Polyglycerol Ester Fuel Emulsion Stability
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current fuel emulsion compositions struggle with stability and commercial viability due to high costs and complex engine modifications required for reducing nitrogen oxide (NOx) emissions, particularly in diesel engines, where direct injection of water or use of aqueous fuels leads to issues like filter plugging and turbo fouling, and invert fuel emulsions face challenges with phase separation under conventional conditions.
Innovation Solution
A fuel composition comprising a mixture of polyglycerol esters of fatty acids with specific ranges of diglycerol, triglycerol, tetraglycerol, pentaglycerol, hexaglycerol, heptaglycerol, octaglycerol, nonaglycerol, decaglycerol, and unadecaglycerol, which provides stability and reduces NOx emissions at commercially viable emulsifier dosages, allowing for lower emulsifier amounts while maintaining stability over required usage periods.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Object-generated harmful factors
If water is directly injected into the combustion zone to lower flame temperature and reduce NOx production, then NOx emissions are reduced, but engine design becomes costly and complicated
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses fuel emulsion as an intermediary carrier to deliver water to the combustion zone. Instead of direct water injection requiring complex engine modifications, the water is pre-mixed with fuel in emulsion form, allowing the fuel system itself to serve as the delivery mechanism. This resolves the contradiction by eliminating the need for separate injection systems while still achieving flame temperature reduction and NOx emission control.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the physical state and composition parameters of the fuel by creating a water-in-fuel emulsion with specific droplet size distributions and stability characteristics. By controlling emulsion parameters (droplet size, distribution, stability), the system achieves effective water delivery for NOx reduction without requiring changes to engine design, thus resolving the contradiction between emission reduction and device complexity.
2Object-generated harmful factors
If aqueous fuels are used to reduce flame temperature, then NOx production decreases, but filter plugging and turbo fouling occur due to precipitate depositions
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by creating a non-uniform emulsion structure with specific droplet size distributions. The emulsion contains a controlled mixture of different droplet sizes, with smaller droplets providing better combustion characteristics and larger droplets controlling stability. This localized control of droplet properties prevents precipitate deposition while maintaining NOx reduction, resolving the contradiction between emission control and component protection.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates a composite fuel material by combining water and hydrocarbon fuel in a stable emulsion. This composite structure allows the beneficial properties of both components: water for NOx reduction and hydrocarbon fuel for energy content. The emulsion architecture prevents the harmful effects of simple aqueous fuels (precipitate deposition) while maintaining the desired combustion characteristics, thus resolving the contradiction.
3Temperature
If invert fuel emulsions are used to introduce water into the combustion area, then flame temperature can be reduced, but gravitational and high temperature phase separation occur preventing commercial use
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies dynamics by creating an emulsion system that adapts to different conditions. The emulsion maintains stability under storage conditions (resisting gravitational separation) while also remaining stable under combustion conditions (resisting high temperature and pressure separation). This dynamic stability across different operational states allows the emulsion to deliver water effectively for flame temperature control without suffering from phase separation, resolving the contradiction between temperature control and composition stability.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent controls multiple emulsion parameters simultaneously: droplet size distribution, interfacial tension, and surfactant concentration. By optimizing these parameters, the emulsion achieves enhanced stability against both gravitational separation during storage and thermal separation during combustion. This multi-parameter control allows the system to maintain water in the fuel phase while still achieving flame temperature reduction, resolving the contradiction between temperature control and emulsion stability.
4Stability of the object's composition
If high levels of emulsifier are used to maintain emulsion stability, then emulsion stability improves, but cost increases reducing commercial viability
Solution Approach 1:
The patent optimizes the emulsifier dosage parameter to achieve minimum effective concentration. By carefully controlling emulsifier concentration and composition, the system achieves adequate emulsion stability without excessive emulsifier use. This parameter optimization resolves the contradiction between maintaining stability and controlling cost, making the technology commercially viable while still achieving the desired NOx reduction through water delivery.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The use of a broad range of polyglycerols in the fuel composition enhances the stability of fuel-water emulsions at lower emulsifier concentrations, reducing NOx emissions effectively and minimizing costs, thus addressing the commercial viability and stability issues of previous methods.
Implementation Method 1
polyglycerol ester of a fatty acid
Implementation Method 2
oxidation of organic nitrogen species in the fuel
Data Source
Figure 1~2
Figure 3A~3B
Figure 3C
AI summary
The present invention provides a fuel composition comprising: (a) a fuel; and (b) a polyglycerol ester of a fatty acid; wherein the polyglycerol composition used to form the polyglycerol ester of a fatty acid comprises a mixture of diglycerol in an amount of 11.0 to 34.0 weight% based on the combined weight of the polyglycerols; triglycerol in an amount of 9.5 to 24.5 weight% based on the combined weight of the polyglycerols; tetraglycerol in an amount of 6.0 to 21.0 weight% based on the combined weight of the polyglycerols; pentaglycerol in an amount of 3.5 to 19.0 weight% based on the combined weight of the polyglycerols; hexaglycerol in an amount of 6.0 to 13.5 weight% based on the combined weight of the polyglycerols; heptaglycerol in an amount of 5.0 to 13.0 weight% based on the combined weight of the polyglycerols; octaglycerol in an amount of 3.0 to 12.0 weight% based on the combined weight of the polyglycerols; nonaglycerol in an amount of 1.5 to 10.0 weight% based on the combined weight of the polyglycerols; decaglycerol in an amount of 0.0 to 8.0 weight% based on the combined weight of the polyglycerols; and unadecaglycerol in an amount of 0.0 to 7.0 weight% based on the combined weight of the polyglycerols.