Fuel and related compositions – Liquid fuels – Plant or animal extract mixtures or extracts of...
Reexamination Certificate
1998-03-09
2001-02-27
Medley, Margaret (Department: 1714)
Fuel and related compositions
Liquid fuels
Plant or animal extract mixtures or extracts of...
C044S326000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06193766
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to reducing the amounts of pollutants produced during the combustion of carbonaceous fuels such as gasoline, diesel fuel, fuel oil, and coal. More particularly, the present invention relates to materials that can be added to the fuel prior to combustion in order to reduce the level of pollutants emitted as a result of the combustion process.
2. Description of Related Art
The combustion of carbonaceous fuels is a major source of air pollution. The primary pollutants produced as a result of the combustion of such fuels include carbon monoxide, nitrogen oxides, sulfur oxides, unburned hydrocarbons, particulate matter, and volatile organic compounds.
There is today considerable interest in developing processes for eliminating or substantially reducing the amounts of pollutants that are emitted into the atmosphere as a result of fuel combustion. One approach involves treating the fuel prior to combustion in order to remove pollutant precursors. For example, numerous desulfurization processes have been devised to remove sulfur from fuel oil, coal, and other fuels prior to combustion. Although it is desirable to use preprocessed fuels that are inherently clean-burning, such fuels are expensive to produce.
Another approach to reducing air pollution involves treating the combustion gases to remove pollutants. A wide variety of adsorbents, as well as catalytic materials, have successfully been used for the removal of pollutants from combustion gases, including carbon monoxide, nitrogen oxides, and sulfur oxides. For example, catalytic mufflers have been successfully used in automobiles to reduce pollutant emissions. Other scrubber devices have also been employed with some success in the removal of pollutants from a variety of combustion flue gases.
In addition to the above pollution-control mechanisms, there has also been interest in developing fuel additives that can be mixed with the fuel prior to combustion. The fuel additive participates in the combustion process, and its components act as scavengers or otherwise react with pollutants to convert them into nonpolluting combustion products. An example of this type of fuel additive is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,274,835, and involves improving combustion efficiency and reducing sulfur combustion emissions from burning coal by the addition of small amounts of chlorophyll, squalane, squalene, carotenoids, or mixtures thereof.
Many other processes have been developed over the years that are also effective in controlling pollutant emissions. However, the importance of reducing the amounts of substances emitted into the air mandates that researchers continue to seek new and improved methods for limiting the pollutants produced as a result of the combustion of carbonaceous fuels.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention provides a method for reducing the levels of carbon monoxide and oxides of nitrogen and sulfur that are produced during the combustion of carbonaceous fuels including, but not limited to, natural gas, jet fuel, gasoline, no. 1 diesel fuel, and no. 2 diesel fuel; and higher residual fuels including, but not limited to, no. 4 fuel oil, no. 5 light and no. 5 heavy fuel oils, and no. 6 fuel oil (Bunker C). The invention is based upon the discovery that adding alfalfa extract to the fuel prior to combustion results in the reduction of pollutant emissions that would otherwise occur.
As a feature of the present invention, alfalfa extract is dissolved in a naphthenic hydrocarbon to provide an active ingredient mixture which is further mixed with a solvent carrier to form the final fuel additive. Jojoba oil is a preferred naphthenic hydrocarbon which was found to enhance and preserve the beneficial fuel combustion characteristics produced by alfalfa extract. As a further feature of the present invention, polyethoxylated castor oil surfactants and alkyl nitrate cetane boosters are also included in the fuel additive to provide additional component solubilization.
The alfalfa extract additive, in accordance with the present invention, is used to treat the full range of combustible carbonaceous fuels including, but not limited to, natural gas, gasoline, no. 1 diesel fuel and no. 2 diesel fuel; as well as higher residual fuels including, but not limited to, no. 4 fuel oil, no. 5 light and no. 5 heavy fuel oils, no. 6 fuel oil (Bunker C) and coal. Thus, the alfalfa extract fuel additive of the present invention is suitable for use in a wide variety of combustion processes wherein emission of pollutants such as carbon monoxide, nitrogen oxides, sulfur oxides, unburned hydrocarbons, particulate matter, and volatile organic compounds are a problem.
The above-described and many other features and attendant advantages of the present invention will become better understood by reference to the following detailed description.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
The present invention is based on the discovery that the dark green material which is extracted from alfalfa is an effective combustion additive which, when added to various carbonaceous fuels, increases combustion efficiency and reduces pollutant emissions. As will be described in detail below, alfalfa extracts may be used alone as a fuel additive or they can be combined with other combustion enhancing ingredients to form a wide variety of effective fuel additives.
A wide variety of alfalfa types can be used to form an alfalfa extract in accordance with the present invention. The term “alfalfa” is used to describe herbaceous perennial legumes which belong to the order Rosales. Alfalfa is characterized by a deep tap root and is also known as lucerne. An exemplary variety of alfalfa which may be used to form extracts is buffalo alfalfa. Any of the other common varieties of alfalfa which are grown in large quantities may be used.
At room temperature, alfalfa extract is a dark green waxy solid which is produced by removing the water and organic solvent soluble components from the alfalfa. These soluble components may be extracted by mechanical methods, chemical extraction methods and combinations of the two. It is preferred that a simple mechanical extraction procedure be used. In such a procedure, the alfalfa is compressed between plates, rollers or other mechanical compression devices at elevated temperatures in order to squeeze the dark green alfalfa extract as a liquid from the plants. The alfalfa may be ground up prior to compression or may be ground up and compressed simultaneously. The alfalfa should be fresh and not dried. In order to enhance recovery, the alfalfa may be washed with small amounts of water after mechanical extraction has been completed. The resulting aqueous extract solution can be added to the bulk of the alfalfa extract recovered during the mechanical extraction. Upon cooling to room temperature, the dark green liquid solidifies to form a solid mass. Any conventional process for preparing alfalfa extract may be used provided that dark green chlorophyll-rich extract is obtained.
Alfalfa extracts may be prepared according to the above procedures or they may be purchased commercially from a number of well-known sources in the alfalfa feed art. The alfalfa extract may be added directly to the fuel. However, it is preferred that the alfalfa extract be dissolved in a suitable carrier solvent to form an additive which may include additional ingredients. The resulting additive solution is then added to the fuel. Suitable carrier solvents include various organic liquids such as gasoline, no. 1 diesel fuel, no. 2 diesel fuel, jet fuel, xylene, toluene, cyclic hydrocarbons, hydrocarbon liquids containing cyclic constituents, liquid hydrocarbon fuels, halogenated hydrocarbon solvents (e.g., chloroform, trichloroethylene, etc.), liquid aldehydes, alcohols, and ketones, and even small amounts of water. Any organic solvent may in fact be used provided that it does not adversely increase pollutant emission levels. The preferred carrier solvents are liquid fuels such as gasoline, jet
Barto/Jordan Company, Inc.
Medley Margaret
Oppenheimer Wolff and Donnelly LLP
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