Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
The present invention relates to a process for producing
a precursor fuel composition which can be used as a fuel per se
but also may be used to produce a prefuel composition by mixing
said precursor fuel composition with petroleum oil and water, the
petroleum oil and water forming a one phase intimate admixture
which is, in and of itself, useful for producing energy by burning,
for example, to produce steam to generate electricity and the likeO
However, a more important property of the prefuel composition, is to
produce a liquid fuel composition which will be hereinafter enumerated.
The precursor fuel composition of the present invention is
made, in general, as follows: oil, having a specific gravity of
less than 1, water and carbon are placed in a heating zone open to
the atmosphere. The two liquids, i.e. the oil and water, form two
phases, with the oil lying on top of the water. The carbon, which
is preferably coke, is placed so that it contacts both the oil and
water phase and is, in general, placed and present in such amounts
that it is uniformly mixed throughout the two phases. The non-
homogeneous mixture is then heated to such a temperature that the
water vaporizes (e.g. from 50 C. or 70 C to 100 C). The
vaporized water bubbles through the oil was well as contacting the
carbonO This heating continues for a period of time in the heating
zone, which is open to the atmosphere to allow the vaporized water
and any other vapors produced by the heating, to leave the heating zone
and enter the ambient atmosphere. The heating is continued until
substantially all of the water is removed and there remains a
one-phase li~uid and the solid carbon. The heating, at this point,
is then discontinued and there is then mixed with the remaining
liquid and carbon a light oil such as kerosene or the like. The
liquid mixture is then separated from the solid and is then ignited
in another vessel open to the atmosphere. After a period of time,
the flame is extinguished by closing the opening to the atmosphere
thereby depriving the combustion reaction of oxygen. The liquid
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remaining from such periodic ignition and extinguishment is the
precursor fuel of the present invention and such liquid, hereinafter
for brevity will be re~erred to as the precursor fuel.
Such a precursor fuel, as noted, can be used as a fuel
per se, but it is prefered if such a precursor fuel is used to
produce the prefuel composition of the present invention by mixing
from 10~ to 50~, by weight, of the precursor fuel with from 20%
to 70~, by weight, of oil and from 10% to 50%, by weight, of water,
such composition being a homogeneous admixture and which, for
brevity's sake, will be hereinafter referred to as the prefuel
composition,
The precursor fuel composition itself, produces about
ten thousand British Thermal Units (BTU) per pound. When this
pxecursor fueI composition is mixed with a fuel oil (having a BTU
content of about twenty thousand BTUs per pound) and water to form
a pre~uel composition, it was found that a one-phase solution
resulted which can be burned. For example, a prefuel liquid compo-
sition composed of 40%, by weight, of fuel oil, 30%, by weight, of
precursor fuel, and 30~, by weight, of water produced approximately
9,3~4 BTUs per pound. It would be expected that such a mixture
would only give eleven thousand BTUs per pound since water has a
zero value, the precursor would have approximateIy three thousand
BTUs ~i.e., one-third o~ a pound~, and the fueI oil would have
approximateIy eight thousand BTUs (i.e., ~our pounds). As is
apparent, the prefuel composition results in a hiyh saving o ~ossil
fuel since it produces more BTUs per pound of ~ossil fuel than
fossil fueI per se does.
The liquid fuel composition of the present invention
produces even more BTUs per pound of fossil fuel contained therein
than does the prefueI composition, and can be burned to form steam~
which in turn, generates electricity. In short, the fuel composition
made by the method of the present invention can be used to produce
energy by burning in any convenient manner.
>
In one particular aspect the present invention provides
a method for producing a composition which may be mixed with
water and oil to form a uniform admixture as a fuel which
comprises: .
placing carbon, water and oil, having a specific gravity
of less than one, into a heating zone having an opening to the
atmosphere and forming a non-homogeneous mixture composed of a
liquid phase of water and, on top thereof, a liquid phase of ;
oil with coke intermixed in both liquid phases; :~
heating said-non-homogeneous mixture to a temperature ~ :
of from 50 to 100C to vaporize the water and bubble the water
vapor through, and in intimate contact with the oil;
discontinuing heating and adding from 20% to 60~, by
weight, light oil to the remaining liquid in said non-homogeneous
mixture to form a homogeneous mixture of the l~quid oil and
the liquid remaining in said non-homogeneous mixture and
separating said uniform mixture of liquids from the solid
carbon;
burning said uniform mixture of liquids in the presence
of oxygen and extinguishing same by removing the source of
oxygen and recovering the resulting prefuel liquid composition.
In another particular aspect the present invention
provides a method for producin& a liquid fuel composition
which comprises:
(a) adding to a container, from 10% to 50%, by weight~
of a precursor fuel, 20% to 70%, by weight, of o:tl and from 10% : .
to 50%, by weight, of water to form a prefuel homogeneous
liquid admixture in said container, said precursor fuel bein8
made by placing carbon, water and oil, the oil having a specific .
gravity of less than one, into a heating zone having an opening
to the atmosphere and forming a non-homogeneous mixture composed
of a liquid phase of water and, on top thereof, a liquid phase
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of oil with coke intermixed in both liquid phases;
heating said non-homogen~ous mixture to a temperature of
from 50C to 100C to vaporize the water and bubble the water
vapor through, and in intimate contact with the oil;
discontinuing heating and adding from 20% to 60%, by
weight, light oil to the remaining liquid in said non-homogeneous
mixture to form a homogeneous mixture of the liquid oil and the
liquid remaining in said non-homogeneous mixture and separating
said uniform mixture of liquids from the solid carbon;
burning said uniform mixture of liquids in the presence of
oxygen and extinguishing same by removing the source of oxygen
and receiving the resulting liquid precursor fuel;
(b) adding to àn alkali and oxidation resistant tank from
85% to 60%, by volume, of an aqueous solution of potassium :~
hydroxide, sodium hydroxide, sodium bicarbonate, or mixtures
thereo~, said aqueous solution having a hydrometer reading, in
degrees baume, of from 20 to 30 at 20/4C, and also adding
from 40% to 15%, by weight, of lower alkyl alcohol, said
aqueous solution and lower alkyl alcohol being added to said
alkali and oxidation resistant tank in an amount such that,
from 40% to 80% of the volume of the tank is filled with said
lower alkyl alcohol and aqueous solutlon;
(c? transferring said prefuel composition from said
container to said tank so that said prefuel composition mixes
with said lower alkyl alcohol and nqueous solution, nnd
continuing to add said prefuel composition to said tank until
the top of the tank overflows; and
(d) recovering the thus obtained liquid fuel composition
which has overflowed from the top of said tank.
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The various amounts of water, oil and carbon (coke in
this instance) are not particularly critical and may range as
follows: water from 10% to 50~, by weight; coke from 10% to 50%
by weight; and oil from 10% to 50%, by weight. All weights are
based on the entire weight of the composition. In a prefered
exemplary embodiment, the amounts are approximately 40% water,
30% coke, and 30% oil, which are placed in a cylindrical steel
container in which the water is on the bottom and a layer of
Bunker C. oil lays on top of the water, the solid coke being in
contact with both the water and Bunker C. oil. This non-homogeneous
mixture is then heated, at the bottom, to a temperature of 70 C.
to 100 C. (in the prefered exemplary embodiment, approximately
90 C.~, whereby the water vaporizes and bubbles through the
Bunker C. oil and mixes therewith, as well as the coke. In order
to allow the vapors to escape, the cylindrical steel tank is open
to the atmosphere. During the heating, the water and oil expand
and heating is continued until substantially all of the water is
removed. The length of heating is not particularly critical but
is preferably conducted until substantially all of the water is
vaporized and has bubbled through the Bunker C. oil and escaped to
the atmosphere~ I have found that the precursor fuel composition
is satisfactory even if some of the water remains, for example,
30% or less of the water may remain in the composition. Alternatively,
heating can continue even after the water is removed. However, this
is uneconomical since the prefuel composition will then be driven
off and wasted.
In the prefered exemplary embodiment, heating is discontinued
until after the water has been substantially vaporized. Then a
light oil, such as kerosene, is mixed with the liquid remaining,
the amount of kerosene added being anywhere from 20%~ by weight,
to as high ~s 60%, bv weight, the prefered amount being approximately
30% to 50%, by weight, based on the weight of the light oil and the
composition remaining in the heating zone.
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After such mixing, the liquid is removed from the
bottom o the tank by a faucet, or the like, the diameter of the
opening of the faucet being preferably less than the size of the
coke, thereby usually separating the liquid from the solid coke.
However, the light oil or kerosene can also be mixed after the
liquid is separated from the solid coke, there being no criticality
in mixing the kerosene with the other liquid in the presence of
the coke. Additionallyl it is believed to be self-apparent, that
the liquid and solid coke can be separated in any convenient manner.
This liquid, when transferred to another steel cylindrical
container having an opening at the top which is provided with a
cover, which, when in place, provides an airtight container.
After the liquid composition has been placed in the steel
cylindrical container, the composition is ignited in any
convenient manner and allowed to burn for a period of anywhere from
as little as one-tenth of a minute upwards to two minutes and
longex. The cover is then put on the container, making the container
airtight, thus~ extinguishing the flame. The same procedure is then
repeated, at least once, and up to as many as ten time or more, and
the resulting liquid Is then removed. This liquid is the precursor
fuel composition mentioned heretofore.
Such precursor fuel composition, as has already been noted,
is an excellent fuel by itself. However, it is of much greater
value when this composition is mixed with water and oil because the
resulting composition renders almost as many BTUs, on a weight
basis, as fuel oil itself and/or the oil that is actually added to
the prefuel compos~tion.
As has been noted, the prefuel composition of the present
invention is made by taking the precursor fuel composition, composed
of from 10% to 50%, by weight, of the prefuel composition, from
20% to 70%, by weight, of oil, and from 10% to 50%, by weight of
water, and is made by merely mixing said ingredients together
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to form a homogeneous admixture thereo~.
Such a prefuel composition is, as noted, an excellent
fuel, in and of itself, but it is prefered, in the instant
invention, to utilize said prefuel composition to produce the
liquid fuel composition of the present invention. To do so,
the prefuel composition is mixed with a lower a.~lkyl alcohol and
an aqueous solution of potassium hydroxide, sodium hydroxide,
and/or sodium bicarbonate. The sodium bicarbonate, potassium
hydroxide, and/or sodium hydroxide is dissolved in water in an
amount sufficient to produce an aqueous solution having a hydro-
meter readiny, in degrees baume, of from 20 to 30 at 20/4 C.
Such an aqueous solution is mixed with the lower alkyl alcohol
(preferably methyl or e-thyl alcohol), such that the resulting
aqueous solution-alcohol mixture is composed of from approximately
85% to 60% aqueous solution, and from 40% to 15% lower alk~l
alcohol, such percentages being by volume.
Such alcohol-aqueous solution mixture is placed in an
alkali-oxidation resistant tank (stainless steel) and the amount
of alcohol-aqueous solution added to such a tank (which is open at
the top~ is such that said alcohol-aqueous solution will fill 60%
to 80% of the volume of the tank. After the filling of the alkali-
oxidation resistant tank in the manner indicated, the prefuel
composition is added to the tank containing the alcohbl-aqueous
solution in such a manner that the prefuel composition will mix
with the` alcohol-aqueous solution contained in the tank. The prefuel
composition is added until the complete volume of the tank is
filled, a-t which time the prefueI composition will compose from
40~ to 20% of the volume of the tank, and the alcohol-aqueous
solution will be present in the tank in an amount of from 60% to
80% by volume. Preferably, the mixing and filling of the tank with
the prefuel composition will take at least one hour or more, for
example, three hours. The maximum length of time is not critical
providing, as noted, that such mixing takes place at least for a
length of time equal to one hour.
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After the tank is full of the prefuel composition and the
alcohol-aqueous solution, more prefuel composition is added such
that it also mixes with the alcohol-aqueous solution. Such mixin~
is preferably accomplished by having a hollow tube or pipe running
from the container containing the prefuel composition to the tank,
the end of the tube or pipe extending at least a third of the way
down into the tank from the top, or even further, so that when the
prefuel composition is added, it will mix with the alcohol-aqueous
solution. There are, of course, other ways to also accomplish the
mixing action which will be apparent to those skilled in the art
and will not be enumerated in detail in this application.
In any event, after a sufficient amount of prefuel compo-
sition is added to the tan~ to fill it, more prefuel composition is
added so that the tank overflows. The liquid which overflows i9
the fuel composition of the present invention. Preferably, the
fueI composition is recovered by having a second, outer tank around
the alkali-o~idation resistant tank, and the fuel composition can
be retrieved from said outer tank by merely having a faucet, or the
like at the bottom of said outer tank.
It should be noted that after the tank is full, the
~addition of the prefuel composition takes place at the same rate as
the initial mixing did. That is, the prefuel composition is added
slowly so that it takes at least one hour to add another 20% to 40%
by volume, o said prefuel composition. The maximum amount of fuel
composition which can be recovered, and which is useul in the
present invention, varies~ a great deal, but in general, such mixing
and overflowing can occur until a volume of fuel composition is
obtained which is at least equal to the volume of the tank, and
often time, more than twice the volume of the tank.
The liquid fuel composition may be burned to produce a
high amount of BTUs per pound thereby to generate electricity and
the like, said fuel composition producing more BT~s per pound than
would be expected from the amount of fossil fuel contained in
said fuel composition.
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