Engine fuels

Abstract

Novel engine fuels and engine fuel additives comprising terpenes, aliphatic hydrocarbons, and lower alcohols are disclosed.

Description

BACKGROUND OF INVENTION1. Field of InventionThe present invention is related to novel engine fuels which are more efficient and environmentally safer than conventional fossil fuels and nitromethane-based fuels. The inventive fuel compositions are suitable for igniting internal combustion engines, specifically 2-cycle, 4-cycle, and diesel engines, as well as jet propulsion engines.2. Description of Related ArtPresently, race cars and dragsters having 4-cycle internal combustion engines use fuels containing as much as 90 to 95% nitromethane. Similarly, the smaller Hobby car and airplane engines (2-cycle and 4-cycle) use fuels containing from 5% to 40% nitromethane, over 50% methanol, and from about 18% to about 24% oil. While these fuels possess the necessary high levels of BTU's required to run these engines, nitromethane fuels are very dangerous as well as toxic to the environment. A conventional nitromethane (10%) / methanol (70%) / oil (20%) fuel, for example, has a vapor pressure of ...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

Because terpenes such as limonene have relatively high flash points, the inventive fuels contain at least one component which has a lower flash point, and thus contributes to lowering the overall flash point of the entire fuel for better ignition. Suitable "flash-point" lowering compounds include alcohols, more preferably alcohols having preferably from one to six carbon atoms, and aliphatic hydrocarbon solvents such as aliphatic petroleum distillates, preferably VM&P Naphtha. Like the terpenes, these components are environmentally cleaner than conventional fossil fuels and nitromethane fuels.

Finally, certain embodiments of the inventive fuel further include a surfactant to improve the blending of the foregoing components and improve the shelf life of the final product.

Problems solved by technology

While these fuels possess the necessary high levels of BTU's required to run these engines, nitromethane fuels are very dangerous as well as toxic to the environment.

These fuels also leave relatively large amounts of liquid raw residue in the exhaust and are environmentally unsafe.

In addition, the relatively large percentage of lubricating oil present in the fuel mixture, in particular conventional 2-cycle oils, also contributes to these emissions.

Since limonene has a relatively high flash point of about 113 to 124.degree. F., depending upon the grade used, it is believed that the fuel described by Whitworth is not capable, by itself, of igniting an engine unless the engine has a high voltage ignition.