Fuel blending installation

• US 4,413,604 A
• Filed: 09/30/1981
• Issued: 11/08/1983
• Est. Priority Date: 10/13/1980
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Star Engineering Applications Limited
• Original Assignee: Star Engineering Applications Limited
• Inventors: Tune, Herbert E.
• Primary Examiner(s): Myhre, Charles J.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Cross, E. Rollins
• Application Number:
  US06/307,151
• Time in Patent Office: 769 Days
• Field of Search: 123/575-577, 123/514, 123/515
• US Class Current: 123/515
• CPC Class Codes: B01F 23/49 Mixing systems, i.e. flow charts or diagrams
• CPC Class Codes: F02B 2201/062 Liquid and liquid
• CPC Class Codes: F02B 3/06 with compression ignition compression ignition engines using air or gas for blowing fuel into compressed air in cylinder F02B13/02
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 19/0657 Heavy or light fuel oils; Fuels characterised by their impurities such as sulfur content or differences in grade, e.g. for ships
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 19/0665 Tanks, e.g. multiple tanks
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 19/0684 High pressure fuel injection systems; Details on pumps, rails or the arrangement of valves in the fuel supply and return systems
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 19/081 Adjusting the fuel composition or mixing ratio; Transitioning from one fuel to the other
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 33/006 depending on engine operating conditions, e.g. start, stop or ambient conditions
• CPC Class Codes: F02M 31/16 Other apparatus for heating fuel
• CPC Class Codes: F02M 37/0058 Returnless fuel systems, i.e. the fuel return lines are not entering the fuel tank
• CPC Class Codes: F02M 37/0064 for engines being fed with multiple fuels or fuels having special properties, e.g. bio-fuels; varying the fuel composition controlling engines working with pluralities of fuels F02D19/06
• CPC Class Codes: F02M 37/0088 Multiple separate fuel tanks or tanks being at least partially partitioned
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/30 Use of alternative fuels, e.g. biofuels

Abstract

A blending installation is described in which the grade of fuel is adjusted to enable an engine to use the most economical grade of fuel at any time. A circuit is connected to two reservoirs containing different grades of fuel. The fuel is constantly circulated by a pump in the circuit and fed to the engine. A pump meters the appropriate quantity of the higher grade fuel into the circuit and the balance of lower grade fuel is supplied by gravity feed into the circuit.

Claims

1. A blending installation to supply fuel to an engine comprising:

a closed-loop recirculation circuit for recirculating fuel and including a circulation pump in said loop for recirculating and mixing the fuel in said recirculation circuit totally independent of the operating state of said engine;

a first source of fuel;

a metering pump for delivering fuel from said first source to said recirculation circuit at a predetermined rate;

a second source of fuel and delivery means for delivering fuel from said second source of fuel to said recirculation circuit at a variable rate which is dependent upon the operating state of the engine;

said engine being separated from said recirculation circuit and having inlet means coupled to receive fuel from a first location along said recirculation circuit and having outlet means coupled to return unused fuel to said recirculation circuit at a second location along said recirculation circuit.

2. The blending installation of claim 1 wherein said circulation pump is operative to recirculate fuel in said recirculation circuit totally independently of the operating state of said engine.

3. The blending installation of claim 1 further comprising heating means in said recirculation circuit for heating the fuel circulating in said recirculation circuit to a desired temperature level.

4. The blending installation of claim 1 further comprising pressure reducing means in said recirculation circuit arranged between said first and second locations for creating a differential pressure therebetween sufficient to facilitate re-entry of fuel into said recirculation circuit from said engine.

5. The blending installation of claim 4 wherein said second delivery means is coupled to said recirculation circuit at a point between said second location and said circulation pump.

6. The blending installation of claim 1 wherein said recirculation circuit includes heating means for heating fuel in said recirculation circuit to regulate fuel viscosity and pressure reducing means in said recirculation circuit for providing a differential pressure in said circuit to enhance the operation of said heating means.

7. The blending installation of claim 1 wherein said delivery means delivers fuel to said recirculation circuit from said second source of fuel by gravity.

8. The blending installation of claim 1 wherein said first source of fuel contains diesel oil and said second source of fuel contains heavy oil.

9. The blending installation of claim 1 wherein said recirculation circuit further includes filter means for filtering and removing impurities from the fuel circulating therethrough.

10. The blending installation of claim 4 wherein said pressure reducing means comprises a choke, said first and second locations being respectively upstream and downstream of said choke.

11. The blending installation of claim 1 further comprising a bypass line for coupling fuel from said first source of fuel to said engine inlet;

normally closed valve means being opened responsive to failure of either of said pumps for coupling said first source of fuel to said inlet.

12. The blending installation of claim 1 wherein the metering pump pumps fuel to a location in said recirculation circuit which is downstream of the circulation pump.

13. The blending installation of claim 1 wherein said recirculation circuit includes a mixer for admixing the fuels in said recirculation circuit.