Renewable Hydrocarbon Fuel Composition
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional diesel fuel derived from crude oil contains harmful polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons and has inferior combustion properties, while first-generation biofuels like FAME biodiesel suffer from poor low-temperature properties, storage stability, and compatibility issues with petrodiesel due to ester content and high polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon content.
Innovation Solution
A hydrocarbon composition comprising 10-40% C8-30 linear alkanes, up to 20% C7-20 monoaromatic hydrocarbons, and no more than 1% oxygen-containing compounds, produced through hydroprocessing of a biological feedstock, which reduces polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon content and enhances combustion properties.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Use of energy by moving object
If conventional diesel fuel is produced from crude oil, then energy density and combustion power are improved, but harmful polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon content increases and combustion properties deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies parameter changes by modifying the chemical composition parameters of diesel fuel through hydroprocessing. The process transforms biological feedstock containing oxygenated compounds into hydrocarbons with specific carbon chain lengths (C8-30), controlling the aromatic content to be no more than 20 mass% and polycyclic aromatic content to be no more than 1 mass%. This results in a fuel with energy density comparable to petrodiesel (42-44 MJ/kg) while dramatically reducing harmful polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon content.
2Quantity of substance
If FAME biodiesel is blended with petrodiesel, then renewable content is improved, but low-temperature properties and storage stability deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies the extraction principle by removing oxygen-containing compounds (including ester groups) from the biological feedstock through hydroprocessing. The resulting hydrocarbon composition contains no more than 1 mass% oxygen-containing compounds, effectively extracting the problematic oxygen functionality that causes poor low-temperature properties and storage instability. This maintains the renewable origin while eliminating the chemical characteristics that cause blending incompatibility.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the chemical composition parameters by converting oxygenated biological feedstock into hydrocarbons with controlled molecular weight distribution (C8-30). The resulting fuel has similar density (0.78-0.85 g/cm³) and energy content to petrodiesel, enabling high-level blending or direct replacement without the storage stability and low-temperature performance issues associated with FAME biodiesel.
3Productivity
If FAME biodiesel is produced from triglycerides, then renewable fuel production is improved, but glycerol by-product accumulation and purification energy consumption increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies extraction by removing the glycerol by-product formation step entirely. Instead of transesterification that separates fuel and glycerol phases, the hydroprocessing method directly converts triglycerides and other biological feedstock components into hydrocarbon fuel molecules in a single process. The glycerol backbone is converted into useful hydrocarbon chains (C8-30) along with the fatty acid chains, eliminating the need for energy-intensive glycerol purification.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the reaction pathway parameters from transesterification to hydroprocessing. This fundamental parameter change transforms the product distribution from ester molecules plus glycerol to pure hydrocarbons (C8-30 alkanes, cycloalkanes, and controlled aromatic content). The process achieves renewable fuel production with superior energy density while converting what would be waste glycerol into useful fuel components.
4Quantity of substance
If BTL biodiesel is produced from gasified biomass, then renewable content is improved, but density and volume-based energy content deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies parameter changes by controlling the molecular weight and structural distribution of the hydrocarbon products. Through hydroprocessing conditions optimization, the process produces a mixture of C8-30 hydrocarbons with controlled aromatic content (no more than 20 mass%) and polycyclic aromatic content (no more than 1 mass%). This results in a density range of 0.78-0.85 g/cm³ and volume-based energy content of 38-40 MJ/l, comparable to petrodiesel, while maintaining 100% renewable origin from biological feedstock.
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 composition offers improved combustion efficiency, reduced soot emissions, and compatibility with petrodiesel, with a density and energy content similar to petrodiesel, addressing the limitations of both conventional and first-generation biofuels.
Implementation Method 1
The composition can be produced by subjecting a biological feedstock to hydroprocessing (i.e. treatment with hydrogen gas) using a catalyst
Implementation Method 2
The gasified carbonaceous material reacts to produce a syngas (a mixture of carbon monoxide and hydrogen), which in turn undergoes polymerisation to produce hydrocarbons
Implementation Method 3
improved combustion efficiency, reduced soot emissions
Data Source
AI summary
The present invention provides a composition comprising 10-40 mass % of C8-30 linear alkanes, up to 20 mass % of C7-20 aromatic hydrocarbons, at least 90 mass % of which are monoaromatic, and no more than 1 mass % in total of oxygen-containing compounds; wherein the total amount of C8-30 alkanes in the composition is 50-95 mass %, and the total amount of C8-30 alkanes, C7-20 aromatic hydrocarbons and C8-30 cycloalkanes is at least 95 mass %; wherein the composition comprises 45-90 mass % in total of C8-30 cycloalkanes and C8-30 branched alkanes; and wherein the amounts are based on the mass of the composition. Also provided is a method of producing the composition comprising the step of hydroprocessing a biological feedstock using a catalyst and the step of fractionating the product of the hydroprocessing step.