US1614559A - Hydrocarbon fuel and process of making same - Google Patents

Description

Patented Jan. 18, 1927.

" "UNITED STATES 1,614,559 PATENT OFFICE.

v Lns'rnn KmscHBnAUN, OF CHICAGO, rumors.

HYDROCARBON FUEL AND PROCESS OF MAKING SAME.

No Drawing. Application filed April 1, 1920, Serial No. 370,465.- Renewed June. 8, 1925.

This invention relates to hydrocarbon fuels particularly such as are used in internal combustion engines and also resides in the novel process of making such fuel. One of the main objects of the invention is to provide an improved fuel suitable for use in internal combustion engines; to permit the use of low grade gasoline or other hydrocarbons while eliminating the caiLon deposit: ordinarily resulting from the use of such fuels; the invention particularly contemplates obtainingthese results by emulsifying in the fuel a desired percentage of water or other fluid in a very finely divided state; 16 and further features of the invention reside in the manner of emulsifying the fuel, in the .use of steam for obtaining inthe resultant product the desired percentage of water so finely dividedas to approach colloid-a1 d1- 20 mensions in size, and in such other novel features of process and product as will more fully hereinafter appear.

While various other substances maybe employed in producing a hydrocarbon fuel within the scope of my invention, I Wlll first describe the process in connection with emulsifying about tenper cent of water n gasoline using as an'emulsifying agent a. petroleum acid such as napthenic acid or sul- 3p phonic derivative of a napthene hydrocarbon.. Taking for. example one hundred parts of gasoline, ten parts of water and one part of the emulsifying agent, the latter isthoroughly dissolved in the gasolineand t5 heated to a temperature which is preferably above that. of the. boiling point of water. The ten parts of water are admitted to the mixture inthe form of steam preferably very dry steam, the mixture taking place in 46 a high pressure cylinder such as the cylinder of 'a'homogenizer of the type shown in the patent to Gaulin 756,953. For the purseof obtaining a very thorough mixture of the gasoline with the water While the latter is in the form of steam, I preferably '.employ a steam injector of any well known "construction, so that the steam under pres,

' sure will carry into thehighfpressure cylinder the desired proportion o gasoline with m which there has already been mixed the emulsifying agent.

By this manner of mixing, the contents oft e cylinder, prior to the application'of. high pressure in the cylinder, will be in a foam like condition; The application of pressure in the cylinder suflicient to condense the steam will result in producing a liquid fuel such as gasoline, in which the water is so finely dispersed that it may be said to contain palticles of water of colloidal size. This results in a much more stable emulsion and also a more efiicient fuel than where the water particles are of larger size.

Before being discharged from the cylinder the resultant mixture is preferably passed through a homogenizing valve and then through a cooling coil until the temperature is lowered sufficiently so that the mixture will remain in a liquid form at ordinary temperatures. While I have set forth the process wherein gasoline is mentioned as one of the substances, other forms of hydrocarbon oils such as the distillate obtained from cracking processes, kerosene or mixtures of various hydrocarbons could be used in place of the gasoline; also in place of the water there might be employed a mixture of water and alcohol and the emulsifying agent also varied to suit the particular requirements of the other fluids. By having the particles in the form of steam and then condensing them while distributed in the other liquida product is obtained which is materially different from that obtained by ordinary mixing and my invention therefore resides in the product as well as in the process.

What I claim as my invention 'is':

1. A process for producing a fuel 'suitable for internal combustion engines, which m consists in mixing a relatively light hydrocarbon oil with a sulphonic derivative of naphthenic acid as an 'amulsifying agent, heating the mixture, introducing steam thereinto and condensing the steam to produce colloidal particlesof water dispersed in, said mixture.

2. The process of producing a fuel suitable for internal combustion engines or the like, which comprises mixing a hydrocarbon oil with an oil soluble emulsifying agent, heating the mixture, introducing steam' 'thereinto and condensing the steam to produce colloidal particles of water dispersed in said mixture in emulsified form. 105

3. The process ofproducing a fuel suitable for internal combustion engines or the like, which comprises injecting steam and hydrocarbon oil containing an oil-soluble dispersing agent into a high pressure cham- I her, and maintaining the contents of the chamber at a temperature to condense the steam While finely dispersed in the oil.

4; The process of producing a fuel suitable for internal combustion engines, which comprises mixing a hydrocarbon oil with an emulsifying agent, heating the gnixture and introducing it with predetermined quantities of steam into the chamber of a high pressure pump such as a homogenizer, liquifying the combination by pressure, homogenizing the resultant liquid and then cooling it while maintaining sufficient pressure to retain said mixture inliquid condition.

5. A process for producing a hydrocarbon fuel foriuternal combustion engines, con-' sisting in mixing an oil soluble emulsifying agen combustible at' engine temperatures with a hydrocarbon oil, introducing water into the mixture to emulsify the water and oil, incorporating the water therein -into a dispersed phase of the mixture, and the oil into a continuous phase.

6. A process of producing a hydrocarbon fuel for internal combustion engines. conter therein into a dispersed phase of the mixture, and the oil into a continuous phase.

8. A process of producing a hydrocarbon fuel for internal combustion engines, consisting in mixing an oil soluble emulsifying agent with a hydrocarbon oil, introducing water in a vapor state into the mixture to emulsify the water and oil, incorporating the water therein into a dispersed phase of the emulsion, and the oil into a continuous phase.

9. A process of producing a hydrocarbon fuel, comprising mixing an emulsifying agent with a hydrocarbon oil, and in introducing water in an evaporated state at an elevated temperature into said mixture to 'emulsify the Water and oil, incorporating the water therein into the dispersed phase of the mixture.

10. The process of producing a hydrocarbon fuel, comprising mixing an emulsifying agent with a hydrocarbon oil while the agent is in a heated condition, and admitting to the mixture a quantity of steam, said substances being subjected to pressure to emulsify the water and oil, incorporating the water in the dispersed phase of the mixture and the oil in the continuous phase.

11. A process for producing a fuel suitable for internal combustion engines, in cluding mixing a relatively light hydrocarbon oil with a sulphonic derivative of hydro carbon oil as a dispersing agent, heating the mixture, introducingsteam thereto, and condensing the steam to produce colloidal particles of water dispersed in said mixture.

LESTER KIRSOHBRAUN.