Ethyl Acetate As Fuel Or Fuel Additive

Abstract

A fuel blend consisting of a hydrocarbon-containing fuel component; and ethyl acetate is provided. The hydrocarbon-containing fuel component may be gasoline, diesel, bioethanol or biodiesel.

Description

BACKGROUND

Ethyl Acetate has considerable potential as an oxygenated fuel additive. The molecule has four carbons and excellent fuel properties. Ethyl acetate can be readily produced from “Renewable” resources by several processes. Ethyl acetate has low toxicity, a pleasant odor, and is not hygroscopic, as is ethanol.

In the realm of alternative or renewable hydrocarbon fuels, or fuel additives, two stand out as the current state of the art recognized fuel blending additives. Ethanol is the recognized fuel blend additive for petroleum gasoline, and biodiesel (blends of methyl esters) is the recognized fuel blend additive for petroleum diesel motor fuel.

Recent efforts in the field of new fuel substitutes or fuel additives have focused upon butanol or “bio-butanol” as a desired new four carbon oxygenated fuel component. It was discovered, by the inventor that Ethyl Acetate also has four carbons, and is a double oxygenated compound (having two oxygen atoms within the formula), and has desirable fuel characteristics.

One of the recognized drawbacks of ethanol as a petroleum gasoline blend additive is its hygroscopic nature, or desire to attract water. This has been a reported problem with ethanol for two major reasons.

First, where ethanol blends are used for marine motor applications, such as fishing boats or pleasure craft, boat owners have reported issues with “wet” fuel due to the ethanol blend attracting water from the naturally moist environs of marine craft. These “wet” fuels have caused motor starting difficulties, sudden motor stops, and corroding of motor parts requiring extra and more frequent maintenance.

Second, the tendency for ethanol to become “wet” due to its hygroscopic nature, has been the reason that ethanol blend stock is NOT transported through the normal fuel pipeline system. The wet ethanol causes excessive corrosion of the fuel pipelines causing maintenance due to deterioration and contamination of petroleum fuels by transported through the same pipeline, from the corrosion products of the pipeline with wet ethanol. Ethanol would require a stainless steel (more costly pipeline) and a completely separate pipeline system (which is cost prohibitive).

SUMMARY

The present invention is a fuel blend consisting of a hydrocarbon-containing fuel component; and ethyl acetate. The hydrocarbon-containing fuel component may be selected from the group consisting of gasoline, diesel, bioethanol and biodiesel.

DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

The invention declared here is the use of Ethyl Acetate as a fuel, or fuel additive for motors burning conventional petroleum gasoline or gasoline blends, and also the use of Ethyl Acetate as a blending agent for Biodiesel fuels or as a blending agent to lower the cloud point of Biodiesel blending stock.

Ethyl Acetate appears to avoid the problems of ethanol's hygroscopic nature, while still being a desirable fuel, or fuel additive. Ethyl acetate, is described by the formula CH₃COOCH₂CH₃. Ethyl acetate is also known as ethyl ethanoate, ethyl ester, acetic ester, and ester of ethanol.

Ethyl acetate is in frequent use as a solvent, used in paint systems and for cleaning purposes. It is even used in some brands of finger nail polish remover. It has a pleasant sweet odor. It is normally a liquid at normal ambient temperatures with a boiling point of 171 degrees Fahrenheit.

It has a low flash point, at negative 4 degrees Centigrade (or 25 degrees Fahrenheit), which makes it easy to ignite. Its freezing point is negative 118 degrees Fahrenheit which makes it an acceptable fuel additive for winter conditions. The heat of combustion of ethyl acetate is higher than for ethanol, and likely makes up some of the difference in combustion energy lost by mixtures of ethanol in gasoline.

Ethyl Acetate is known to be relatively non-toxic. It has even been used as a solvent to decaffeinate coffee beans. Compared to ethanol it is recognized generally to be “non-hygroscopic” in nature, allowing very limited water to mix in with the compound. This latter characteristic is important.

Ethyl acetate can be produced by any of several process methods.

1. Ethyl Acetate can be formed by the acid catalyzed esterification of acetic acid with ethanol.

2. Ethyl Acetate can be formed by the direct dehydrogenation of ethanol over a copper catalyst at elevated temperatures, producing hydrogen as a by-product.

3. Ethyl Acetate has been reported to be formed by the direct esterification or interesterification of acetic acid, where the acetic acid was produced from a biomass fermentation process.

Ethyl acetate when produced by one such process from biomass was the intermediate product that was then hydrogenated to ethanol as the final fuel additive product. It would appear that ethyl acetate in this type process would be cheaper than the ethanol produced from the same process.

In one embodiment of the present invention, a fuel blend is provided, consisting of: a hydrocarbon-containing fuel component; and ethyl acetate. The hydrocarbon-containing fuel component may be gasoline or diesel. The hydrocarbon-containing fuel component may also be petroleum gas, natural gas, liquefied petroleum gas, or propane. The hydrocarbon-containing fuel component may also be bioethanol or biodiesel.

In another embodiment of the present invention, the ethyl acetate may be added to mixtures of diesel fuel and biodiesel to reduce the cloud point to improve winter operation performance of said mixtures. The ethyl acetate may be added to biodiesel and mixtures of biodiesel to reduce the cloud point to improve winter operation and performance of said biodiesel or mixtures thereof. The ethyl acetate may be added to diesel fuel, or mixtures of biodiesel and diesel fuel, or directly to biodiesel or mixtures of biodiesel to adjust the viscosity of said fuel mixtures.

In various embodiments of the present invention, the fuel blends may be used for

over the road diesel motor transport vehicles,

private or commercial diesel passenger vehicles,

marine diesel engines,

diesel-electric train engines,

a marine application (such as jet skis, outboard motors and inboard motors),

a recreational application (such as snowmobiles, mopeds, and motorcycles)

a residential application (such as lawnmowers, string trimmers, and chain saws),

diesel powered construction equipment, or

portable or stationary diesel powered electric generators.

In another embodiment, the hydrocarbon-containing fuel component may be gasoline, diesel, petroleum gas, natural gas, liquefied petroleum gas, propane, bioethanol or biodiesel, or any combination thereof.

In another embodiment, the fuel blend may comprise least 5% ethyl acetate by volume. The fuel blend may comprise at least 8% ethyl acetate by volume. The fuel blend may comprise at least 10% ethyl acetate by volume.

In another embodiment, the ethyl acetate may be a biomass intermediate product in the ethanol production process. The ethyl acetate may be formed by the acid catalyzed esterification of acetic acid with ethanol. The ethyl acetate may be formed by the direct esterification of acetic acid. The ethyl acetate may be formed by the inter-esterification of acetic acid. The ethyl acetate may be formed by the dehydrogenation of ethanol.

Claims

1. A fuel blend consisting of:

a hydrocarbon-containing fuel component; and

ethyl acetate.

2. The fuel blend of claim 1, wherein said hydrocarbon-containing fuel component is selected from the group consisting of gasoline and diesel.

3. The fuel blend of claim 1, wherein said hydrocarbon-containing fuel component is selected from the group consisting of petroleum gas, natural gas, liquefied petroleum gas, and propane.

4. The fuel blend of claim 1, wherein said hydrocarbon-containing fuel component is selected from the group consisting of bioethanol and biodiesel.

5. The fuel blend of claim 4 wherein ethyl acetate is added to mixtures of diesel fuel and biodiesel to reduce the cloud point to improve winter operation performance of said mixtures.

6. The fuel blend of claim 4 wherein ethyl acetate is added to biodiesel and mixtures of biodiesel to reduce the cloud point to improve winter operation and performance of said biodiesel or mixtures thereof.

7. The fuel blend of claim 4 wherein ethyl acetate is added to diesel fuel, or mixtures of biodiesel and diesel fuel, or directly to biodiesel or mixtures of biodiesel to adjust the viscosity of said fuel mixtures.

8. The fuel blends of claim 5 wherein the application is for over the road diesel motor transport vehicles.

9. The fuel blends of claim 6 wherein the application is for over the road diesel motor transport vehicles.

10. The fuel blends of claim 7 wherein the application is for over the road diesel motor transport vehicles.

11. The fuel blends of claim 5 wherein the application is for private or commercial diesel passenger vehicles.

12. The fuel blends of claim 6 wherein the application is for private or commercial diesel passenger vehicles.

13. The fuel blends of claim 7 wherein the application is for private or commercial diesel passenger vehicles.

14. The fuel blends of claim 5 wherein the application is for marine diesel engines.

15. The fuel blends of claim 6 wherein the application is for marine diesel engines.

16. The fuel blends of claim 7 wherein the application is for marine diesel engines.

17. The fuel blends of claim 5 wherein the application is for diesel-electric train engines.

18. The fuel blends of claim 6 wherein the application is for diesel-electric train engines.

19. The fuel blends of claim 7 wherein the application is for diesel-electric train engines.

20. The fuel blends of claim 5 wherein the application is for diesel powered construction equipment.

21. The fuel blends of claim 6 wherein the application is for diesel powered construction equipment.

22. The fuel blends of claim 7 wherein the application is for diesel powered construction equipment.

23. The fuel blends of claim 5 wherein the application is for portable or stationary diesel powered electric generators.

24. The fuel blends of claim 6 wherein the application is for portable or stationary diesel powered electric generators.

25. The fuel blends of claim 7 wherein the application is for portable or stationary diesel powered electric generators.

26. The fuel blend of claim 1, wherein said hydrocarbon-containing fuel component is selected from the group consisting of gasoline, diesel, petroleum gas, natural gas, liquefied petroleum gas, propane, bioethanol and biodiesel, or any combination thereof.

27. The fuel blend of claim 1, wherein said fuel blend comprises at least 5% ethyl acetate by volume.

28. The fuel blend of claim 1, wherein said fuel blend comprises at least 10% ethyl acetate by volume.

29. The fuel blend of claim 1, wherein said fuel blend is used in a marine application.

30. The fuel blend of claim 29, wherein said marine application is selected from the group consisting of jet skis, outboard motors and inboard motors.

31. The fuel blend of claim 1, wherein said fuel blend is used in a recreational application.

32. The fuel blend of claim 31, wherein said recreational application is selected from the group consisting of snowmobiles, mopeds, and motorcycles.

33. The fuel blend of claim 1, wherein said fuel blend is used in a residential application.

34. The fuel blend of claim 33, wherein said residential application is selected from the group consisting of lawnmowers, string trimmers, and chain saws.

35. The fuel blend of claim 1, wherein said ethyl acetate is a biomass intermediate product in the ethanol production process.

36. The fuel blend of claim 35, wherein said ethyl acetate is formed by the acid catalyzed esterification of acetic acid with ethanol.

37. The fuel blend of claim 35, wherein said ethyl acetate is formed by the direct esterification of acetic acid.

38. The fuel blend of claim 35, wherein said ethyl acetate is formed by the inter-esterification of acetic acid.

39. The fuel blend of claim 35 wherein said ethyl acetate is formed by the dehydrogenation of ethanol.