WO2023089354A1

WO2023089354A1 - Method for producing a fuel additive

Info

Publication number: WO2023089354A1
Application number: PCT/IB2021/060582
Authority: WO
Inventors: Richard HEDIGER
Original assignee: Hediger Richard
Priority date: 2021-11-16
Filing date: 2021-11-16
Publication date: 2023-05-25

Abstract

The invention relates to a method for producing a fuel additive for fossil and biogenic fuels that is highly efficient. The method should be technically simple, scientific, and environmentally friendly. At least one reactant of polar nature of the ester, ether, ketone, or carboxylic acid type and/or mixtures thereof is treated in such a way that the at least one reactant is subjected to a DC electric field with a minimum residence time of 1h and the contact of adsorbents from the class of carbonates, oxides, or anhydrites of elements of the alkali or alkaline earth group in a fixed bed with flow.

Description

Process for preparing a fuel additive

The invention relates to a method for producing a fuel additive for fossil and biogenic fuels for internal combustion engines, which is highly efficient. It also relates to a fuel additive produced according to the method.

Despite intensive research and development efforts, it is not to be expected that internal combustion engines will be replaced by alternative, more environmentally friendly and more energy-efficient drive concepts in the medium term, especially in the area of high and maximum work output. Technologies for increasing efficiency and reducing emissions remain a central topic, both with regard to climate-relevant carbon dioxide and relevant pollutants generated and emitted by combustion processes.

The demand for heat provision on the basis of gaseous and liquid fossil fuels for industrial processes in the field of material conversion is also estimated to be high in the future.

Otto and diesel technologies are still dominant in internal combustion engine drives. On the development side, various paths are being taken to further approximate the objectives outlined above. These include technologies that target further efficiency improvements and efficiency increases or emission reductions with regard to the engine regime and engine management, such as the development of the HCCI or CCS process, which is being pushed by various leading automobile manufacturers. Since this is a hybrid technology based on the diesel and Otto principle, one problem with this development is that it requires specially composed special fuels (designer fuels) that can only be generated with great effort. In addition, the development work on this engine system has not progressed so far that it can be ready for series production in the short term. Further optimization strategies consist of pre-treating the fuel in electric or magnetic fields before it is fed into the engine system in order to achieve more efficient combustion by rearranging the molecules or molecule clusters. In addition, improved fuel supply, injection - or distribution systems z. B. by optimizing the electronically controlled engine management in modern diesel engines (Automechanika 2010, September 15, 2010).

All of these development efforts essentially focus on further optimization of the aggregate and engine management, i.e. they are not aimed at optimizing the manipulation of the chemical combustion mechanisms by influencing the combustion properties of the fuel system. Other concepts are based on the approach of increasing the efficiency of internal combustion engines by reducing energy losses through friction, i.e. improving lubrication systems. This can be done on the one hand by further optimizing the friction pairings and by improving the lubricants, especially the engine oils but also the fuels (WO 002005054314 A2, WO 002004035715 A1, EP 61895 A2, WO 1996003367 A1). The introduction of water into the fuel systems is another, intensively researched way to better control the exhaust gas problems and to reduce emissions. However, such systems are dependent on tailor-made emulsifiers with their own, sometimes complex, manufacturing technologies. In addition, there is a problem in stabilizing the fuel-water emulsions over the longer term (DE 202007002851 LH, DE 60122470 T2, EP 630 398 A, DE 10334897 A1). The technically feasible but expensive way of feeding the water into the combustion process separately requires increased control and regulation effort and leads to high costs.

Finally, a large number of substances, substance classes and formulated mixtures and products or product mixtures that can be produced with them and their production have been published in the specialist literature, which aim to generate additives with a partially multifunctional effect (HU 200401825 A2) to be mixed into the fuel. The improvement of the lubrication behavior (DE 1011 1857 A1, WO 001999029748 A1, OS DE 102009005824 A1), the prevention of the formation of deposits (DE 10102913 A1, DE 4309074 A1, WO 9007564, DE 548617 A2, EP 83 1141 A1, DE 69327949 T2, US Pat. No. 4,134,846 A, US Pat 1497 A1) as well as the increase in performance of the Engines (CN 200909672, GB 950147, US 4099930) are the focus of interest.

According to DE 102008032254 B4, WO 8603511 and OS DE 3535712 A1, straight-chain and branched-chain polyoxaalkanes or polyoxoalkylene dialkyl ethers of different alkylene structures and medium molar masses are proposed as effective additives for minimizing soot. For this, however, complex, usually multi-stage manufacturing processes with considerable technological effort for upgrading the products have to be accepted.

In addition, reference is made to the toxicity, in particular of ethylene glycol and diethylene glycol dimethyl and diethyl ether (polyoxymethylene di(alkylpolyglycol) ether substance class) in DE 102009035503 A1. Reference is made to the possibility of using biogenic raw materials and the non-toxic nature of these substances, but their manufacturing process is also characterized by enormously high technical complexity. There are no indications of the required admixing rates of the additives to the fuel matrix and consequently of the effects that can be achieved.

A large number of other proposed solutions are based on more complex mixtures of substances which, in addition to ketones, alcohols (US Pat. No. 5,433,756 A1), alkoxylated and alkenylated alkylphenols, polyolefins and aromatic carboxylic acid esters (OS DE 19620262, EP 0706552 B1), differently structured nitrogen derivatives, such as primary or tertiary alcohol amines, aliphatic Alkylamines or polyamines and organic nitrates and nitroparaffins, hydroxylamines and oxime ethers acting as ignition accelerators (US 4099930, DE 102010039039 A1, EP 0781793 B1). DE 19918764 A1 describes the use of ethyl acetate in Range of 5-15 vol% to Otto or Diesel fuel secured. Among other things, the listed substances, families of substances classes or mixtures of substances protected by intellectual property rights are due to the lack of being toxic or dangerous to handle or dangerous to the environment, being usable either only for petrol or diesel fuel and in some cases in very high doses (»0.5 vol%) to be used.

Due to the use in high concentrations, it is obvious that relevant properties of the fuel system are affected. Further disadvantages are the often very complex, cost-intensive and environmentally relevant processes and technologies (EP 0781793 B1, OS DE 19620262 A1, DE 69008176 T2) for producing the additives or additive mixtures.

TW 200909672 proposes mixing water-alcohol mixtures and hydrogen peroxide into diesel fuel systems. However, this requires complex technical changes in the vehicle, such as the installation of additional agitators, intermediate tanks and injection systems.

Fuel additives or fuel improvers that have been available on the market to date, as well as the products of this type described in specialist literature, therefore have disadvantages with regard to the complexity of the manufacturing process, the toxicity and the resulting limited manageability, the comparatively high energy consumption for production using thermal material separation processes. In addition, there are by-products and waste products that require disposal.

The products offered on the market also lack the verifiability of their claimed effect. There are no certificates of effectiveness or scientifically proven proof of effectiveness. Based on the detailed information on the effect and composition, which is difficult to access, they are added in individual cases in very high concentrations, which no longer justify the term additives, and in other cases they are questionable when handled with regard to the health risk to the user. The invention is therefore based on the object of developing a method for producing a fuel additive for fossil and biogenic fuels for internal combustion engines that is technically simple, economical and environmentally friendly and the fuel additive produced according to the method is also suitable for being mixed into the fuel in combustion processes in burner systems To optimize turbines, internal combustion engines and internal combustion engines in such a way that fuel consumption is significantly reduced and environmentally relevant emissions are significantly reduced.

Against the background of the increasingly necessary measures to contain global warming, solutions for fuel additives are required that are suitable as combustion activators for fossil and biogenic fuels and thus significantly reduce CO2 emissions.

The method according to the invention should take account of the contemporary requirements for process-integrated environmental protection and should not generate any environmentally relevant waste or residues, with the aforementioned disadvantages of the prior art being avoided. In particular, the method should make it possible to produce an active ingredient mixture that can be used as a highly effective fuel additive or activator in the fuels currently in use and available on the market, significantly reduces fuel consumption and significantly reduces the pollutants contained in the exhaust gas. The fuel additive should be characterized by easy handling in practical application, be non-toxic and be safely applicable to all technologies of power and heat generation (gasoline, diesel and heavy oil engines, burner systems, turbines) without technical changes to the Aggregates and energy conversion systems are required.

Equally, a high degree of economy should be achieved with regard to the process and production costs and the efficiency (metered quantity) of the fuel additive, which can also be referred to below as an activator. In addition, the fuel additive produced by the process according to the invention should not be toxic to humans or the environment, excellent miscibility with the fuel or fuels and be harmless in terms of material compatibility with the fuel or fuel-carrying systems.

Furthermore, the energy efficiency of classic burner systems for the provision of heat should be increased in equal measure and, in all cases of use, a reduction in the relevant emissions of NOx, CO and unburned hydrocarbons as well as soot and particles should be achieved through optimized combustion parallel to the savings effect.

The object is solved with the features of claim 1. According to the invention, preference is given to using aliphatic and naphthenic hydrocarbons and their oxygenates of the ester, ether, ketone or carboxylic acid type, but preferably cyclohexanes and ketones or mixtures thereof. Methylcyclohexane and methyl ethyl ketone are particularly suitable as mixture components. Using a reaction arrangement with an electric DC voltage field and a minimum residence time of 1 h as well as contact with suitable adsorbents from the class of carbonates, oxides or anhydrites of elements of the alkali or alkaline earth group, but preferably silicates and carbonates of metals of the second main group such as calcium and magnesium, the mixture of educts flows through a fixed bed consisting of the aforementioned adsorbents in granulated or granular form.

The fuel additive according to the invention can be added quickly and easily as an additive in a very small dosage. The fuel additive has no health risk potential for the user and can be produced at least partially on the basis of renewable raw materials under environmentally friendly conditions without generating residues or waste.

According to the invention, a mixture of readily available straight- or branched-chain aliphatic and/or naphthenic hydrocarbons or hydrocarbon mixtures, comprising the structural types of cycloalkanes, alkanes, Alkenes and alkynes in the molar mass range up to 280 g/mol and from oxygenates of the aforementioned basic hydrocarbons of the ester, ether or ketone type diluted by a solvent mixture consisting of one or more aliphatic and/or naphthenic C1 to C8 monoalcohols with a polar solid in contact is brought, which is composed of one or a mixture of several ionic compounds of metals of the first and / or second main group. According to the invention, the hydrocarbons and oxygenates are premixed and then constantly fluidized before being brought into contact with the solids system and exposed to a permanently acting electrical DC voltage field whose field vectors are perpendicular to the flowing medium.

The apparatus arrangement is advantageously designed in such a way that the liquid components are guided through a correspondingly designed flow tube, where they first pass through the electric field and immediately thereafter flow through the fixed bed consisting of the above-mentioned components. Once a state of equilibrium has been reached, the process can be considered complete and the mixture of active ingredients can be removed from the apparatus system for further processing. The process can be designed both batchwise and continuously.

The raw product prepared in this way is then freed from particles and other mechanical impurities in a manner known per se, optionally mixed with solubilizers adapted to the application purpose and can then be used directly.

Advantageous refinements of the method according to the invention are disclosed in the appended claims.

Flow conditions in the range Rey 100-3500 are preferably provided. The treatment process is carried out in the pressure range 1-8 bar at a temperature of 15-40°C, particularly preferably at 25°C to 30°C. The fuel additive produced according to the invention is therefore in particular a highly efficient mixture of active ingredients from the compounds described in more detail below, under the influence of which the combustion processes in burner systems, turbines, internal combustion engines and internal combustion engines can be optimized in such a way that fuel consumption is reduced and environmentally relevant emissions are reduced.

The fuel additive is highly effective as a motor and fuel activator or as an additive, is comparatively inexpensive to produce, easier to handle, non-toxic and can be used widely in all known internal combustion engines and burner systems for liquid fuels. Demonstrable fuel savings and emission reductions are achievable.

Experimental test results confirm the above-described properties of the activator formulations that can be produced.

The raw product prepared in this way is then freed from particles and other mechanical impurities in a manner known per se, optionally mixed with a solubilizer adapted to the application purpose and can then be used directly and stored.

It was surprisingly found that the treatment of aliphatic, straight or branched chain or naphthenic C2-C18 hydrocarbons of the alkane, alkene or alkyne type or their oxygenates in the form of ketones, ethers, hydroperoxides or mixtures containing such in alcoholic solutions, consisting of one or more primary, secondary or tertiary aliphatic or naphthenic C1 -C8 monoalcohols with solid ionic compounds of the metals of the first or second main group, namely the oxides, oxide hydrates, peroxides, carbonates, hydrogen carbonates and halides gives the treated mixture product properties which After being incorporated into the fuel matrix, savings are made possible with a simultaneous reduction in pollutant emissions in internal combustion engines, in turbines and in Burner systems with a stationary flame achieve significant effects in terms of specific consumption as well as environmentally relevant emissions. It has now been found that the high efficiency of the fuel additive is achieved in particular when the hydrocarbon-alcohol mixture already explained is exposed to an electric DC voltage field after mixing and before it is brought into contact with the fixed bed.

According to the invention, the liquid components can be brought into contact with the fixed bed at rest or under forced flow, depending on the flow conditions and the process engineering framework conditions at variable pressures in the range from 0.5 to 6 bar and in the temperature range from 10°C to 40°C C (60°C) is feasible.

After the treatment described above, the product mixture is separated from solid system components in a manner known per se, the principle of filtration on filter cartridges using siliceous filter aids usually being applied. Particle sizes of < 0.8 pm are cleaned in order to meet the usual fuel standards with regard to overall contamination. The product cleaned in this way can then be used directly as a fuel additive in an appropriate admixture to the fuel. The resulting siliceous filter residues are the sole by-product of the process according to the invention and can be easily disposed of without polluting the environment.

Advantageously, solubilizing components are added to support the solubility of the mixture of active ingredients in the fuel additive in the fuel matrix. Depending on the polarity of the preparation and the fuel system forming the matrix, this can be hydrocarbons, hydrocarbon mixtures, long-chain alcohols or ester compounds such as triglyceridically bound fatty acids or vegetable oils transesterified with short-chain monoalcohols and processed until they are suitable for use as fuel.

The mixture of active substances that can be used as an activator should advantageously be added to the fuel in extremely low concentrations in the range from 100 to 1500 vppm, depending on the effective concentration of active substance. The invention is described in more detail below in exemplary embodiments with reference to a drawing. The attached drawing shows the principle of a plant for carrying out the method according to the invention.

According to the invention, a reactant mixture of organic oxygenates of the ester, ether, ketone or carboxylic acid type is used; in the exemplary embodiment given, a mixture of methylcyclohexane, isooctane and methyl ethyl ketone is used in particular. The reaction arrangement selected in the exemplary embodiments consists of the essential basic components of a buffer and mixing tank 1, a circulating pump 2 for generating a forced circulation and an adsorption column 3 (reactor part) with an upstream DC voltage module 4 together with measuring and control devices and a sieve bottom 5 for a fixed bed solid ionic compounds of metals of the first or second main group.

The rector part is electrically isolated accordingly.

The process according to the invention provides for a minimum residence time of 1 h at the contact in the fixed bed, with suitable adsorbents from the class of carbonates, silicates, oxides or anhydrites of elements of the alkali or alkaline earth group, but preferably magnesium silicate and calcium carbonate in calcined and granulated form shape are applied.

In the example, the flow conditions in the fixed bed are Rey 100-3500. The treatment process in the fixed bed is carried out in the pressure range of 1-8 bar at a temperature of 15-40°C, preferably at 25-30°C.

The power and/or fuel additive produced according to the process is suitable as an activator, in particular for use in fossil and biogenic fuels. The specific fuel consumption can be reduced by up to 15%.

In the manufacture of the activator according to the invention, only very small amounts of easily disposable and environmentally irrelevant filter residues and therefore no environmentally harmful substances result as residues or by-products, since the filters 6 can be used several times. Example 1

To produce the fuel additive for diesel fuel, an apparatus arrangement is selected according to the drawing, which makes it possible to carry out a premixing of the basic components in a mixing container 1, to bring this mixture into forced circulation by means of a displacement or circulating pump 2 and, in doing so, to guide an adsorption column 3 through a flow tube, which has a DC voltage module 4 with electrodes in the lower part and a perforated bottom 5 with a fixed bed of alkali and alkaline earth metal compounds lying thereon in the part above it. The system is designed to be pressure-resistant and thermally insulated.

The arrangement provides for the inflow of the fixed bed from below.

A mixture of technical quality methylcyclohexane, isooctane and ethyl tertiary butyl ether (ETBE) in a molar ratio of 1:1:2 is homogenized in the mixing vessel 1 by a stirrer (not explicitly shown) and heated to 30° C. by circulation through the thermostatted adsorption column 3 .

5% (w/w bioethanol) absolute is then added to the mixture. Granulated magnesium oxide is placed on the sieve bottom 5 in a vertical flow tube. The mass ratio of MgO to the total mass of all liquid components used is 1:1.

The mixture is now circulated over the fixed bed by means of the frequency-controlled circulation pump 2, the circulation rate being chosen such that a differential pressure over the fixed bed of between 1 and 1.5 bar is established. The flow to the fixed bed is from below. In the area below the flow-on fixed bed, electrodes of the DC voltage module 4 are installed in such a way that the field lines of the DC voltage field run perpendicular to the direction of flow. The electrodes are electrically isolated from the wall of the flow tube. The distance and area of the electrodes are selected in such a way that the measured current flow reaches a maximum of 7 mA. Taking into account the maximum permissible current, the applied DC voltage is linearly increased to 800 V within 8 hours during the process. The voltage is then switched off and the reaction mixture is filtered at 3 bar through a filter cartridge coated with silica gel. Both the fixed bed and the filter cake can be reused for the next batch.

The filtrate produced in this way is used as a fuel additive or activator in a CHP diesel unit. This unit is a direct-injecting 6-cylinder turbo diesel with an intercooler, designed for a standard electrical output of 65 kW at 1500 rpm. A synthetic low-viscosity engine oil of the 10W40 viscosity class was used. The measurement was only started after the unit had been run in until the cooling water and exhaust gas temperatures had remained constant.

For the comparative test, low-sulphur diesel without additives according to the EN 590 standard is used with and without the addition of the activator. Both tests are run alternately three times by switching the fuel tanks, each with an intervening twenty-minute flushing phase.

The activator is mixed into the diesel fuel in a ratio of 1:20,000 on the suction side of a circulating centrifugal pump at 25° C., with a mixing time of one hour being set.

The results were evaluated and the specific fuel requirement per kWh of electrical energy was calculated on the basis of the cumulative performance data and consumption measurements. The effective fuel consumption is determined by mass balancing and weighing the fuel storage tank at the beginning and end of the test run.

The evaluation of the exhaust gas composition with regard to the components HC (hydrocarbons), CO, NOx and residual oxygen was carried out by measuring the exhaust gas flow using FID through thermostatic gas sampling and using a commercially available gas analyzer working according to the NDIR method. The exhaust gas data was collected almost continuously. The mean values were used for the evaluation.

Average o. Activator Average with

activator

CO emissions (g/kWh) 0.75 0.62

spec. 0.272 0.249

fuel consumption

(litres/kWh)

The specific fuel consumption can be adjusted by adding the activator

8.4% decrease. The mass of nitrogen oxides emitted also fell by 37%.

Example 2

0.75 liters of hydrocarbon middle distillate boiling range 280-320° C. with 0.5 liters of ethyl ester mixture, produced by ethanolysis of a 1:1 (v/v) mixture of triacylglycerides from refined soybean, were stirred at room temperature in a 2-liter laboratory vessel -and yatropha oils mixed. Then, in succession, 0.1 mol % of methyl ethyl ketone and 0.1 mol % of n-butyl alcohol, based on the molar amount of the average ethyl ester mixture, are added to the mixture. The mixture obtained in this way is then heated to 50° C. in the stirred vessel with the aid of a warm water heater.

650 g of solids, each consisting of one third of predried magnesium oxide, calcium oxide and sodium bicarbonate of technical quality, pressed into extruded granules with a size of 2×4 mm, were then added to this batch.

Thereafter, the vessel was provided with a drying tube to prevent the ingress of atmospheric moisture.

The liquid phase is then sucked off by a pump via a socket on the bottom of the vessel, which is initially secured by a drain sieve, drawn through a filter cartridge filled with magnesium silicate and finally pushed back into the vessel through a flow pipe. Outside of borosilicate glass An electrode system is installed in the finished pipe, which generates a DC voltage field that acts in the pipe.

The system was treated optionally by varying the applied DC voltage and the treatment times. In two series of tests, the effect of the applied voltage on the one hand and the treatment time or residence time on the other hand were examined and then evaluated by the motor test described below. After the test was terminated, the sample required for the application was taken from the pressure side of the pump behind the filter and then added directly to the test fuel as an activator at a concentration of 250 ppm.

A commercially available, sulfur-free SUPER quality petrol from a common market supplier with a specified RON 95 is used as the fuel matrix.

test no. Treatment time Voltage Mixing conc.

(h) (V) (ppm)

2 8 300 250

4 8 0 250

6 8 600 250

The test fuels produced in this way were subjected to comparison tests on a test bench engine. It was mixed into the fuel by pre-mixing the activator in one liter of fuel and then mixing it into the total amount of fuel using a static mixer.

For the comparative study, the 4-cylinder gasoline engine with direct injection was operated at a medium-load operating point under otherwise constant conditions (speed, oil temperature, cylinder pressure initiation, EGR rate, torque, lambda ratio). A flushing cycle with non-activated fuel was carried out between each individual measurement. The respective measurement was then started 10 minutes after switching to the new fuel sample. The fuel consumption is calculated from the data from a telematics system installed on the test stand.

All collected data on the composition of the exhaust gas was statistically averaged in the dimension (g/km), based on the speed-dependent relative speed and the virtual route calculated from it. Test 0 designates the reference run without the addition of an activator. For this test, the gravimetrically determined fuel consumption was set to 100%, and the consumption data from the other tests were based on this.

No. NOx HC (g/km) CO (g/km) PM (g/km) relative consumption

(g/km) (%)

1 70 142 904 4.9 96.7

3 54 104 808 4.8 93.1

5 61 98 815 4.6 93.8

The mean measurement results of the individual tests in comparison to the non-activated fuel (test 0, reference) can be found in the table above.

The effect of the electric field is clearly visible. On average, fuel savings of 3 - 6% are achieved. The emission of nitrogen oxides reaches the standard range of Euro VI. Example 3

A pressure-resistant small-scale system designed for continuous operation is operated in such a way that a liquid mixture is permanently fed through a flow tube by means of a circulating pump that works according to the displacement principle.

Inside the tube is a support base containing a mixture of magnesium silicate and sodium carbonate in a molar ratio of 2:1. The previously calcined material was processed into 1×3 mm extruded parts at 15 bar.

The liquid mixture is drawn from a holding tank and fed overhead into the upright flow tube. In the upper tube section, above the fixed fixed bed, there is an installed electrode system that can be set under direct current. The working voltage is selected in such a way that the measured current flow does not exceed 5 mA. An alternately working double filter unit is installed at the outlet of the flow column, which filters the flowing medium down to a particle size of 1 μm. The resulting equilibrium pressure should not exceed 8 bar. After reaching this limit pressure, the system automatically switches to the redundant filter system via a bypass, which enables the filter of the used cartridge to be changed.

The circulated liquid was pre-mixed in the pressureless storage tank, with the individual components being fed in via separate lines equipped with flow meters. The components are fed according to the specified mixing ratios in such a way that the filling level of the storage vessel is kept constant. In this way, the decrease in volume can be compensated for by continuous removal via a discharge valve downstream of the filter, and continuous operation of the system can be maintained. The stationary total volume of the mixture ensures that the system is always filled with liquid on the pressure side and that the circulating pump runs dry at all times.

The continuous removal of the mixture is adapted to the required average residence time of the material system in the apparatus. According to the analytical findings the average residence time for this apparatus configuration is at least 15

Hours at a process temperature of 30-32°C and a system pressure of 5-8 bar.

The liquid system consists of SME (soya oil methyl ester) and a mixture of bioethanol, isobutanol and 2-ethylhexanol in a molar ratio of 2:1:1 of the alcohols to one another and a molar ratio of SME:alcohol of 1:16, with an average molar mass of 290 g for SME /mol is highlighted. As already described above, the components were metered into the storage vessel and internally continuously distributed homogeneously by a centrifugal pump into the mixture already present there. The fuel additive or activator produced according to the invention was used in a heavy oil mixture (HFO) which is used as fuel for firing stationary burners in an ore processing and pre-drying plant. For this purpose, the activator was continuously mixed into the fuel supplied to the burner system by means of a fine dosing pump using a static mixer under pressure. The dosing rate of the proportioning pump was linked to the feed pump of the base fuel and adjusted to a proportioning ratio (v/v) of 20000:1 (fuel/activator).

The testing of the activator with regard to fuel savings was carried out as a randomized double-blind study on three different heavy oil burner systems (rotary kilns for drying and calcination) over a test period of several weeks and statistically evaluated. The control parameters of the systems are the entry and exit moisture of the drying material. The evaluation and calculation of the results included the mass balance determination of the total throughput (raw ore), the calculated amount of water (mass loss through evaporation/drying) and the gravimetrically determined fuel consumption. The table below shows the summary of the results, whereby the determined efficiency results from the fuel saving rate and the change (increase) in the system throughput based on the water balance (degree of drying). The operating hours for the individual tests are noted in the "Run" column (measuring campaign). For the measurement campaigns without an activator, the efficiencies determined were set to 100% in the standard. Run Fuel Furnace no. I system consumption

Test time without with without with without with

Activator Activator Activator Activator Activator Activator

In addition to fuel savings, these test series resulted in average throughput increases of 7.2% (Annex 1), 11.8% (Annex II) and 6.7% (Annex III).

These explained examples are to be shown schematically for the case of a continuously carried out treatment in an electric field and subsequent contacting on a bed of mineral compounds according to the technology according to the invention. List of reference signs

1 buffer/mixing tank

2 circulation pump

3 reaction arrangement

4 DC voltage source

5 adsorption fixed bed

6 filters

Claims

patent claims

1 . Process for the production of a fuel additive for fossil and biogenic fuels by treating aliphatic or naphthenic hydrocarbons in the molar mass range C1 -C8 and their oxygenates of the ester, ether, ketone or carboxylic acid type and/or mixtures thereof, characterized in that the starting material or starting material mixture electrical DC voltage field with a minimum residence time of 1 h and the contact of adsorbents from the class of carbonates, oxides, silicates or anhydrites of elements of the alkali or alkaline earth group in a flow-through fixed bed.

2. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that the hydrocarbons are subjected to a forced flow treatment in a stationary or fluidized fixed bed of inorganic minerals or mixtures thereof

3. The method according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the treatment of the starting material in the fixed bed (5) takes place in a pressure range of 1-8 bar, preferably in a pressure range of 2-3 bar.

4. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the treatment of the starting material takes place in a fixed bed at a temperature of 15-40°C, preferably at 25-30°C.

5. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that flow conditions are maintained, which are characterized by Reynolds numbers 100 to 3500, but preferably by Reynolds numbers 200-300.

6. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that the oxygen introduced via oxygenates is in a molar ratio to the organically bound carbon of the liquid component in a ratio of 1:100 to 1:300, but preferably 1:200.

7. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that the residence time in the DC voltage field is between 1 and 28 hours, but preferably between 6 and 8 hours.

8. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that the mixture presented as a heterogeneous component in the fixed bed is introduced both as a stationary fixed bed and as an agitated or fluidized fixed bed.

9. Fuel additive produced by a method according to claims 1 to 8, characterized in that it is a fuel activator.

10. Fuel additive according to Claim 9, characterized in that aliphatic, straight or branched chain, mono- or polyunsaturated C2-C18 hydrocarbons of the alkane, alkene or alkyne type in the molar mass range 60 to 900 g/mol or their oxygenates in Form of ketones, esters, ethers or alcohols or mixtures and substances containing such, preferably mixtures of one or more primary, secondary or tertiary C1 -C8 monoalcohols, the proportion of the alcohol component being between 5 and 95%, but in particular between 70 -90%, excluding aromatic hydrocarbons or their oxygen derivatives.

11 . Fuel additive according to Claim 9 or 10, characterized in that it is to be distributed in the fuel matrix in a concentration of 10 to 200 ppm, but preferably in the concentration range of 30-60 ppm.

12. Plant for the production of a fuel additive according to one of claims 9 to 11, characterized in that it has at least one mixing tank (1) and a circulation pump (2), followed by an adsorption column (3) with a perforated bottom (5) and an upstream DC voltage module (4) includes.

13. Plant according to claim 12, characterized in that it has at least one section through which the mixture of substances flows, which is equipped with the DC voltage module (4), which has electrodes, in such a way that the orientation of the field lines of an applied DC voltage field is at right angles to the media flow and the applied voltage induces a maximum current flow of 5 mA.

14. Plant according to claim 12 or 13, characterized in that the bed on the sieve bottom (5) and forming the fixed bed consists of pellets or granules produced under pressure, which consist of at least one oxide or carbonate or silicate of the metals of the first or second main group or mixtures of these, in particular the metals of the second main group and preferably magnesium or calcium compounds or mixtures of both are provided, which are calcined before compression and have a maximum water content of 0.05%, but preferably a maximum of 0.02% or have less.