US1501383A - Motor fuel - Google Patents

Description

Patented July 15, 1924.

MQTOR. FUEL.

No Drawing.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, DALY 0. WHITE, residing at 6 Horton-Place, in the cit of Portland, county of Cumberland, and tate of Maine, have invented new and useful Improvements in Motor Fuels, of which the following is a specification. v

The present invention pertains to a new fuel especially adapted foruse in gasoline engines.

The fuel consists of ethyl alcohol to which are added wood alcohol, sal ammoniac, phenol, and a small quantity of ether.

These additions to the ethyl alcohol each have an independent effect, and as few or as many of them as desired may be used. In.

other words, one or more of these additions may be .employed in the absence of theremalning ones, according to the properties desired in the resulting mixture. The function of the Wood or methyl alcohol is merely to denaturize the ethyl alcohol as required by law. The sal ammoniac acts as a decarbonizing agent in the cylinders and therefore constitutes one of the more important ingredients. I The phenol has a similar effect especially in removing hard particles of metal and dirt which may find their way to the cylinders. A small addition of ether renders the mixture more explosive.

It has been found that the following combinations, some of which are compounded with a View to omit some of the properties above mentioned, result in' satisfactory mixtures. The term alcohol implies ethyl alcohol alone, or a mixture of ethyl alcohol with sufiicient'methyl alcohol for denaturizing. The combinations are 'as follows:

1. 98% ethyl alcohol, 2% ether.

2. 98% alcohol, 1.75% ether, .25% NH,,Cl'.

3. 98% alcohol, 1.75% .ether. 125% NI-LCI, 125% phenol.

4. 99.5%? alcohol, .5% NI-LCI.

In the-use of this fuel it is found possible to obtain an unusually high efiiciency because of two sets of, factors:

I. The greater ease with which complete combustion can be obtained, and the smaller proportion of air needed as compared with the quantity of air needed to mix with gasoline.

II. The fact that with this fuel far higher compression and a much cooler cycle are obtained.

In considering the first question of combustion, it is known that a good gasoline may Application filed September 28, 1933. Serial No. 665,455.

for all ractical purposes be regarded as hexane g l-Li es it is a mixture of this with the lower and the next higher members of the group in proportions which give about this composition. The complete combustion of this compound may be represented.

so that 2 volumes of hydrocarbon require'l9 volumes of oxy en. Since oxygen constitutes 20.9% of t e atmosphere, we can take the amount of air required as or 1 volume will require 45.45 volumes of air. In a gasoline motor this would mean that for complete combustion there should be no more t an 25 of gasoline vapor in the mixture entering the combustion chamher. Since practice has led to generally 1% times the theoretical proportion of air being admitted, the gasoline vapor is diluted with about 68 times its volume of air, fourfifths of which is inert nitrogen taking no part in the reaction but tendln to hinder and retard the combustion. In eed, under ordinary pressure such a mixture would not burn, much less explode.

The compression of this mixture before explosion can be taken to be about'80 lbs. per. square inch, owing tothe risk of premature ignition. The explosion then takes place with such rapidity that the diluting action of the nitrogen present prevents complete combustion. The results of the in complete combustion thus caused are the low efficiency, stench, and deposit of carbon which now attend the operation of a gasoline motor.

Compounds like the members of the paraflin group'which go to form gasoline are highly susceptible to changes from rise of temperature, and the heat generated by the compression already brings about a certain amount of change. It is known that a temperature of about 1200 C. is needed to ignite the ordinary gasoline-and air mixture at atmospheric pressure. At theumoment of explosion, such portions of the hydrocarbon as do not happen to'bein contact with the I products of combustion contain not only the products of complete combustion but also the products of incomplete combustion such as carbon monoxide and considerable quantities of hydrocarbon such as ethane, propane and acetylene. These are formed by the heat at the moment of explosion, and 1t is these products combined with the lubri cants that give not only the odors now associated with gasoline motors, but aid also in depositing a film of carbon on theinside of the cylinders.

With the above mentioned new solution containing alcohol as a base, there does not occur the same difliculty in obtaining complete combustion when once the mixture of vapor and air is made. The reaction is C ILO 3O,, 2CO 3H,,O 2 vols. 6 vols.

so that the air required will be per volume of alcohol vapor, or roughly onethird the amount of air needed with gasoline. It is fairly easy with this more moderate proportion of air to attain an approximation to complete combustion, more especially because double the compression possible with gasoline can be used.

The combustion is largely dependent upon the existin methyl alco 01 tends to result in the formation of acetic products which have a more or less corrosive effect on the valvesand metal Work. This difiiculty is offset in the new solution by the addition of the ammonium chloride which forms ammonium acetate with the acetyl products and also forms muriatic acid. The ammonium acetate has no effect on the inside of the cylinder or the metal parts, and the little muriatic acid formed there would have a tendency to keep the cylinder clean ,and free from any particles of carbon which might adhere to the sides of the cylinder. It has been found that automobiles of all makes, after having this solution used in them for a period of three or more weeks, showed no tendency towards corrosion in any manner.

The alcohol is carburetted with ether which has a tendency to give the mixture a greater range of explosive power. Phenol 15 added to the solution and not only increases the power obtained but also keeps the inside of the cylinders free and clear from any particles of dirt which might adhere to 14.3 vols.

the cylinder walls. It has been found thattemperature and the use of an increased amount of phenol tends to make the solution more miscible in all proportions and gives a much better cycle in the motor. The phenol also has a tendency to absorb the muriatic acid and form C H Cl and H 0, thereby leaving little or possibly no HCl in the cylinders.

An added advantage is due to the relatively cool cycle, which requires less oil and consequently decreases the tendency to form carbon.

The advantages in full can be summed up as follows:

I. A comparatively cool cycle.

II. More mileage per gallon of fuel.

III. Less consumption of oil.

IV. More power.

V. Noncarbonizing.

VI. The possibility of adding the mixture to gasoline in all proportions.

In further explanation of the last consideration, it is pointed out that the advantages of this mixture may be realized in proportion to the amount of mixture used as an addition to gasoline, the ratio between the amount of the mixture and the amount of the gasoline being determined by the construction of the motor and the conditions of operation.

The proportions cited in the s ecification and claims are those which have een found by me to give the most satisfactory results. It will be understood that variations in these proportions may be made within reasonable limits without departing from the spirit of theinvention. The result of such variations will consist only in the realization to a reater or less degree of the properties ascri ed to the particular in redients, but will not give rise to a princip e of operation diiferent from that described.

Havin thus fully described the invention, what I c aim as new and desire to protect by Letters Patent is 1. A fuel composedof alcohol and a relatively small addition of NI-LCI.

-2..A fuel composed of grain alcohol and relatively small additions of wood alcohol and NH Cl.

3. A fuel composed of alcohol and .5% NI-LCl.

4. A fuel consistingof 98% alcohol, 1.75% ether, and 25% NH Cl.

5. A fuel consisting of 98% alcohol, 1.75% ether, 125% NH Cl, and 125% phenol.

Ini witness whereof I have hereunto set my han DALY 0. WHITE.