Fuel and related compositions – Liquid fuels – Emulsion fuel
Reexamination Certificate
2000-05-19
2001-10-02
Medley, Margaret (Department: 1714)
Fuel and related compositions
Liquid fuels
Emulsion fuel
C044S457000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06296676
ABSTRACT:
TECHNICAL FIELD
The present invention relates to an oil-water emulsion fuel. Particularly, the present invention relates to a water-in-oil emulsion fuel which decreases the discharge of pollutive substances.
BACKGROUND ART
On the combustion of heavy oil, the mass of discharge of air pollutive substances (such as nitrogen oxides, sulfur oxides, carbon dioxide, dust, smog etc.) cannot be avoided, so the research and development of combustion technology preventing the production of such substances has been conducted for a long time. It is indispensable in order to burn heavy oil having high viscosity effectively that heavy oil is heated before the spray at burner and is brought to lower viscosity so that the oil is possible to be sprayed as small particle, and that its evaporation speed and followed mixing with air (oxygen) is accelerated for the diffusion combustion. But nevertheless, it has not brought the problem to solution and the development on technology for the burner and the treatment of combustion gas etc. is still being continued. But there is big burden on the site of the users because of facility cost, installation area, maintenance of plant etc. and therefore efficient combustion based on simplified technology has been required.
One of combustion technologies which was developed in consideration of above problems is an oil-water emulsion fuel in which oil is mixed with water. This oil-water emulsion fuel has an improved combustion efficiency because water particles micro-explode due to the discrepancy of the boiling points between heavy oil and water (b.p. of heavy oil is 300° C. or more, b.p. of water is 100° C.) so that the explosion divides the oil into finer particles and it leads to promotion of diffusion combustion when the emulsion fuel is sprayed into combustion chamber having high temperature. And with this fuel, the production of nitrogen oxides can be decreased owing to the combustion at high temperature. These are the main object for which oil-water emulsion fuel has been developed. The oil-water emulsion fuel is prepared by two processes for production roughly classified, one of which is the method where only oil and water are mechanically mixed and the other one of which is the method where oil and water are mixed with chemical additives (organics).
While the conventional oil-water emulsion fuels have attained the effect that they decrease the production of some of air pollutive substances (nitrogen oxides) by a few ppm, they have not attained good result in combustion efficiency. They still have the problem as follows:
1) In the heating process for lowering the viscosity of heavy oil having high viscosity, the cohesion happens among water particles and the oil and water separate. Therefore, the spraying with maintaining constant particle size of water, which is a essential factor for ideal micro-explosion, cannot be conducted at all.
2) The measurement of viscosity and total calorific power and analysis of components from the change of temperature are difficult as the oil-water separation happens by heating.
3) There is a problem in maintenance that fuel pipes and burners etc. are oxidized by water during the combustion.
4) The concentration of nitrogen oxides and smoke increase more in the combustion at lower oxygen atmosphere than in the combustion of heavy oil only and the condition of the combustion apparently becomes worse. There is a possibility of the production of new pollutive substances in the case of using chemical additives because they are mainly consist of organic components.
5) The transparency of the inside of combustion chamber is very bad and the flame grows thin and long and the state where the oil particles are running can be observed by eyes. This means the combustion is too far from good condition.
6) When the combustion chamber and flue etc. is checked after combustion, it is observed that the thick deposit of impurities is observed on the inside of them and the quantity is high.
DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION
According to one aspect, the present invention relates to a water-in-oil, oil-water emulsion fuel which is obtained by mixing heavy oil and water together with an inorganic component. The inorganic component comprises sodium, magnesium, calcium and chlorine. Once the emulsion is obtained, oil-water separation does not occur and the emulsion state is maintained even if any temperature is added during combustion. A stable state of the combustion is always attained.
According to another aspect, the present invention relates to the oil-water emulsion fuel, wherein the amount of the inorganic component is adjusted with respect to the total amounts of water and heavy oil.
According to another aspect, the present invention relates to the oil-water emulsion fuel, wherein the inorganic component is soluble in water.
According to another aspect, the present invention relates to the oil-water emulsion fuel , wherein 485-608 g of sodium, 17-21 g of magnesium, 23-29 9 of calcium and 313-392 g of chlorine are added to the mixture of the water and the heavy oil when 500-1,000 liters of water are mixed with 10,000 liters of heavy oil.
According to another aspect, the present invention relates to the oil-water emulsion fuel, wherein 675-948 g of sodium, 23-34 g of magnesium, 32-45 g of calcium and 436-612 g of chlorine are added to the mixture of the water and the heavy oil when 1,500-2,000 liters of water are mixed with 10,000 liters of heavy oil.
According to a further aspect, the present invention relates to the oil-water emulsion fuel, wherein 1,222-1,710 g of sodium, 42-59 g of magnesium, 59-82 9 of calcium and 790-1,106 g of chlorine are added to the mixture of the water and the heavy oil when 2,500-3,000 liters of water are mixed with 10,000 liters of heavy oil.
In the above described preferred embodiments, the amounts of sodium, magnesium, calcium and chlorine pertain to the amounts of the elements themselves.
BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION
Oil-water emulsion fuel according to the present invention is the fuel wherein water particle size is unchangeable and oil-water separation does not occur, which is prepared by adding water (warm water) to heavy oil being a base fuel, by adding four kinds of inorganic component to maintain a stable emulsion state and by mixing them. If only one of the four elements of the inorganic component is lacking, the oil separates from the water irrespective of the mixing function when the emulsion is heated.
The sodium, magnesium, calcium and chlorine of the inorganic component are preferably supplied as water soluble inorganic compounds. Examples of water soluble inorganic compounds for each element are listed below. The example of the sources of supply of sodium is sodium hydroxide, sodium carbonate, sodium chloride, sodium sulfate, sodium nitrate, sodium phosphate, sodium borate and the like. Sodium hydroxide and sodium carbonate are preferable. The example of the sources of the supply of magnesium is magnesium chloride, magnesium sulfate, magnesium nitrate and the like. Magnesium chloride is preferable. The example of the sources of supply of calcium is calcium chloride, calcium sulfate, calcium nitrate and the like. Calcium chloride is preferable. The example of the sources of supply of chlorine is sodium chloride, calcium chloride, magnesium chloride, potassium chloride and the like. Calcium chloride and magnesium chloride are preferable.
The mixer for the industrial use is sufficient for the preparation of the present fuel and the preferable particle size of water in oil is 10 to 60 &mgr;m though it depends on the specification of the burner equipped on the combustor. General industrial water and drinking water (water from water supply) are preferable as the water to be mixed and it is preferable that the temperature of water is accordance with one of heavy oil. The mixing ratio of water to oil should be changed in obedience to calorific power to be needed, and corresponding to each amount of oil and water having different mixing ratio the amount of addition of four kinds of inorganic comp
Burns Doane , Swecker, Mathis LLP
Medley Margaret
Nohara Hirotsugu
Toomer Cephia D.
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