Biofuel Composition and Method of Producing a Biofuel

Abstract

An emulsified biofuel composition comprising: (A) a continuous phase comprising about 50-95 wt % of at least one liquid oil of vegetable or animal origin or mixtures thereof; (B) a water-containing dispersed phase comprising about 1-50 wt % water; (C) about 1-25 wt % of hydroxyl-containing organic compound selected from the group consisting of mono-, di-, tri- and polyhydric alcohols, provided that when a monohydric alcohol is used there is also present at least one of tert-butyl alcohol, at least one C2-C4 alkylene glycol or a mixture of both; (D) about 0.05-10 wt % of at least one emulsifier; wherein the dispersed water-containing droplets have an average particle size of less than about 20 microns. The biofuel is prepared from these components by mixing under high shear conditions, preferably with ultrasonic energy. The emulsifier(s) preferably exhibit a hydrophilic-lipophilic balance of about 8.5 to about 18 and the biofuel includes a cetane enhancer and mixture of an alcohol and mono- or poly-alkylene glycol.

Description

CROSS REFERENCE[0001]The present application claims the benefit of Application Ser. No. 60 / 795,365, filed Apr. 27, 2006, entitled Biofuel Additive and Method of Producing a Biofuel, the disclosure of which is hereby incorporated herein by reference.BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION[0002]The present invention relates to fuel additives, methods of making such additives and fuel compositions employing such additives, wherein the fuel is substantially based on vegetable or animal sources.[0003]Efforts to find alternative fuels to those derived from petroleum, such as gasoline and diesel fuel, have led to the development of biodiesel fuel. Traditional biodiesel is produced by transesterification of vegetable oils or fats. In such a process, a vegetable fat or oil reacts with an esterifying agent, typically an alcohol, for example methanol or ethanol, with or without a catalyst and with the input of additional energy usually at atmospheric pressure. The time of the reaction can range from 0.5 t...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

[0116]The practice of the present invention, including in particular the above described additive composition, results in the preparation of a fuel composition based on animal or. vegetable fats or oils and water in an emulsion that is stable for an extended time and over a wide range of temperatures, for example about −10° C. to about +50° C. Furthermore, in a test conducted at −25° C., a composition of the present invention, for example compositions as shown in Examples 1 and 2, including paint thinner and 30 grams of cetyl alcohol, did not exhibit any evidence of freezing, cloudiness or phase separation. The fuel produced according to the compositions and methods of the present invention can be used without modification to the tanks and / or piping systems of the motors and burners in common use. Thus another advantage of the present invention is that it permits the return at any moment to the use of traditional fuels without modification of the systems in which the fuel is used.

Problems solved by technology

However, even such a differentiation is somewhat artificial in that it is subject to the definition of room temperature.

Such a flame can create operational problems if the pressure of the volumetric fuel pump is not increased slightly, e.g., about 1-1.5 atm.

However, this introduces further complications since increasing secondary air improves cold performance of the engine, but slightly worsens equilibrium combustion and vice versa.

Another disadvantage of traditional biodiesel arises from the high solvent power of methyl ester.

This can cause damage to incompatible plastics, generally present as liners and seals, and may also create problems with deposits of gas oil inadvertently left in the storage tanks.

Traditional biodiesel mixed with lubricating oil may also create a variety of problems because of the increase in the iodine number of the mixture; iodine number being an indicator of organic unsaturation.

If the iodine number of the oil is greater than about 115, the mixture is susceptible to polymerization, and gummy deposits can form in the lubrication lines, reducing the flow of the lubricant.

This can result in an undesirable need to replace the motor's lubricant oil.

Such deposits are usually carbon deposits and tend to wear away with time, particularly in “common rail” type motors.

However, the problem of nitrogen oxides, currently considered among the most undesirable by-products of combustion, is the weak point of traditional biodiesel fuel.

Even mixes containing less than 100 biodiesel cause an increase in NOx emissions.

Particulate emissions from the burning of biodiesel may be related to the chemical composition of the source used to synthesize the biodiesel and also may be indicative of combustion-related problems.

SO2 emission can be a problem if the biodiesel is not entirely devoid of sulfur.

Finally, on the basis of raw materials costs, biodiesel is significantly more expensive, for example, as currently calculated based on European costs, than regular diesel fuel.

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