U.S. patent application number 10/585931 was filed with the patent office on 2007-07-12 for fuel additive comprising an alkyl halide.
Invention is credited to Yair Grof.
Application Number | 20070157510 10/585931 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 34961024 |
Filed Date | 2007-07-12 |
United States Patent
Application |
20070157510 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Grof; Yair |
July 12, 2007 |
Fuel additive comprising an alkyl halide
Abstract
A method including using an alkyl halide, such as but not
limited to, tetrabromoethane, as a fuel additive to a fuel to
increase completeness of combustion of the fuel.
Inventors: |
Grof; Yair; (Rehovot,
IL) |
Correspondence
Address: |
David Klein;Dekel Patent
Beit HaRof im
18 Menuha Venahala Street Room 27
Rehovot
IL
|
Family ID: |
34961024 |
Appl. No.: |
10/585931 |
Filed: |
January 16, 2005 |
PCT Filed: |
January 16, 2005 |
PCT NO: |
PCT/IL05/00058 |
371 Date: |
July 13, 2006 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
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60536223 |
Jan 14, 2004 |
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Current U.S.
Class: |
44/456 |
Current CPC
Class: |
C10L 10/00 20130101;
C10L 1/201 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
044/456 |
International
Class: |
C10L 1/20 20060101
C10L001/20 |
Claims
1. A method comprising: using an alkyl halide as a fuel additive to
a fuel to increase completeness of combustion of the fuel.
2. The method according to claim 1, further comprising using the
alkyl halide to increase cleanliness of a combustion chamber in
which the fuel undergoes combustion.
3. The method according to claim 1, wherein said alkyl halide
comprises tetrabromoethane.
4. The method according to claim 1, wherein said alkyl halide
comprises at least one of tetrabromoethane
(C.sub.2H.sub.2Br.sub.4), 1,1,2,2 tetrachloroethane
(C.sub.2H.sub.2Cl.sub.4), 1,1,2 trichloroethane
(C.sub.2H.sub.3Cl.sub.3), pentachloroethane (C.sub.2HCl.sub.5),
hexachloroethane (C.sub.2Cl.sub.6), 1,2,4 trichloro cyclohexane
(C.sub.6H.sub.9Cl.sub.3), 1,2,4,5 tetrachloro cyclohexane
(C.sub.6H.sub.8Cl.sub.4), ethyliodide (C.sub.2H.sub.5I),
ethylbromide (C.sub.2H.sub.5Br), dichloro 1,2 dibromoethane
(C.sub.2H.sub.2Cl.sub.2Br.sub.2), dichlorotribromoethane
(C.sub.2HCl.sub.2Br.sub.3), difluoro 1 chloroethane
(C.sub.2H.sub.3F.sub.2Cl), difluoro 1,2 dibromoethane
(C.sub.2H.sub.2F.sub.2Br.sub.2), trifluor 1,2,2 dibromoethane
(C.sub.2HF.sub.3Br.sub.2), tribromopropane
(C.sub.3H.sub.5Br.sub.3), dibromo cyclohexane
(C.sub.6H.sub.10Br.sub.2), dibromoethane (C.sub.2H.sub.4Br.sub.4),
n-propylbromide (C.sub.3H.sub.7Br), 1-bromo, 4-fluoro cyclohexane
(C.sub.6H.sub.10FBr), butylbromide (C.sub.4H.sub.9Br) and
octylbromide (C.sub.8H.sub.17Br).
Description
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
[0001] The present invention relates generally to fuel additives
and method therefor.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0002] Methods and systems for marking liquid hydrocarbons or fuels
are known in the art. The fuel is generally marked by a substance
that can be detected, thereby identifying the source of the fuel.
For example, a simple dyeing substance may be mixed with the fuel,
thereby changing the color of the fuel and allowing the fuel to be
identified according to the marked color. Alternatively, the
marking substance can emit light at an invisible wavelength,
wherein the fuel is identified by measuring the emitted wavelength
by an optical detector. According to other methods, the fuel is
marked with an organic compound whose presence is later detected by
a spectrometer.
[0003] One example of fuel marking systems is described in PCT
published patent application WO 02/098199 (PCT application
PCT/IL02/00431).
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0004] The present invention seeks to provide a novel fuel
additive, as is described more in detail hereinbelow.
[0005] The inventors have surprisingly found a new property for a
substance that had been previously used simply to mark fuels, as in
PCT published patent application WO 02/098199. For example,
tetrabromoethane (TBE) has been added to petroleum-based fuels,
such as gasoline or diesel fuel, for the purposes of marking the
fuel as an anti-theft procedure. The inventors have now found that
TBE (and other substances) may be used as a fuel additive to
improve combustion characteristics, as is described more in detail
hereinbelow.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS
[0006] The fuel additive of the present invention may be added in
small amounts to fuel, such as but not limited to, 1-10 ppm. This
small amount does not affect the color or operative properties of
the fuel.
[0007] Throughout the specification and claims, the term "fuel"
refers to any liquid hydrocarbon, including but not limited to,
petroleum products either refined or unrefined, such as crude oil,
naphtha, gasoline, diesel fuel, jet fuel, kerosene, propane,
lubricant (e. g., engine oil), hydraulic fluid, natural gas (either
in gaseous or liquefied form), and the like.
[0008] The fuel additive of the present invention is stable,
miscible in and compatible with the fuel. For example, the fuel
additive may comprise a halogenic compound, such as an alkyl halide
having the general formula C.sub.nH.sub.2n+2-mX.sub.m, where
n=1,2,3 . . . , m=1,2,3 . . . X is a halogen such as fluorine (F),
chlorine (Cl), bromine (Br), and iodine (I). An example of such an
alkyl halide is tetrabromoethane (TBE)
(C.sub.2H.sub.2Br.sub.4).
[0009] Other examples of alkyl halides, which may be used to carry
out the invention include but are not limited to: 1,1,2,2
tetrachloroethane (C.sub.2H.sub.2Cl.sub.4), 1,1,2 trichloroethane
(C.sub.2H.sub.3Cl.sub.3), pentachloroethane (C.sub.2HCl.sub.5),
hexachloroethane (C.sub.2Cl.sub.6), 1,2,4 trichloro cyclohexane
(C.sub.6H.sub.9Cl.sub.3), 1,2,4,5 tetrachloro cyclohexane
(C.sub.6H.sub.8Cl.sub.4), ethyliodide (C.sub.2H.sub.5I),
ethylbromide (C.sub.2H.sub.5Br), dichloro 1,2 dibromoethane
(C.sub.2H.sub.2Cl.sub.2Br.sub.2), dichlorotribromoethane
(C.sub.2HCl.sub.2Br.sub.3), difluoro 1 chloroethane
(C.sub.2H.sub.3F.sub.2Cl), difluoro 1,2 dibromoethane
(C.sub.2H.sub.2F.sub.2Br.sub.2), trifluor 1,2,2 dibromoethane
(C.sub.2HF.sub.3Br.sub.2), tribromopropane
(C.sub.3H.sub.5Br.sub.3), dibromocyclohexane
(C.sub.6H.sub.10Br.sub.2), dibromoethane (C.sub.2H.sub.4Br.sub.4),
n-propylbromide (C.sub.3H.sub.7Br), 1-bromo, 4-fluoro cyclohexane
(C.sub.6H.sub.10FBr), butylbromide (C.sub.4H.sub.9Br) and
octylbromide (C.sub.8H.sub.17Br).
[0010] The fuel additive of the present invention is preferably
immiscible in water. One of the advantages of this property is that
sometimes there is a water phase in fuels or in storage tanks, and
the insolubility of the fuel additive in water means that the fuel
additive remains in solution with the fuel and is not lost to the
water phase.
[0011] The fuel additive of the present invention may create a
large amount of free radicals. Free radicals lead to a smoother and
more uniform temperature gradient and more complete combustion in
the combustion chamber. In this manner, the fuel additive improves
fuel consumption.
[0012] In addition, the fuel additive of the present invention may
trap heavy metal ions present in petroleum-based fuels. The trapped
heavy metal ions then exit with the exhaust, instead of
accumulating on the inner walls and surfaces of the combustion
chamber. Thus the fuel additive has the synergistic effect of not
only improving fuel consumption but also causing the combustion
chamber to be cleaner, which in turn further improves fuel
consumption.
[0013] It is noted that the present invention is not bound or
limited in any way to the above postulations of free radicals and
trapping heavy metal ions. They are presented merely as a possible
way of understanding how the fuel additive of the present invention
improves performance of an internal combustion engine.
[0014] It will be appreciated by persons skilled in the art that
the present invention is not limited by what has been particularly
shown and described hereinabove. Rather the scope of the present
invention includes both combinations and subcombinations of the
features described hereinabove as well as modifications and
variations thereof which would occur to a person of skill in the
art upon reading the foregoing description and which are not in the
prior art.
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