Fuel compositions containing large amounts of aromatic compounds, paraffin, and ethanol, and their use, particularly in competitive automobiles.

Abstract

The present invention relates to a fuel composition comprising: (i) (a) 35-55% by weight of aromatic compounds; (b) 30-50% by weight of a mixture of n-paraffins and iso-paraffins containing at least 5 carbon atoms, with the ratio of the amount of iso-paraffins to the amount of n-paraffins being 3 or greater; and (c) 60-94% by weight of a mixture of hydrocarbons containing 5-15% by weight of naphthenes; (ii) 5-36% by weight of ethanol; and (iii) 1-10% by weight of butane. The composition is useful for fueling spark ignition engines in motor vehicles for civilian or competitive use.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a fuel composition for a vehicle equipped with a spark ignition engine (or gasoline engine) having advantageous characteristics.

[0002] The present invention also relates to the use of such compositions for fueling a spark ignition engine, especially in conventional motor vehicles and in racing vehicles.

Background Art

[0003] Gasoline-type fuels useful in spark ignition engines, especially in engines of motor vehicles, should have a sufficiently high octane number to avoid knocking phenomena.

[0004] As is well known, the octane number measures the resistance of a fuel used in a spark ignition engine to autoignition.

[0005] Typically, gasoline fuels compliant with the standard EN228, sold in Europe, have a motor octane number (MON) higher than 85 and a research octane number (RON) of at least 95. These fuels are suitable for most automotive engines.

[0006] To increase their efficiency, recent spark ignition engines tend to operate at an even higher compression ratio, i.e., a high compression ratio applied to the fuel / air mixture in the engine before ignition.

[0007] However, increasing the volumetric compression ratio of the engine increases the risk of abnormal knocking-type combustion, which occurs due to local autoignition upstream of the fuel mixture in front of the flame front. This phenomenon produces characteristic noise and tends to damage the engine.

[0008] For example, a very high compression volume ratio is particularly desirable for extremely high-power engines, such as those used in racing vehicles.

[0009] Therefore, for this type of engine, it is important to use fuel with high resistance to knocking and pre-ignition, resulting in fuel with the highest possible "research" octane rating (RON). If the octane rating is insufficient, fuel knocking or pre-ignition becomes more likely, which can significantly reduce engine performance and even cause serious engine damage.

[0010] In addition, there is a growing trend towards using plant-based fuels, particularly so-called "biogenic" fuels, for all vehicles and vehicles used for general purposes, in response to environmental concerns and to limit the use of fossil fuels. Current environmental concerns are driving consumers to seek out more environmentally friendly fuels.

[0011] However, the use of bio-based fuel compositions should not impair fuel performance, particularly octane rating and engine power; rather, fuel performance should be maintained, or even improved.

[0012] The most commonly used gasoline fuels with high biocompound content are those containing bioethanol, such as E85, E10, and E5. However, the use of these fuels represents a small percentage of the current automotive market.

[0013] Bioethanol is known to be mixed with SP95 type gasoline fuel. In particular, to comply with the EN228 standard related to the incorporation of oxygen-containing compounds, the ethanol content is limited to a maximum of 10% by volume.

[0014] Therefore, there is a need to develop novel fuel compositions to supply fuel to spark-ignition engines that meet the requirements of modern vehicles, whether for general use (such as light vehicles, heavy-duty transport vehicles, and off-road vehicles) or for competitive purposes.

[0015] Therefore, there is a need for spark-ignition internal combustion engines that have a high octane rating, especially high RON, and that can maximize the engine output of automatic vehicles, particularly racing vehicles, operating at high volumetric compression ratios.

[0016] Therefore, one objective of the present invention is to improve the performance of gasoline fuel compositions, not limited to fuel compositions for racing vehicles. The objective is to increase the energy content of the fuel, which in turn leads to an increase in the output of a spark-ignition engine during the combustion of the gasoline fuel composition in the engine, regardless of whether it is atmospheric or turbocharged.

[0017] There is also a growing need to be able to formulate such compositions from renewable sources, including biosource compounds, that are also known.

[0018] As is well known in the prior art, octane booster additives are typically added to gasoline-type fuel compositions. Organometallic compounds containing iron, lead, or manganese are particularly well known octane boosters.

[0019] Therefore, tetraethyl lead (TEL) has been widely used as a highly effective octane booster. However, in most parts of the world, TEL and other organometallic compounds are toxic, can cause engine damage, and are harmful to the environment, so if used at all, they can only be used in very small amounts in fuel.

[0020] Non-metallic octane boosters include oxygen-containing additives (e.g., ethers and alcohols) and aromatic amines. However, these additives also have various drawbacks. For example, N-methylaniline (NMA) and aromatic amines should be used at relatively high rates (1.5-2% by weight of additive / fuel base weight) because they significantly affect the octane rating of the fuel. NMA can also be toxic.

[0021] As an example, Document US-A-4812146 describes a lead-free gasoline fuel composition for a competition engine, which contains at least four components selected from butane, isopentane, toluene, MTBE (methyl tert-butyl ether), and alkylate.

[0022] Document International Publication No. 2010 / 014501 describes a lead-free gasoline fuel composition containing at least 45% by volume of branched paraffin, up to 34% by volume of one or more monoalkylated benzenes and dialkylated benzenes, at least 5% to 6% by volume of at least one linear paraffin having 3 to 5 carbon atoms (denoted as C3-C5), and an amount of one or more alkanols having 2 to 4 carbon atoms (denoted as C2-C4) sufficient to increase the AKI (antiknock index), which is (RON + MON) / 2, to at least 93. These compositions are shown to have high torque and maximum power.

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0023] Therefore, there is a need for a fuel composition having good inherent properties that does not necessarily require the addition of an octane booster, such as those described above.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0024] By continuing the research on the development of fuel formulations for gasoline engines, the applicant has now found a composition that makes it possible to achieve the above object.

[0025] Therefore, the present invention provides (i) a) 35 - 55% by weight of aromatic compounds; b) 30 - 50% by weight of a mixture of n-paraffin and iso-paraffin containing at least 5 carbon atoms, where the weight ratio of the amount of iso-paraffin to the amount of n-paraffin is 3 or more; and c) 5 - 15% by weight of naphthene comprising 60 - 94% by weight of a hydrocarbon mixture; (ii) 5 to 36% by weight of ethanol; and (iii) 1 to 10% by weight of butane relates to a fuel composition comprising the same.

[0026] These compositions are intended for use in supplying fuel in a spark ignition engine (or gasoline engine).

[0027] The fuel composition according to the present invention has a high RON (Research Octane Number) octane value.

[0028] In applications where the fuel flow rate is limited, especially in the case of racing vehicles, the use of the composition according to the present invention makes it possible to achieve a higher level of engine output at a constant fuel flow rate.

[0029] In particular, it has been shown that by formulating the composition with a compound in the specific proportions defined above, synergistic performance with respect to the RON octane value and engine output can be obtained.

[0030] These characteristics are particularly required for use in racing vehicles.

[0031] The composition according to the present invention also provides significant advantages for uses other than racing vehicles, for example, for so-called general public use, especially for light vehicles (or LV). If necessary, it can comply with the specifications of EN228.

[0032] Advantageously, the composition according to the present invention can be prepared in whole or in part from plant-based bases and / or compounds. In particular, the composition according to the present invention can contain at least 50% by weight of one or more biosource bases, preferably at least 60% by weight of one or more biosource bases, and even more preferably at least 75% by weight.

[0033] The present invention also relates to the use of the composition according to the present invention for supplying fuel to a spark ignition engine.

[0034] According to one particular embodiment, the composition according to the present invention is used as a fuel for a highly efficient, high-power spark-ignition engine, preferably a racing vehicle engine. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0035] Other objects, features, embodiments, and advantages of the present invention will become clearer by reading the following description and examples.

[0036] In the following, unless otherwise indicated, the boundaries of a range of values ​​are included in this range, particularly in expressions such as "between ~ and ~," "in the range of ~ to ~," and "from ~."

[0037] Furthermore, the expressions "at least one" and "at least" used in the description of the present invention are equivalent to the expressions "one or more" and "more than or equal to," respectively.

[0038] Finally, as is well known, C N A compound is a compound that contains N carbon atoms in its chemical structure, C N+ The compound is a compound containing at least N carbon atoms.

[0039] fuel composition The composition according to the present invention is a) 35~55% by weight of aromatic compounds; b) 30-50% by weight of a mixture of n-paraffins and isoparaffins containing at least 5 carbon atoms, with the weight ratio of isoparaffins to n-paraffins being 3 or more; and c) Naphthenes 5-15% by weight It contains a mixture of hydrocarbons (i) that contains [the specified substance].

[0040] These contents are expressed by weight relative to the weight of hydrocarbon mixture (i).

[0041] These hydrocarbon mixtures constitute 60 to 94% by weight of the total weight of the fuel composition, preferably 65 to 90% by weight, more preferably 70 to 85% by weight, and even more preferably 70 to 80% by weight of the total weight of the fuel composition.

[0042] One or more aromatic compounds (i)a) are preferably selected from alkylbenzenes containing 7 to 12 carbon atoms. Alkylbenzene, as is known by itself, means a benzene derivative in which one or more hydrogen atoms are replaced by one or more alkyl groups.

[0043] Aromatic compounds may be selected from, in particular, toluene, ethylbenzene, xylene (especially 1,2-dimethylbenzene or ortho-xylene, 1,3-dimethylbenzene or meta-xylene, and 1,4-dimethylbenzene or para-xylene), 1-ethyl-3-methylbenzene, mesitylene (1,3,5-trimethylbenzene), 1-ethyl-3,5-dimethylbenzene, and mixtures of these compounds.

[0044] A mixture of aromatic compounds is particularly preferred, and more specifically, alkylbenzenes containing 8 to 10 carbon atoms, such as ethylbenzene, xylene (especially 1,2-dimethylbenzene or ortho-xylene, 1,3-dimethylbenzene or meta-xylene, and 1,4-dimethylbenzene or para-xylene), 1-ethyl-3-methylbenzene, mesitylene (1,3,5-trimethylbenzene), and a mixture of 1-ethyl-3,5-dimethylbenzene is particularly preferred.

[0045] Preferably, the content of aromatic compound (i)a) is in the range of 40 to 53% by weight, preferably 45 to 52% by weight, relative to the weight of hydrocarbon mixture (i).

[0046] The composition according to the present invention further contains paraffin(i)b) containing at least five carbon atoms. These paraffins are acyclic and consist of a mixture of n-paraffins and isoparaffins.

[0047] "Paraffin," as is commonly known, refers to branched alkanes (also called iso-paraffins or iso-alkanes) and unbranched alkanes (also called n-paraffins or n-alkanes).

[0048] The paraffin is preferably selected from paraffin containing 5 to 12 carbon atoms, more preferably from paraffin containing 5 to 9 carbon atoms, and even more preferably from paraffin containing 5 to 8 carbon atoms.

[0049] Paraffins include n-paraffins (or normal paraffins, which are linear alkanes) and iso-paraffins (which are branched alkanes).

[0050] A mixture of n-paraffin and iso-paraffin selected from the above is used, wherein the weight ratio of the amount of iso-paraffin to the amount of n-paraffin is 3 or more, preferably 4 or more, and more preferably in the range of 4 to 5, and contains a high proportion of iso-paraffin.

[0051] The hydrocarbon mixture (i) advantageously contains 5-10% by weight of n-paraffin and 20-45% by weight of iso-paraffin.

[0052] Preferably, the paraffin content (i)b) is in the range of 32 to 45% by weight, more preferably 35 to 42% by weight, relative to the weight of the hydrocarbon mixture (i).

[0053] The composition according to the present invention further contains naphthene(i)c).

[0054] "Naphthene," as is well known, refers to a cyclic alkane (or cycloalkane) containing 5 to 10 carbon atoms. Preferably, naphthenes are selected from cyclic alkanes containing 5 to 10 carbon atoms, more preferably 6 to 9 carbon atoms.

[0055] Preferably, the content of naphthene(i)c) is in the range of 7 to 13% by weight, more preferably 8 to 12% by weight, relative to the weight of the hydrocarbon mixture(i).

[0056] According to one preferred embodiment, the hydrocarbon mixture (i) is derived from plant materials. Therefore, the mixture (i) is advantageously composed entirely of biosource hydrocarbons. The original plant materials may be selected from, for example, cereals (wheat, corn), rapeseed, sunflower, soybeans, palm oil, sugarcane, beets, wood chips, straw, bagasse, grape corn, used vegetable cooking oil, algae, and lignocellulose materials.

[0057] The composition according to the present invention also contains ethanol.

[0058] According to one preferred embodiment, plant-derived ethanol, also known as bioethanol, is used.

[0059] Bioethanol can be produced from the fermentation of sugars, primarily glucose, using conventional or genetically modified yeast strains. Various plant materials, such as sugarcane, corn, barley, kudzu, sugar beets, and wine residues like grape corn, can also be used to produce bioethanol.

[0060] The composition has an ethanol content in the range of 5 to 36% by weight, preferably 10 to 30% by weight, and more preferably 20 to 25% by weight, based on the total weight of the fuel composition.

[0061] The compositions according to the present invention also contain butane, which can be selected from n-butane (linear butane), iso-butane (2-methylpropane), and mixtures of these two compounds.

[0062] A mixture of n-butane and isobutane is preferably used.

[0063] The composition has a butane content of 1 to 10% by weight, preferably 1.5 to 8% by weight, and more preferably 2 to 6% by weight, based on the total weight of the fuel composition.

[0064] According to one preferred embodiment, the composition according to the present invention comprises up to 2.5% by weight of olefin, preferably up to 2% by weight of olefin, more preferably up to 1% by weight of olefin, and even more preferably up to 0.5% by weight of olefin.

[0065] The above compositions, overall, have a research octane number (RON number) of 95 or higher, preferably 99 or higher, and more preferably 100 or higher, where RON is measured according to standard ASTM D2699-86.

[0066] The values ​​mentioned above relate, in particular, to the inherent octane number of the composition when no additional compounds, such as octane booster additives, are added.

[0067] In addition to the base compounds described above, the fuel composition according to the present invention may also include one or more additives selected from those commonly used in gasoline fuels.

[0068] In particular, the compositions according to the present invention may include at least one cleaning additive to ensure the cleanliness of the inhalation circuit. Such additives may be selected from the group consisting of, for example, succinimide substituted with polyisobutylene groups, polyetheramines, betaine, Mannich bases, and quaternary ammonium salts, as described in, for example, U.S. Patent No. 4,171,959 and International Publication No. 2006 / 135881.

[0069] The composition may also include, in particular (but not limited to), at least one lubricating additive or anti-wear agent selected from the group consisting of fatty acids and their ester or amide derivatives, in particular glycerol monooleates, and monocyclic and polycyclic carboxylic acid derivatives. Examples of such additives are given in the following documents: European Patent No. 680506, European Patent No. 860494, International Publication No. 98 / 04656, European Patent No. 915944, French Patent No. 2772783, and French Patent No. 2772784.

[0070] Other additives, such as valve recession prevention additives and antioxidant additives, may also be incorporated into the fuel composition according to the present invention.

[0071] Each of the above additives may be added to the fuel composition in an amount ranging from 10 to 1000 ppm by weight, preferably 100 to 500 ppm by weight.

[0072] According to one preferred embodiment, the composition advantageously includes an additive package which is a combination of at least two different additives selected from cleaning additives, lubricating additives, valve recession prevention additives, and antioxidant additives. These additives are advantageously selected from those described above.

[0073] The fuel composition according to the present invention has a lead content of 5 mg / L or less overall (for example, present in the form of tetraethyl lead), and is preferably lead-free, free from lead or lead-containing compounds.

[0074] Preparation of fuel composition The composition according to the present invention can be prepared simply by mixing its components.

[0075] A first non-limiting embodiment involves the following steps: 1) A step of preparing a hydrocarbon mixture (i) comprising 35-55% by weight of an aromatic compound, 30-50% by weight of a mixture of n-paraffins and isoparaffins containing at least 5 carbon atoms, with the weight ratio of isoparaffins to n-paraffins being 3 or more, and 5-15% by weight of naphthenes, then 2) A step of mixing 60-94% by weight of the above mixture (i) with 5-36% by weight of ethanol and 1-10% by weight of butane. Includes.

[0076] A second non-limiting embodiment involves the following steps: 1') A step of preparing base B containing a hydrocarbon mixture (i) and butane, then 2') Mix base B with ethanol so that the ethanol content of the final composition is in the range of 5 to 36% by weight, and 3') Depending on the case, butane may be added so that the amount of butane in the final mixture is 1-10% by weight. Includes.

[0077] One preferred alternative to this second embodiment is the following steps: 1') A step of preparing base B containing a hydrocarbon mixture (i) and butane, then 2') A step of mixing 64-95% by weight of base B with 5-36% by weight of ethanol, preferably a step of mixing 70-85% by weight of base B with 15-30% by weight of ethanol. Includes.

[0078] The second embodiment and its preferred alternatives described above are preferred.

[0079] In this embodiment, base B is advantageously obtained from plant materials. Therefore, base B is advantageously a biosource base.

[0080] As a preferred biosource base, one produced from biomass converted to biohydrocarbons by known catalytic conversion methods may be used in particular.

[0081] Similarly, ethanol is preferably bioethanol.

[0082] Therefore, the compositions according to the present invention can be prepared entirely from plant-derived raw materials.

[0083] use The present invention also relates to the use of the above-mentioned compositions for supplying fuel to a spark-ignition engine. The engine may be of the direct injection type or the indirect injection type.

[0084] The fuel composition can be advantageously used to fuel both conventional automobile engines (so-called "general-purpose" engines) and highly efficient, high-power spark-ignition engines, such as racing vehicle engines. This could be, among other things, an atmospheric engine or a turbocharged engine, or a hybrid engine which is an internal combustion engine coupled with an electric motor, used in racing vehicles (circuit or rally).

[0085] The following embodiments are merely illustrative of the present invention and should not be construed as limiting the scope of the invention. [Examples]

[0086] [Examples]

[0087] This example was carried out using biosource hydrocarbon base B, which is derived from the conversion of bioalcohols derived from biomass conversion.

[0088] Base B has the following composition:

[0089] [Table 1]

[0090] The fuel composition C according to the present invention is - Base B 83.8% by weight; - Bioethanol 10.5% by weight; - Butane 3.8% by weight; - Bio-naphtha 1.9% by weight It was prepared by mixing the following.

[0091] The bionaphtha used had a density of 682.9 kg / m³ at 15°C. 3 It has a distillation profile (compliant with standard NF EN ISO12185) with points E70=28.1℃; E100=70.8℃ and E150=99.5℃ (compliant with standard NF EN ISO3405).

[0092] Engine tests were conducted using, on the one hand, fuel C according to the present invention, and on the other hand, a commercially available fuel of the SP95 E10 gasoline type (petroleum-derived unleaded gasoline 95 containing 10% by volume of ethanol).

[0093] During these tests, fuel C according to the present invention, which contains an extremely high proportion of biosource base, was able to achieve sufficient performance in terms of engine output. Furthermore, a 53% reduction in nitrogen oxide (NOx) emissions was observed compared to conventional SP95 E10 fuel. [Examples]

[0094] Two fuel compositions, C1 and C2, were prepared by mixing two hydrocarbon bases with 32% by weight of bioethanol.

[0095] Composition C1 is in accordance with the present invention, C 5+ C of isoparaffin 5+ It was prepared using a hydrocarbon base with a weight ratio of 3.47 (24.66:7.11) to the amount of n-paraffin.

[0096] Its composition is detailed in Table 2 below.

[0097] [Table 2]

[0098] Composition C2 is C 5+ C of isoparaffin 5+ This is a comparative composition prepared using a hydrocarbon base with a weight ratio of 2.14 (21.85:10.22) to the amount of n-paraffin.

[0099] The composition is described in detail in Table 3 below.

[0100] [Table 3]

[0101] The RON (Research Octane Number) of each of these compositions was measured according to the method described in EN ISO 5164. The results obtained are detailed in the table below.

[0102] [Table 4]

[0103] Therefore, composition C1 according to the present invention has a significantly higher measured RON than comparative composition C2.

Claims

1. (i) a) 35 to 55% by weight of aromatic compounds; b) 30 to 50% by weight of a mixture of n-paraffins and isoparaffins containing at least 5 carbon atoms, with the weight ratio of isoparaffins to n-paraffins being 3 or more; and c) Naphthenes 5-15% by weight 60-94% by weight of a hydrocarbon mixture containing the above; (ii) 5 to 36% by weight of ethanol; and (iii) Butane 1-10% by weight A fuel composition containing the following:

2. The composition according to claim 1, characterized in that the hydrocarbon mixture (i) is present in an amount of 65 to 90% by weight relative to the total weight of the fuel composition.

3. The composition according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the aromatic compound (i)a) is selected from alkylbenzenes containing 7 to 12 carbon atoms.

4. The composition according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the content of the aromatic compound (i) a) is in the range of 40 to 53% by weight relative to the weight of the hydrocarbon mixture (i).

5. The composition according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the paraffin (i)b) is selected from paraffins containing 5 to 12 carbon atoms.

6. The composition according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the hydrocarbon mixture (i) contains 5 to 10% by weight of n-paraffin and 20 to 45% by weight of iso-paraffin.

7. The composition according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the content of paraffin (i) b) is in the range of 32 to 45% by weight relative to the weight of the hydrocarbon mixture (i).

8. The composition according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the naphthene (i) c) is selected from cyclic alkanes containing 5 to 10 carbon atoms.

9. The composition according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the content of naphthene (i) c) is in the range of 7 to 13% by weight relative to the weight of the hydrocarbon mixture (i).

10. The composition according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the ethanol content of the composition is in the range of 10 to 30% by weight relative to the total weight of the fuel composition.

11. The composition according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the butane content of the composition is in the range of 1.5 to 8% by weight relative to the total weight of the fuel composition.

12. The composition according to claim 1 or 2, characterized by containing up to 2.5% by weight of an olefin.

13. The composition according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the hydrocarbon mixture (i) is derived from plant raw materials.

14. Use of the composition according to claim 1 for supplying fuel to a spark-ignition engine.

15. The use according to claim 14 for supplying fuel to an atmospheric spark-ignition engine or a turbocharged spark-ignition engine, a hybrid engine, or an engine used in a racing vehicle.

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