CA1107067A - Droplet of water disperse in petroleum fuel - Google Patents

Droplet of water disperse in petroleum fuel

Info

Publication number
CA1107067A
CA1107067A CA313,409A CA313409A CA1107067A CA 1107067 A CA1107067 A CA 1107067A CA 313409 A CA313409 A CA 313409A CA 1107067 A CA1107067 A CA 1107067A
Authority
CA
Canada
Prior art keywords
water
fuel
petroleum
emulsion
set forth
Prior art date
Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
Expired
Application number
CA313,409A
Other languages
French (fr)
Inventor
Joseph Marro, Jr.
Gurdon B. Wattles
Current Assignee (The listed assignees may be inaccurate. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the list.)
Entoleter Inc
Original Assignee
Entoleter Inc
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by Entoleter Inc filed Critical Entoleter Inc
Application granted granted Critical
Publication of CA1107067A publication Critical patent/CA1107067A/en
Expired legal-status Critical Current

Links

Classifications

    • CCHEMISTRY; METALLURGY
    • C10PETROLEUM, GAS OR COKE INDUSTRIES; TECHNICAL GASES CONTAINING CARBON MONOXIDE; FUELS; LUBRICANTS; PEAT
    • C10LFUELS NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; NATURAL GAS; SYNTHETIC NATURAL GAS OBTAINED BY PROCESSES NOT COVERED BY SUBCLASSES C10G, C10K; LIQUEFIED PETROLEUM GAS; ADDING MATERIALS TO FUELS OR FIRES TO REDUCE SMOKE OR UNDESIRABLE DEPOSITS OR TO FACILITATE SOOT REMOVAL; FIRELIGHTERS
    • C10L1/00Liquid carbonaceous fuels
    • C10L1/32Liquid carbonaceous fuels consisting of coal-oil suspensions or aqueous emulsions or oil emulsions
    • C10L1/328Oil emulsions containing water or any other hydrophilic phase

Abstract

COMBUSTION FUEL EMULSION

Abstract A stable combustion fuel emulsion of a petroleum fuel having a small percentage of water dispersed therein as droplets of a size of about 0.5 micron, or less, formed by high energy rotary impact milling the petroleum fuel and water together.

Description

7~7 COMBUSTION FUEL~E~ULSION

Summary of Invention The present invention relates to petroleum fuels, and more particularly to such fuels having small quantities of water emulsified therein. By the term "petroleum fuels"
it is intended to include 211 grades of those products known as fuel oils, as well as refined fractions, such as gasoline and kerosene, which are used for burners in furnaces and boilers, and for piston, turbine and jet engines, It is known in the prior art that the intermix-ture of a small percentage of water, such as up to about 10% by weight, with petroleum fuels can enhance the burning qualities of the fuel and thereby improve the efficiency of the fuel and reduce its noxious and undesirable emissions and by products. It has fu~ther been observed that the most efective way to incorporate the water in the petroleum fuel is by emulsification, and the present invention is directed to such water in petroleum fuel emulsions. In accordance with the prior art processes and procedures, these emulsions have been formed in-line, i.e., in the process of feed of the petroleum fuel ~o the combus-tion chamber. Further, it has been a common practice to incorporate emulsification aids, such as surfactants, in the mixture to enhance the emulsification process. Hereto-fore, such emulsified fuels have not been produced as stable emulsions, and those emulsified fuels cannot be stored for prolonged periods of time. Therefore, the in-line procedure has necessitated the incorporation of emulsification equip-nlent in combination with each combustion installation.
In accordance with the present invention, it has been discovered that stable emulsions of small quantities of water (i.e. up to about 15 or 20%) in petroleum fuels can be produced, even without the use of stabiliæing additives. By the term "stable emulsion" is meant emulsions ,~

~37~

that can be stored for three months, or more, without any appreeiable change, or separation of the dispersed phase ~rom tne continuous phase. Because of the stability of these emulsions, it is possible to produce ~hem at a central processing sta~ion for normal distribution to consumption locations, where the emulsified fuel may then be stored and ~ed to burners, or the like, as required, without additional or ln-line emulsification treatment.
It has been discovered that such stable emulsions are obtained when the droplet size of the~ter phase, i.e.
the dlsperse phase, is substantially entirely less than about 0.5 micron. ~ereas the droplet size required for stabllity varies somewhat with the viscosity of ~he petroleum fuel used, it has been observed that with a residual oil having a viscosity of 0.85 poises/sec.,0.5 micron water droplets remain in suspension for well over 3 months without any noticeable settlin~, while l micron droplets show appreciable settling in only 7 days of storage, and 10 micron droplets in only 1 hour. Although more viscous oils can obtain stability with larger droplets of wateir, still such significant improvements in stability are had with 0.5 micron or less droplets, that it is considered optimum for all oils. It is believed that the emulsions of the present invention are analogous to colloidal suspensions, and the droplets are retained in stable suspension by the thermal energy of the system~
Emulsions of the present invention are not easily obtained. It has been found ~hat these emulsions can be formed by passing oil and water in the desired ratio through high speed or hi~h energy rotary impact mill. A rotary impact mill of the type utili~ed for the practice of the present inven~ion is shown in U.S. Patent 3,171,604 to ~.H.
Conley, et al. In the pa~ticular mill utilized for the`speciic embodimen~s of the pre~ent ~pe~i~fi-.

~7¢~
\ -3-cation, the rotor element had 6 concentric circular rows of ;r!pact pins, interdi~itated with 5 concelltric circular rows of i~npact pillS on the stator. The outer~nost row of pins was located on a 35 inch diameter circle, on the rotor.
The dial7leter of the impact pins was 0.375 inch, and the center to center spacing of adjacent pins in tne same circular row was 1.6 inches, and the center to center SpaCillg between interdigitated adjacent rows of pins was 0.625 inch. To produce an ennulsion in which the water droplets were substantially all less than abou-t 0.5 ~icron, the ~ill was operated at a rotor speed of 1650 rpm, producing a li~-'ear peripheral speed of 15,119 feet per minute. In this mill operating at t'ne stated speed, statistically a water droplet ~as subject to about 102,000 impacts per' s~cond. With the foregoing mill operating at the stated par~net:eLs, the process is referred to herein as high energy millilg. It is apparent that equivalent action can be accomplisl-ed by such mills designed with different interrelated parameters, and such equivalent milling is likewise embraced by the term high energy milling, It is therefore one object of the present invention to provide a stable water and petrole-~ fuel emulsion.
Another object of the present invention is to provide such an emulsion for use as a combustion fuel for furnaces, boilers and en~ines.
And still another object of the invention is to pr~vide such a combustion fuel w~ich can be stored for significant periods of time without losing its el~ulsion state.
Accordingly, there is provicled:
A stable combustion fuel emulsion comprising a petrolewn fuel as the continuous phase and water droplets dispersed therein, wherein said water is present in an amount ~ess than about 20% by wei~ht, and wherein said water droplets are substantially all of size less than about 0.5 micron.

.
L~

- \

There is also provided:
A ~ethod of forming a stable combustion fuel e ~ sion, o~ris~g ~x~s~g an ~unt less ~n 20~ b~ ~ic,ht ofwater in a petroleum fuel by high energy rotary impact milling .
said petroleum fuel and water together until substantially all of the droplets of wa~er dispersed in said petroleum fuel have a size o less than about 0.5 micron, Other objects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art from the following illustrative detailed description of the invention had in conjunction wit~ the accompanying drawings.

In the accompanying drawings:
Fig. 1 is a graph plotting the emulsion stability vs. droplet size of wa~er in oil emulsions, for residual oil, low sulfur (0.5/O)~ viscosity at 100F. of 400 SSU
and 0.85 poises per second; and Fig. 2 is a graph corresponding to Fig. 1, but for residual oil, high sul~ur (2.5%~, viscosity at 100~
of 4000~SSU and 8.0 poises per second.

.

Detailed ~escription In each of the following specific examples of ~he invention, the rotary impact mill as above described was utilized. Petroleum oil and water were each fed into the mill at relative rates to provide approximately 10%
by weight of water in the mixture, Numerous samples of water in petroleum oil emulsions were produced, and by pro~ucîng various samples at different rotor speeds for the mill, different water droplet sizes, and different size distributions were obtained. From these samples, the settling rates for various water droplet sizes were determined. The reciprocal of the settling rate is used as a measure of relative stability of the emulsions for the various water droplet sizes.
Example I
In this example, the petroleum fuel used to form the water in oil emulsions is a residual oil, lower sulfur (0.5%), viscosity at lOO~F. of 400 SSU and 0.85 poises per second. The following table sets forth the settling rate (SR) in inches per month for different water droplet sizes in the emulsion, and, as a relative measure of emulsion stability for each droplet size, the reciprocal of the settling rate (l/SR).
Water Droplet Size Settling Rate (SR) ~elative (microns) Iinche_/month) Stability (l/SR) 0.5 0.39 2.6 1 1.6 0.6
2 6.2 0.16
3 14 0.07
4 25 0.04 39 0.03 156 0.006 7~

In Fig. 1, the relative stability values of the above table are plotted against water droplet size.
Example II
In this example, the petroleum fuel used to form the water in oil emulsion is a residual oil, high ~sul~ur (2.5%), viscosity at 100F of 4000 SSU
and 8.0 poises per second. The following table sets forth the settling rates (SR) in inches per month for different water droplet sizes in the emulsions, and, as a relative measure of emulsion stability for each droplet size, the reciprocal of the settling rate (l/S~).
Water Droplet Size Settling Rate ~SR)Relative (mi.crons) (inches/month)Stability (l/SR) 0.5 0 0044 227 1 0.018 56 2 0.07 14 4 0 28 3.6 6 0.64 1.6 8 1.14 0.9 1.7~ 0.56 In Fig. 2, the relative stability values from the foregoing table are pl~tted against water droplet size.
The foregoing illustrative examples of the invention demonstrate the greatly enhanced stability of a water in petroleum fuel emulsion when the water droplets are about 0.5 micron in size. To obtain the benefit of this stability, it is of course necessary that substantially all the water droplets be no greater than abou~ 0.5 micron. When the water in oil emulsion is formed by a rotary impact mill as above described, operating at a speed of 1650 rpm, or at a peripheral linear speed of about 15,000 feet per minute, approxiMately 95% of the water droplets formed are less than about 0.5 micron in size. When said mill is operated at a speed of 3500 rpm, or at a peripheral linear speed of about ' ~

32,000 feet per minute, about 99.9% of the water droplets ormed are less than about 0.5 micron in size.
Various modifications and variations of the invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art, and such as are embraced by the spirit and scope of the appended claims are contemplated as within the purview of the invention. For example, since the rotary impact mill is an effective and efficient pulverizer for solids, solid fuels such as coal or other carbonaceous materials can be fed into the mi ll with the oil and water, and the solid ~uel will be pulverized and suspended in the water in oil emulsion as the latter is formed in the mill. In this manner there is produced an oil-solids-water slurry/emulsion.

Claims (9)

WHAT IS CLAIMED IS:
1. A stable combustion fuel emulsion comprising a petroleum fuel as the continuous phase and water droplets dispersed therein, wherein said water is present in an amount less than about 20% by weight, and wherein said water droplets are substantially all of size less than about 0.5 micron.
2. A stable combustion fuel emulsion as set forth in claim 1, wherein the amount of said water is about 15%
by weight.
3. A stable combustion fuel emulsion as set forth in claim 2, wherein the amount of water is about 10%
by weight.
4. A stable combustion fuel emulsion as set forth in claim 1, wherein said petroleum fuel is a fuel oil.
5. A stable combustion fuel emulsion as set forth in claim 4, wherein said fuel oil is a residual oil.
6. A stable combustion fuel emulsion as set forth in claim 1, wherein said petroleum fuel and water are emulsi-fied by high energy rotary impact milling,
7. A method of forming a stable combustion fuel emulsion, comprising dispersing an amount less than 20% by weight of water in a petroleum fuel by high energy rotary impact milling said petroleum fuel and water together until substantially all of the droplets of water dispersed in said petroleum fuel have a size of less than about 0.5 micron,
8. A method as set forth in claim 7, wherein said petroleum fuel is a fuel oil.
9. A method as set forth in claim 8, wherein said fuel oil is a residual oil.
CA313,409A 1977-10-14 1978-10-13 Droplet of water disperse in petroleum fuel Expired CA1107067A (en)

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
US84209077A 1977-10-14 1977-10-14
US842,090 1977-10-14

Publications (1)

Publication Number Publication Date
CA1107067A true CA1107067A (en) 1981-08-18

Family

ID=25286503

Family Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
CA313,409A Expired CA1107067A (en) 1977-10-14 1978-10-13 Droplet of water disperse in petroleum fuel

Country Status (9)

Country Link
EP (1) EP0007363A1 (en)
JP (1) JPS54500018A (en)
CA (1) CA1107067A (en)
ES (1) ES474211A1 (en)
FR (1) FR2468639A1 (en)
GB (1) GB2023647B (en)
IT (1) IT1109284B (en)
SE (1) SE425094B (en)
WO (1) WO1979000211A1 (en)

Families Citing this family (5)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
JPS57172956A (en) * 1981-04-16 1982-10-25 Cosmo Co Ltd Tar-like material dispersion composition and production thereof
US5725609A (en) * 1996-02-09 1998-03-10 Intevep, S.A. Water in viscous hydrocarbon emulsion combustible fuel for diesel engines and process for making same
AU4228099A (en) * 1998-06-05 1999-12-20 Clean Fuels Technology, Inc. Stabile invert fuel emulsion compositions and method of making
US7407522B2 (en) 1998-07-01 2008-08-05 Clean Fuels Technology, Inc. Stabile invert fuel emulsion compositions and method of making
RU2620606C1 (en) * 2016-05-23 2017-05-29 Владимир Трофимович Пятков Method of obtaining composite fuel emulsion

Family Cites Families (3)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US2152196A (en) * 1935-10-01 1939-03-28 Autoxygen Inc Motor fuel and method of making the same
US3876391A (en) * 1969-02-28 1975-04-08 Texaco Inc Process of preparing novel micro emulsions
US3902869A (en) * 1973-08-24 1975-09-02 Svenska Utvecklings Ab Fuel composition with increased octane number

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
SE7905217L (en) 1979-06-13
EP0007363A1 (en) 1980-02-06
GB2023647A (en) 1980-01-03
IT1109284B (en) 1985-12-16
IT7851495A0 (en) 1978-10-13
JPS54500018A (en) 1979-08-30
SE425094B (en) 1982-08-30
WO1979000211A1 (en) 1979-04-19
GB2023647B (en) 1982-10-20
FR2468639A1 (en) 1981-05-08
ES474211A1 (en) 1979-11-01

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