more preferably 75% by volume or more, and even more preferably 95% by volume or more of a renewable fuel component based on the gasoline fuel composition. In a particularly preferred embodiment, the gasoline fuel composition of the present invention comprises 100% by volume of a renewable fuel component.

[0067] In a preferred embodiment herein, the gasoline fuel composition of the present invention comprises 40% to 50% by volume of renewable naphtha, 20% to 25% by volume of oxidized hydrocarbons and 30% to 40% by volume of aromatic hydrocarbons, all amounts based on the total gasoline fuel composition.

[0068] In another preferred embodiment of this invention, the gasoline fuel composition comprises 45% to 50% by volume of renewable naphtha, 20% to 25% by volume of oxidized hydrocarbons, especially 20% by volume of oxidized hydrocarbons, and 30% to 35% by volume of aromatic hydrocarbons, all amounts based on the total gasoline fuel composition.

[0069] In addition to the basic components described above, the gasoline fuel composition of the present invention may optionally contain one or more other gasoline blending components at levels ranging from 0% by volume to 20% by volume, preferably from 0% by volume to 10% by volume, and more preferably from 0% by volume to 5% by volume, which may be in the form of a gasoline base fuel. Suitable gasoline blending components may be petroleum-derived or derived from renewable sources.

[0070] Examples of suitable gasoline blending components other than those mentioned above are well known to those skilled in the art and include, for example, alkylates, isomers, heavy reforming products, catalytic cracking top products, etc.

[0071] The liquid fuel composition according to the invention has a research octane number (RON) of 87 or greater, preferably in the range of 87 to 105, for example, meeting European standard 95 or above or premium grade 98 or above. The liquid fuel composition used in the invention preferably has a motor octane number in the range of 75 to 90, for example, 85 or greater. The fuel composition of the invention preferably has an AKI of 85 or greater, more preferably 87 or greater (where AKI = (RON + MON) / 2).

[0072] While not critical to the invention, the gasoline compositions of the present invention may conveniently include one or more optional fuel additives. The concentration and properties of optional fuel additives that may be included in the gasoline blends or gasoline compositions of the present invention are not critical. Non-limiting examples of suitable types of fuel additives that may be included in the gasoline blends or gasoline compositions of the present invention include antioxidants, corrosion inhibitors, detergents, defoggers, antiknock additives, metal deactivators, valve seat depression protectant compounds, dyes, solvents, carrier fluids, diluents, and markers. Examples of suitable such additives are generally described in U.S. Patent No. 5,855,629.

[0073] Conveniently, the fuel additive can be blended with one or more solvents to form an additive concentrate, which can then be mixed with the gasoline blend component or gasoline composition of the present invention.

[0074] The concentration of any optional additive (active substance) present in the gasoline composition of the present invention is preferably at most 1% m / m, more preferably in the range of 5 mg / kg to 2000 mg / kg, advantageously in the range of 300 mg / kg to 1500 mg / kg, such as 300 mg / kg to 1000 mg / kg.

[0075] The liquid fuel composition of the present invention can be produced by mixing renewable naphtha, oxidized hydrocarbons and aromatic hydrocarbons.

[0076] The fuel compositions of the present invention are suitable for spark-ignition internal combustion engines, such as those for passenger vehicles. Therefore, according to another aspect of the invention, use is provided for the gasoline compositions described above to provide fuel for spark-ignition internal combustion engines in passenger vehicles.

[0077] The fuel composition of the present invention is also suitable for use in spark-ignition internal combustion engines in the powertrain systems of hybrid electric vehicles, particularly plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs). Therefore, according to another aspect of the invention, the use of the gasoline composition as described above for providing fuel for spark-ignition internal combustion engines used in the powertrain systems of hybrid electric vehicles, particularly plug-in hybrid electric vehicles, is provided.

[0078] The invention is further described with reference to the following non-limiting embodiments.

[0079] Examples 1 to 4

[0080] The fuel compositions of Examples 1 through 3 are shown in Table 1 below and contain various amounts of ethanol, renewable naphtha, and toluene ions. The renewable naphtha is bio-naphtha derived from Shell Rotterdam and contains commercially available bio-naphtha. The alternative fuel blend (Example 4) represents a fuel containing Fischer-Tropsch naphtha in addition to ethanol and toluene. The composition of Example 4 is shown in Table 2. The predominantly alkane-based FT naphtha is represented by a mixture of isopentane and n-heptane, with calculated RON and MON of 53.8 and 51.5, respectively.

[0081]

[0082]

[0083] The RON, MON, AKI, and DVPE of the four blends are shown in Table 3. The RON, MON, AKI, and DVPE of Examples 1 through 3 were measured using standard test methods. The RON, MON, AKI, and DVPE of Example 4 were measured using excerpts from F. Kaliafetis and RF Cracknell's "Explicit equations for designing surrogate gasoline formulations containing ethanol, isopentane, n-heptane, isooctane and toluene" (presented at the 2023 Kyoto Conference in Japan). 2023 Year JSAE / SAE A set of equations calculated at the International Conference on Power Systems, Energy and Lubricants is reproduced below (Equations 1 to 3).

[0084]

[0085]

[0086]

[0087] in , and It is a coefficient for each correlation that takes into account nonlinearity, and These are the molar parts of each component. The equations presented in this paper are parameterized for experimental data and provide very good approximations of RON, MON, and DVPE for alternative blends with ethanol contents of 10%, 20%, or 25% vol. Parameters , and As shown in Table 3 below.

[0088]

[0089]

[0090] The RON measured in Examples 1 and 2 was compared with the RON calculated using a linear volumetric blend. These results are shown in Table 5 below.

[0091]

[0092] To avoid any doubt, the simple volume linear calculation differs from the method described in Equations 1 to 3 above, where the parameters take into account the inherent nonlinearity in the blend.

[0093] discuss

[0094] All four fuel blends from Examples 1 to 4 have RON values ​​higher than 88, MON values ​​higher than 81, and DVPE values ​​in the range of 40 kPa to 65 kPa, demonstrating that renewable naphtha can be blended with aromatic hydrocarbons (toluene) and oxidized hydrocarbons (ethanol) at certain concentrations / ratios to obtain fuel compositions that meet current fuel specifications. Furthermore, as shown in Table 5, the measured RON values ​​of the fuel compositions from Examples 1 and 2 are unexpectedly higher than the calculated RON values ​​when using a linear volume-based blending method. Therefore, the fuel compositions of the present invention provide a successful new avenue for renewable naphtha.

Claims

1. A gasoline fuel composition for a spark-ignition internal combustion engine, the gasoline fuel composition comprising (a) 40% to 60% by volume of renewable naphtha, (b) 15% to 25% by volume of oxidized hydrocarbons and (c) 25% to 45% by volume of aromatic hydrocarbons, wherein the gasoline fuel composition has 88 or greater RON.

2. The gasoline fuel composition according to claim 1, wherein the gasoline fuel composition comprises 65% by volume or more of renewable components.

3. The gasoline fuel composition according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the gasoline fuel composition comprises 95% by volume or more of renewable fuel components.

4. The gasoline fuel composition according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the gasoline fuel composition comprises 100% by volume of renewable fuel components.

5. The gasoline fuel composition according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the aromatic hydrocarbon comprises 95% by volume or more toluene.

6. The gasoline composition according to claim 5, wherein the toluene is renewable toluene.

7. The gasoline fuel composition according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the renewable naphtha comprises 92% by weight or more alkyl molecules based on the weight of the renewable naphtha.

8. The gasoline fuel composition according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein the renewable naphtha is derived from the hydrogenation treatment of vegetable oils or fatty acids.

9. The gasoline fuel composition according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein the renewable naphtha is produced from renewable natural gas via the Fischer-Tropsch process.

10. The gasoline fuel composition according to any one of claims 1 to 9, wherein the gasoline fuel composition has 95 or greater RON and 85 or greater MON.

11. The gasoline fuel composition according to any one of claims 1 to 10, wherein the gasoline fuel composition has an AKI of 87 or greater.

12. The gasoline fuel composition according to any one of claims 1 to 11, wherein the oxidized hydrocarbon is an alcohol.

13. The gasoline fuel composition according to claim 12, wherein the alcohol is selected from methanol, ethanol, propanol, 2-propanol, butanol, tert-butanol, isobutanol and 2-butanol and mixtures thereof.

14. The gasoline fuel composition according to claim 13, wherein the alcohol is ethanol, preferably a second-generation ethanol.

15. The gasoline fuel composition of claim 14, wherein the ethanol is present at a level of 20% to 25% by volume based on the gasoline fuel composition.

16. The gasoline fuel composition according to any one of claims 1 to 15, wherein the aromatic hydrocarbon is present at a level of 30% to 40% by volume based on the gasoline fuel composition.

17. The gasoline fuel composition according to any one of claims 1 to 16, wherein the renewable naphtha is present at a level of 40% to 50% by volume based on the gasoline fuel composition.

18. A method for preparing a gasoline fuel composition, the method comprising blending (a) 40% to 60% by volume of renewable naphtha and (b) 15% to 25% by volume of oxidized hydrocarbons and (c) 25% to 45% by volume of aromatic hydrocarbons based on the gasoline fuel composition.

19. The gasoline composition according to any one of claims 1 to 17 for use in providing fuel for spark-ignition internal combustion engines, such as in passenger vehicles.

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