Method and composition for improving fuel combustion

• US 20050081430A1
• Filed: 11/08/2002
• Published: 04/21/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 11/09/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Carroll & Associates, LLC
• Original Assignee: Michael Carroll, Noel Carroll, Robert W. Carroll, Willam F. Carroll
• Inventors: Carroll, Robert W, Carroll, Willam F, Carroll, Michael, Carroll, Noel
• Granted Patent: US 7,503,944 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 44/354
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 13/0026 containing a liquid organic phase
• CPC Class Codes: C10L 1/10 containing additives
• CPC Class Codes: C10L 1/1208 elements
• CPC Class Codes: C10L 1/1225 halogen containing compounds
• CPC Class Codes: C10L 1/1233 oxygen containing compounds, e.g. oxides, hydroxides, acids and salts thereof
• CPC Class Codes: C10L 1/1241 metal carbonyls
• CPC Class Codes: C10L 1/125 water
• CPC Class Codes: C10L 1/1258 hydrogen peroxide, oxygenated water
• CPC Class Codes: C10L 1/1266 nitrogen containing compounds, (e.g. NH3)
• CPC Class Codes: C10L 1/1275 sulfur, tellurium, selenium containing compounds
• CPC Class Codes: C10L 1/1608 Well defined compounds, e.g. hexane, benzene
• CPC Class Codes: C10L 1/1814 Chelates
• CPC Class Codes: C10L 1/1824 mono-hydroxy
• CPC Class Codes: C10L 1/1826 poly-hydroxy
• CPC Class Codes: C10L 1/1852 Ethers; Acetals; Ketals; Orthoesters
• CPC Class Codes: C10L 1/1857 Aldehydes; Ketones
• CPC Class Codes: C10L 1/207 containing halogen with or without hydrogen
• CPC Class Codes: C10L 1/2608 containing a phosphorus-carbon bond
• CPC Class Codes: C10L 1/301 derived from metals
• CPC Class Codes: C10L 1/305 organo-metallic compounds (containing a metal to carbon bond)
• CPC Class Codes: C10L 10/00 : Use of additives to fuels or fires for particular purposes additives for liquid carbonaceous fuels characterised by their chemical nature C10L1/10; using binders for briquetting solid fuels C10L5/10; using additives to improve the combustion of solid fuels C10L9/10
• CPC Class Codes: C10L 10/02 : for reducing smoke development
• CPC Class Codes: C10L 10/04 : for minimising corrosion or incrustation
• CPC Class Codes: C10L 3/003 : Additives for gaseous fuels

Abstract

A method of improving the combustion of a fuel by adding a catalyst or combustion enhancer at an extremely low concentration, preferably in the range of 1 part catalyst per 200 million parts fuel to 1 part catalyst per 6 trillion parts fuel. The catalyst or combustion enhancer may be selected from a wide range of soluble compounds. The method may comprise the steps of an initial mixing of the catalyst or enhancer with a suitable solvent and then subsequent dilution steps using solvents or fuel. Suitable solvents include water, MTBE, methylketone, methylsobutylketone, butanol, isopropyl alcohol and other hydrophilic/oleophilic compounds.

Claims

1. A method of improving combustion of a fuel, said method comprising the step of adding one or more combustion catalysts or enhancers to the fuel at a concentration of less than 1 part by weight of combustion catalyst or enhancer per 100 million parts of fuel.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising the step of dissolving and dispersing the one or more combustion catalysts or enhancers.

3. The method of either claim 1 or 2 wherein the one or more combustion catalysts or enhancers are each added to the fuel at a concentration of less than 1 part by weight of combustion catalyst or enhancer per 500 million parts of fuel.

4. The method of either claim 1 or claim 2 wherein the one or more combustion catalysts or enhancers are each added to the fuel at a concentration of less than 1 part of combustion catalyst or enhancer by weight per 1000 million parts of fuel.

5. The method of either claim 1 or claim 2 wherein the one or more combustion catalysts or enhancers are each added to the fuel at a concentration of less than 1 part of combustion catalyst or enhancer by weight per 100 billion parts of fuel.

6. The method of either claim 1 or claim 2 wherein the one or more combustion catalysts or enhancers are each added to the fuel in the range of around 1 part by weight of combustion catalyst to 100 billion parts of fuel to around 1 part by weight of combustion catalyst to 6 trillion parts of fuel.

7. The method of either claim 1 or claim 2 wherein the one or more combustion catalysts or enhancers are each added to the fuel in the range of around 1 part by weight of combustion catalyst to 100 billion parts of fuel to around 1 part by weight of combustion catalyst or enhancer to 12 trillion parts of fuel.

8. The method of claim 1 or claim 2 wherein the one or more combustion catalysts or enhancers are at least one of the chemicals specified in Table 1, Table 2, Table 3 and Table 4.

9. The method of claim 8 wherein the one or more combustion catalysts or enhancers are at least one of the chemicals specified in Table 1.

10. The method of claim 8 wherein one or more the combustion catalysts or enhancers are at least one of the chemicals specified in Table 2.

11. The method of claim 8 wherein the one or more combustion catalysts or enhancers are at least one of the chemicals specified in Table 3.

12. The method of claim 8 wherein the one or more combustion catalysts or enhancers are at least one of the chemicals specified in Table 4.

13. The method of claim 2 wherein the one or more combustion catalysts or enhancer comprise a noble element or compound thereof.

14. The method of claim 1 wherein combustion occurs in an internal combustion engine.

15. The method of claim 1 wherein combustion occurs in a boiler, a furnace or is otherwise for providing heat.

16. The method of claim 1 wherein combustion occurs in a jet engine or other turbine.

17. The method of claim 1 wherein the one or more combustion catalyst or enhancer are added to solid fuel by spraying on to the fuel at a rate to provide a concentration in the range of 1 part per 200 million to 1 part per 6 trillion (w/w).

18. The method of claim 1 wherein the one or more combustion catalysts or enhancers are added to an airstream supplying oxygen for the combustion process.

19. The method of claim 1 wherein the one or more combustion catalysts or enhancers are added to a combustion turbine by combination of the catalyst with steam.

20. The method of claim 1 wherein the one or more combustion catalysts or enhancers are added to a gaseous fuel.

21. The method of claim 1 wherein combustion occurs in an engine and the ratio of air to fuel is increased in a combustion mixture when compared with operation of the engine without combustion catalyst or enhancer.

22. The method of claim 2 wherein the one or more combustion catalysts or enhancers is one or more of potassium hexachloroplatinate (N) and hydrogen hexachloroplatinate (IV).

23. The method of either claim 1 or claim 2 wherein the one or more combustion catalysts or enhancers includes one of polyvinylchloride and/or ammonium nitrate.

44. The mixture of claim 23 wherein the combustion catalyst or enhancer is present in the range of 1 part per 2.4 billion of fuel to 1 part per 2.5 trillion parts of fuel.

24. A method of improving the combustion of fuel, said method comprising the steps of:

mixing one or more combustion catalysts or enhancers with water or other solvent to form a first premix;

mixing the first premix with a hydrophilic/oleophilic organic compound to form a second premix;

mixing the second premix with the fuel or a medium compatible with the fuel to form a third premix; and

mixing the third premix with liquid fuel.

25. The method of claim 24, wherein the one or more combustion catalysts or enhancers is present in the final mixture at a concentration of less than 1 part of catalyst or enhancer per 100 million parts of fuel and greater than or equal to 1 part of catalyst or enhancer per 6 trillion parts of fuel.

29. The method of any one of claims 24 to 28 wherein mixing is performed using electric agitation means.

26. A method of improving the combustion of the fuel, said method comprising the steps of:

mixing one or more combustion catalysts or enhancers with water or other solvent to form a first premix;

mixing the first premix with a hydrophilic/oleophilic organic compound to form a second premix;

mixing the second premix with the fuel or a medium compatible with the fuel to form a third premix; and

mixing the third premix with liquid fuel to provide a concentration of between around 1 part by weight of at least one combustion catalyst or enhancer to 100 billion parts of fuel to around 1 part by weight of combustion catalyst to 12 trillion parts of fuel.

27. The method of claim 26 wherein one or more of the steps may be further divided into separate substeps.

28. The method of claim 26 wherein the mixing of the third premix with liquid fuel provides a concentration of between 1 part in 100 billion and 1 part in 12 trillion of catalyst or enhancer to fuel.

45. The method of claim 26 wherein the other solvent is one or more of isopropyl alcohol, methanol, ethanol and MTBE, methylethylketone, methylisobutylketone and methanol.

46. The method of claim 45 wherein the hydrophilic/oleophilic compound is one or more of isopropyl alcohol, methanol, ethanol and MTBE, methylethylketone, methylisobutylketone and methanol.

47. The method of claim 46 wherein the medium compatible with fluid is one or more of isopropyl alcohol, methanol, ethanol and MTBE, methylethylketone, methylisobutylketone and methanol.

30. A method of enhancing the combustion of fuels in a combustion engine said method comprising the step of adding a combustion catalyst or enhancer to the lubricating oil for the combustion engine said catalyst added at the level of approximately 1 part of 30 catalyst per million parts of oil calculated on a weight or volume basis.

31. A composition of fuel and combustion catalyst or enhancer wherein the combustion catalyst or enhancer is present in a concentration of less than 1 part of combustion catalyst per 100 million parts of fuel and greater than or equal to 1 part per 6 trillion parts of fuel.

32. The composition of fuel and combustion catalyst or enhancer of claim 31 wherein the combustion catalyst or enhancer is present in a concentration of less than 1 part of combustion catalyst per 500 million parts of fuel and greater than 1 part per 3 trillion.

33. The composition of fuel and combustion catalyst or enhancer of claim 31 wherein the combustion catalyst or enhancer is present in a concentration of less than 1 part of combustion catalyst per billion (1000 million) parts of fuel and greater than 1 part per 3 trillion parts of fuel.

34. The composition of fuel and combustion catalyst of claim 33 wherein the combustion catalyst or enhancer is present in a concentration of between around 1 part of combustion catalyst per 100 billion parts of fuel to around 1 part of combustion catalyst or enhancer per 6 trillion parts of fuel.

36. The composition pack of claim 34 wherein the suitable solvent comprises one or more of water, isopropyl alcohol, methanol, ethanol, MTBE and other hydrophilic/oleophilic compounds.

35. A composition pack for adding to a fuel said composition pack comprising a combustion catalyst or enhancer and a suitable solvent wherein addition of the composition pack to a pre-determined amount of fuel will provide a mixture with the catalyst or enhancer present at a concentration of less then 1 part per 100 million parts of fuel and greater than 1 part per 12 trillion parts of fuel.

37. A mixture of at least one combustion catalyst or enhancer and one of water and a hydrophilic/oleophilic liquid.

38. The mixture of claim 37 wherein the at least one combustion catalyst or enhancer is taken from Table 1, Table 2, Table 3 or Table 4.

39. The mixture of either one of claim 37 or claim 38 wherein the hydrophilic/oleophilic liquid is one or more of isopropyl alcohol, methanol, ethanol and MTBE, methylethylketone, methylisobutylketone and methanol.

40. The mixture of claim 39 wherein the combustion catalyst or enhancer is present in a range of 4-10 parts per 100 parts of solvent to 1 part per million of fuel and solvent combination.

41. The mixture of claim 39 further including fuel.

42. The mixture of claim 41 wherein the combustion catalyst or enhancer is present in a range of 1 part per 200 million of fuel to 1 part per 12 trillion parts of fuel.

43. The mixture of claim 41 wherein the combustion catalyst or enhancer is present in a range of 1 part per billion of fuel to 1 part per 3 trillion parts of fuel.