Additive for liquid or liquified hydrocarbon fueled direct fired burners, open flames and related processes

Abstract

The present invention relates to the field of fuel additives, in particular, to an additive for hydrocarbon fueled burners and flames to enhance efficiency and / or reduce undesirable emissions, such as pollutants. The fuel additive of the invention includes a phosphorus-containing parent solution. The phosphorus salts are at least partially dispersed and / or dissolved in water or other appropriate solvent to create a phosphorus-containing parent solution that forms the basis for the fuel additive. The phosphorus-containing parent solution is added or mixed with a dispersion fluid.

Description

RELATED APPLICATIONS [0001] This patent application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 60 / 613,699 filed on Sep. 28, 2004, which is incorporated by reference in its entirety.TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE INVENTION [0002] The present invention relates to the field of fuel additives, in particular, to an additive for hydrocarbon fueled burners and flames to enhance efficiency and / or reduce undesirable emissions, such as pollutants. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION [0003] Many hydrocarbon fuels have been used, each with their own advantages and drawbacks. Examples of such fuels include diesel, kerosene, heavy distillates and bunker fuels. Chemical compounds have been used as combustion improvers to enhance combustion efficiency, of these types of fuels. Many of these additives contain metallic elements such as manganese, iron, copper, cerium, calcium and barium. Each of these elements has advantages and disadvantages in particular applications. Drawbacks of certain iron...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

[0008] The fuel additive of the invention includes a phosphorus-containing parent solution containing [Y]xH2PO4, [Y]x+HPO4, where Y is a cation. Y does not have to be the same cation in both salt compounds. The cationic portion of the salt components can be any cation, with potassium being a preferred cation. In this case, the preferred components would be KH2PO4, K2HPO4. These salts are at least partially dispersed and / or dissolved in water or other appropriate solvent to create the phosphorus-containing parent solution. Advantageously, this embodiment of the fuel additive is an ammonia-free solution. One preferred embodiment includes adding these components, in the presence of water, to create the phosphorus-containing parent solution as an aqueous parent solution. The water acts as the solvent. Other preferred parent solution solvents include alcohols. Another group of preferred cations would be the alkali metals or Group 1A elements. While NH4 used as Y creates a fuel additive that enhances fuel performance, there are instances when it is preferred to avoid ammonium and thereby ammonia altogether.

[0009] The phosphorus-containing parent solution is added or mixed with a dispersion fluid. The dispersion fluid is a fluid that is operable to maintain the salts within the dispersion fluid in at least a partially dispersed state and that is miscible, or capable of being maintained in solution, in the hydrocarbon fuel. In a preferred embodiment, the solvent is largely removed from the phosphorus-containing parent solution in the dispersion fluid through thermal means to create the fuel additive. The fuel additive is operable to enhance combustion when placed into contact with fuel in a direct fired burner or open flame and combusted. Enhanced combustion means that fuel efficiency is increased when compared to fuel without the fuel additive, or that pollutant output in an exhaust gas from the combustion is decreased or a combination of these effects. Typical pollutants can include NOx, HCN, SO2 particulate matter, carbon monoxide and other recognized pollutants resulting from the combustion of hydrocarbon fuel. It is noted that different geographical areas focus on minimizing a particular pollutant depending on air characteristics. Reduction of a target pollutant or a combination of pollutants, such as NOx and HCN is highly advantageous. Alternately, increased fuel efficiency results in a total lower volume of pollutants, as well as economic advantage.

[0014] The fuel additive of the invention is useful to enhance combustion such that more complete combustion is achieved with increased combustion to CO2 and H2O as compared to the combustion of the fuel without the fuel additive. The outcome is the reduction of products of partial combustion as well as NOx and SO2, thereby increasing fuel efficiency.

[0015] The fuel additive is used by adding this additive to the fuel in an amount sufficient to increase fuel efficiency or to reduce pollutants. The terms enhanced and enhanced combustion refer to either of these effects. An example of reduced pollutants is a reduction of NOx and HCN in an exhaust gas produced from a direct fired burner or open flame. Advantageously, both of these effects are observed though the addition of the fuel additive of the current invention. A preferred embodiment includes the addition of between about 50 and 150 ppm phosphorus into the fuel though the addition of the fuel additive. Increased amounts of phosphorus are effective as well. It is notable that a very cost-effective solution can be prepared with low weight percent of phosphorus. Another preferred target is around 1 ppm phosphorus to 150 ppm phosphorus. Positive test results have been generated as low as 0.25 ppm phosphorus.

[0022] An enhanced fuel is created when a substantial amount of a fuel suitable for combustion is combined with an amount of the phosphorus-containing parent solution or the chemical addition composition sufficient to reduce emissions or to increase efficiency upon combustion of the enhanced fuel. In certain circumstances, the dispersion fluid is a quantity of a target fluid, that is, a fluid that contains the desired fuel.

Problems solved by technology

Drawbacks of certain iron compounds include limited solubility in fuels, toxicity, and expense as an additive.

Interaction with sulfur and creation of sulfide precipitate may also occur, which is undesirable.

The industry has not made substantial progress on development of a fuel additive for reducing smoke and particulate emissions in these applications.