combustion

Details combustion combustion

1998-02-13

2000-05-02

Howard, Jacqueline V.

Fuel and related compositions

Liquid fuels

Containing organic -c

44362, 44363, 44365, C10L 118

Patent

active

060567929

DESCRIPTION:

BRIEF SUMMARY
The present invention relates to a process for improving the oxidation of carbonaceous products derived from the combustion or pyrolysis of fuel (such as with the use of a particulate trap for use with diesel engines) and/or for improving the combustion of fuel.
Products from the combustion or pyrolysis of diesel fuels include carbon monoxide, nitrous oxides (NO.sub.x) unburnt hydrocarbons and particulates. Particulates are becoming increasingly regarded as serious pollutants, in that there is a growing recognition of the health risks associated with particulates emissions. These particulates include not only those which are visible as smoke emission, but also unburned and partially oxidised hydrocarbons from fuel and the lubricants used in diesel engines.
Diesel engines are prone to emission of high levels of particulate matter when the engine is overloaded, worn or badly maintained. Particulate matter is also emitted from diesel engines exhausts when engines are operated at partial load although these emissions are normally invisible to the naked eye. The unburned or partially oxidised hydrocarbons also emitted to the atmosphere are irritant astringent materials. Further, in a problem recently highlighted for diesel fuel, emissions of particulate matter of less than 10 micrometers principle dimension ("PM10 matter") , is claimed to cause 10,000 deaths in England and Wales and 60,000 deaths in the USA annually, as published in the New Scientist, March 1994, p12. It is suspected that these smaller particles penetrate deeply into the lung and lodge.
As indicated, particulate emission by diesel engines is a major source of harmful atmospheric pollution, and an effective method to control particulate emissions from diesel engines is highly sought after. Legislation now exists in many countries of the World designed to control pollution from diesel engines. More demanding legislation is planned.
Prior activity in the area of reducing the level of particulates may be regarded as using one of two strategies: engine design and management solutions or trap oxidation solutions.
Engines that have been developed to achieve low levels of emission are well known to those familiar with the art and examples of such designs are given in S.A.E. International Congress (February 1995) S.A.E. Special Publication SP-1092. The drawbacks to the various engine management solutions include cost, complexity and the poor capability for retrofitting.
Traps fitted to diesel engines have been proposed as a solution but these normally require some external energy input for regeneration. Such devices are well known to those familiar with the art and some examples are discussed in "Advanced techniques for thermal and catalytic diesel particulate trap regeneration", SAE International Congress (February 1985), SAE Special Publication-42 343-59 (1992) and S.A.E. International Congress (February 1995) and S.A.E. Special Publication SP-1073 (1995). In addition to the need for supplying an external heat source, the trap oxidation solutions suffer from similar problems. They are also prone to cause trap blockage and/or `chimney fires` resulting from sudden and intense burnoff of soot from highly loaded traps.
Catalytic devices can assist the control of emissions from diesel engines but require low sulphur fuel (<500 ppm) to enable benefits to exhaust emission to be achieved.
Additives can be used to contribute to both strategies. In engine management approaches, there is a well-known trade-off between NO.sub.x and particulates emissions. Diesel engines emissions tests now include specified levels for all pollutants. An additive which achieves some useful level of particulates suppression to some extent decouples this trade off, thereby giving the engineer more freedom to achieve power output or fuel economy within a given emission standard.
The use of metal-based additives within diesel fuels for these ends are well known. However, the known additives can present a number of drawbacks.
For example, some previous solutions have overlooked the

REFERENCES:
patent: 5304783 (1994-04-01), Clough et al.

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