Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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WATER-FILTERING MEDIA AND FILTERS
BACKGROUND
In the gasoline and diesel-fuel industry, the quality of fuel being dispensed
is of great
importance. To assure that only clean fuel is dispensed into a customer's
vehicle, filters may be
positioned in the flow stream of fuel dispensers to remove dirt and solid
particulates from the
gasoline or diesel being dispensed. Also, water has been recognized as harmful
to vehicle
engines. For example, truck engines and auto engines that implement fuel
injector systems are
sensitive to water.
In recent years, alcohols such as Methyl Tertiary Butyl Ether (MTBE) and Ethyl
alcohol
(i.e., Ethanol) have been blended into gasoline to act as an oxygenate to
reduce the amount of
semi-combusted hydrocarbons that are discharged into the atmosphere by motor
vehicles.
However, several problems are created by blending alcohols with gasoline and
diesel fuel. For
example, MTBE's have been determined to be a potential contaminant to aquifers
and well water
due to their ability to resist biodegradation. Also, MTBE's are possibly
hazardous as a
carcinogen. Ethanol is a possible alternative to MTBE's, but attracts water
more aggressively
than MTBE alcohol. As a result, the amount of water that may be drawn into
Ethanol-blended
fuels is increased.
Regardless of the strong attraction to water, Ethanol blended fuels as high as
eighty-five
percent Ethanol to fifteen percent gasoline (E-85 Fuel) are being investigated
for use in the fuel
dispensing industry. Although other benefits may exist, the objective of fuels
such as E-85 is to
provide a fuel that reduces atmospheric pollutions over that produced from
hydrocarbon fuels and
to reduce dependence on foreign oil.
To promote the use of Ethanol blended fuel, the auto industry has begun
producing
engines capable of using both regular gasoline fuel and E-85 fuel. Also, the
fuel dispensing
industry has developed fuel dispensers capable of dispensing E-85 without
rusting or otherwise
damaging the dispensers. However, improvements in filtration technology are
needed to
effectively remove water from alcohol-blended fuels such as E-85.
Due to the chemistry of alcohol, a certain amount of water can be dissolved in
an alcohol-
blended fuel (i.e., the alcohol bonds with the water) creating alcohol-water
molecules. These
alcohol-water molecules are heavier than other molecules in the blended fuel
and gradually
descend. The descent of alcohol-water molecules can cause an uneven
distribution of alcohol
within a fuel tank (e.g., the fuel in the lower portions of the tank
eventually have a higher
concentration of alcohol and water molecules). The uneven distribution of
alcohol in an alcohol-
blended fuel is referred to phase-separated fuel. Also, if the water reaches a
maximum amount
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that the alcohol-blended fuel can dissolve, any additional water will separate
from the blended
fuel as phase-separated water and eventually settle at the bottom of the tank.
There are several problems that are caused by water. First, the creation of
alcohol-water
molecules degrades the performance of the blended fuel. Second, the heavier
alcohol-water
molecules cause an uneven concentration of alcohol in a blended fuel (i.e.,
phase-separate fuel)
which causes lower burn temperatures (e.g., temperatures produced by a fuel
containing less
alcohol than expected) and higher burn temperatures (e.g., temperatures
produced by a fuel
containing more alcohol than expected). A lower burn temperature increases
pollutants and a
higher burn temperature is potentially damaging to engine parts. Third, phase-
separated water
acts as an abrasive causing damage to engine parts.
Existing water filters implement water-absorbing polymers having an anionic
(negative)
valence. These water-absorbing polymers attract and bond with the cationic
(positive) valence of
the water (H20) molecules that are passing through the water-absorbing media
of the filter.
However, in alcohol-blended fuels, the alcohol (due to its strong negative
valence field) is
repulsed by the negative valence field of the water-absorbing polymers. The
combined influence
of the covalent bond between alcohol-water molecules and the repulsion of the
alcohol molecules
from the water-absorbing polymers prevents current water-absorbing polymers
from filtering
(i.e., removing or retaining) water effectively.
Another problem with existing filters is that the water-absorbing polymers are
derived
from organic biomass such as cornstarch or cellulose with a methacrylic or
other acid to form the
water-absorbing polymers. The organic base of these water-absorbing polymers
is subject to
being degraded by bacteria and other microorganisms (i.e., life forms) that
are normally found in
water that is in gasoline or diesel storage tanks. The carbohydrate (starch)
portion of these
polymers acts as a food source that allows the life forms that are in water to
proliferate within the
filter. These life forms can disarm the filter's ability to remove water from
fuel or to hold water
that had previously been removed.
SUMMARY
In at least some embodiments, a filter comprises a filtering media. The
filtering media is
impregnated with chemical compounds that effectively retain water molecules
and water-alcohol
molecules but not alcohol molecules. The filter also comprises a liquid
channeling structure,
wherein the liquid channeling structure directs liquid entering an input of
the filter to flow
through the filtering media before exiting an output of the filter.
In at least some embodiments, the filtering media comprises a polymer backbone
and
monomer groups on the polymer backbone. The monomer groups exhibit a negative
valence
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upon exposure to water and a positive valence upon exposure to alcohol,
wherein water-alcohol
molecules that are introduced to the water-filtering media bond with at least
one negative valence
monomer group and at least one positive valence monomer group. The monomer
groups are
selected from non-naturally occurring monomers that are resistant to
biodegradation due to life-
forms found in water.
The filters may be implemented in the form of spin-on filters, in-line filters
or cartridge
filters. Also, the filters may be implemented in fuel dispensing systems,
vehicles or portable
units to filter alcohol-blended fuels such as E-85. If the filter retains more
than a threshold
amount of water molecules or water-alcohol molecules, the filter prevents the
flow of fuel. A
user of the filter is able to monitor the amount of water being collected in a
fuel tank by tracking
how often a filter needs to be replaced. In this manner, a user can
approximate when phase-
separation of water in a fuel tank has occurred or will soon occur.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
For a detailed description of exemplary embodiments of the invention,
reference will now
be made to the accompanying drawings in which:
Figure 1 illustrates a filtering media in accordance with embodiments of the
invention;
Figure 2 illustrates using the filter media in accordance with embodiments of
the
invention;
Figure 3 illustrates a cross-section view of a filter in accordance with
embodiments of the
invention;
Figure 4 illustrates a portion of the filter of Figure 3 before filtering
water in accordance
with embodiments of the invention;
Figure 5 illustrates a portion of the filter of Figure 3 after filtering water
in accordance
with embodiments of the invention;
Figure 6 illustrates a fuel dispensing system in accordance with embodiments
of the
invention;
Figure 7 illustrates a filtering process in accordance with alternative
embodiments of the
invention; and
Figure 8 illustrates a method in accordance with embodiments of the invention.
NOMENCLATURE
Certain terms are used throughout the following description and claims to
refer to
particular system components. As one skilled in the art will appreciate,
filter companies may
refer to a component by different names. This document does not intend to
distinguish between
components that differ in name but not function. In the following discussion
and in the claims,
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the terms "including" and "comprising" are used in an open-ended fashion, and
thus should be
interpreted to mean "including, but not limited to..."
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
The following discussion is directed to various embodiments of the invention.
Although
one or more of these embodiments may be preferred, the embodiments disclosed
should not be
interpreted, or otherwise used, as limiting the scope of the disclosure,
including the claims, unless
otherwise specified. In addition, one skilled in the art will understand that
the following
description has broad application, and the discussion of any embodiment is
meant only to be
illustrative of that embodiment, and not intended to suggest that the scope of
the disclosure,
including the claims, is limited to that embodiment.
Embodiments of the invention are intended to filter water from alcohol-blended
fuels
such as E-85. Figure 1 illustrates a filtering media 100 (e.g., a laminated
media) in accordance
with embodiments of the invention. As shown in Figure 1, the filtering media
100 comprises a
water-absorbing structure 102 between a particle-removing medium 104 and
another medium
106. The particle-removing medium 104 comprises a micro-glass or cellulose
medium capable of
filtering particles that range in size, for example, between 5 and 50 microns.
Alternatively, the
particle-removing medium 104 may comprise another particle-removing medium now
known or
later developed (e.g., a paper medium). The other medium 106 may comprise a
layer of woven or
non-woven material.
The water-absorbing structure 102 comprises a fiber-glass matting 108 that has
been
impregnated with a water-absorbing polymer 110. In at least some embodiments,
the water-
absorbing polymer 110 comprises a non-organic based crossed-linked polymer.
For example, the
water-absorbing polymer 110 may be based on synthetically-produced non-
naturally occurring
monomers. Because the water-absorbing polymer 110 does not contain organic
constituents or
carbohydrates, biodegradation from bacteria and microorganisms that are in
water found in fuel
storage tanks is avoided.
The constituents of the water-absorbing polymer 110 are chosen from non-
naturally
occurring monomers that exhibit a strong negative valence field on exposure to
water and a less
strong positive valence field on exposure to an alcohol. The valence of the
water-absorbing
polymer 110 is unique due to the selection of monomers of the polymerization
formula. In at
least some embodiments, the water-absorbing polymer 110 contains both cationic
and anionic
groups that are attached to the backbone of the polymeric structure. The
magnetic fields
exhibited by the cationic groups and the anionic groups facilitate the water-
absorbing polymer's
ability to encapsulate water even if the water is covalently bonded to alcohol
groups of an
alcohol-blended fuel such as E-85.
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The cationic and anionic groups can be derived from non-organic groups that
exhibit a negative
charge upon exposure to water and a positive charge upon exposure to an
alcohol. In at least some
embodiments, the water-absorbing polymer 110 is derived from non-organic and
non-naturally
occurring monomers that are selected from carboxylate, sulfate, phosphate,
sulfonates, phosphonates,
propenoic acids, alpha-methyl-propenoic acids, beta-methyl-propenoic acids,
poly-acrylic acids, acrylic
acids, maleic acids, fumaric acids, maleic anhydrides, fumaric anhydrides,
alpha-ethylenically
unsaturated mono-carboxylic acids, beta-ethylenically unsaturated mono-
carboxylic acids, alpha-
ethylenically unsaturated di-carboxylic acids, beta-ethylenically unsaturated
di-carboxylic acids, alpha-
ethylenically unsaturated mono-carboxylic anhydrides, beta-ethylenically
unsaturated mono-carboxylic
anhydrides, alpha-ethylenically unsaturated di-carboxylic anhydrides and beta-
ethylenically unsaturated
di-carboxylic anhydrides or any other non-organic monomer groups that yield an
effective negative
charge upon exposure to water and simultaneously yield an effective positive
charge upon exposure to
alcohol.
In at least some embodiments, the monomers of the water-absorbing polymer 110
comprise
salts such as alkali ions, lithium ions, sodium ions, potassium ions.
Additionally or alternatively, the
monomers of the water-absorbing polymer 110 comprise earth metals such as
magnesium ions, calcium
ions, strontium ions, barium ions, zinc ions and aluminum ions. The polymer
chemistry is selected to
provide a crossed-linked water-absorbing polymer that is able to absorb water
even if an alcohol is
covalently bonded to the water.
Figure 2 illustrates using the filtering media 100 in accordance with
embodiments of the
invention. As shown in Figure 2, contaminated blended fuel 202 is introduced
to the filtering media 100.
The contaminated blended fuel 202 contains water-alcohol groups 204 (i.e.,
water covalently bonded to
an alcohol), fuel groups 206 and alcohol groups 210. The contaminated blended
fuel 202 also may
contain water groups 208 (i.e., water that is not covalently bonded to an
alcohol) and solid particles 212.
The filtering media 100 removes the contaminants (e.g., water-alcohol groups
204, the water groups 208
and the particles groups 212) such that substantially only the fuel groups 206
and the alcohol groups 210
of the blended fuel are able to pass through the filtering media 100.
As the contaminated blended fuel 202 passes through the filtering media 100,
the solid particles
212 are filtered by the particle-removing medium 104. Also, the water-alcohol
groups 204 and the water
groups 208 are filtered by the water-absorbing structure 102 which comprises
both positive valence
groups 110P and negative valence groups 110N.
In this filtering process, the water-alcohol groups 204 orient themselves and
bond to at least one
positive valence group 110P and at least one negative valence group 110N. For
example, the water
portion (which has a positive valence) of each water-alcohol group 204 is
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attracted to and bonds with at least one negative valence group 110N while the
alcohol portion
(which has a negative valence) of each water-alcohol group 204 is attracted to
and bonds with at
least one positive valence group 110N. Also, each water group 208 is bonded to
at least one
negative valence group 110N. In at least some embodiments, the negative
valence field exhibited
by each negative valence group 110N may be stronger than the positive valence
field exhibited by
each positive valence group 110P such that water groups 208 and water-alcohol
groups 208 are
effectively held by the water-absorbing structure 102. After passing through
the filtering media
100, a filtered blended fuel 220 containing substantially only fuel groups 206
and alcohol groups
210 remains.
Figure 3 illustrates a simplified cross-section view of a filter 300 in
accordance with
embodiments of the invention. As shown in Figure 3, the filter 300 comprises
two end caps 302
and 314 and an outer cover or sheath 320. The end cap 302 has an opening 304
that allows
blended fuel to enter the filter 300 and the end cap 314 has an opening 316
that allows filtered
blended fuel to exit the filter 300.
The filter 300 also comprises a center tube 306 having perforations 308. The
center tube
306 is surrounded by the filtering media 100. In at least some embodiments,
the filtering media
100 is pleated as will later be described. Both the center tube 306 and the
filtering media 100 are
secured to the end caps 302 and 314 using an adhesive 310 that is not solvated
by water, alcohol,
diesel or gasoline.
The dashed lines 312 illustrate the flow of a blended fuel such as E-85
through the filter
300. As shown, the blended fuel may enter through the opening 304 of the end
cap 302. The
blended fuel is forced to the outer perimeter of filter's inner chamber such
that the blended fuel
must pass through the filtering media 100. The filtering media 100 is
configured to filter
contaminants such as particles, Water molecules and water-alcohol molecules.
As the filtering
media 100 retains water molecules and water-alcohol molecules, the filtering
media 100 expands.
Thus, space 318 is provided within the filter 300 to allow the filtering media
100 to expand.
After passing though the filtering media 100, the blended fuel enters the
inside of the center tube
306 via the perforations 308. The filtered blended fuel exits the filter 300
through the opening
316 of the end tube 314.
Embodiments of the invention are not limited to the filter 300 illustrated in
Figure 3.
Rather, the filter 300 illustrates one of many possible embodiments that would
force a blended
fuel to pass through the filtering media 100 thereby filtering the blended
fuel as desired. Various
filter sizes such as 4"x5" and 7"x18" filters are intended. Also, various
types of filters such as
spin-on filters, inline filters and cartridge filters are intended.
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Figure 4 illustrates a portion of the filter 300 before filtering water in
accordance with
embodiments of the invention. For convenience, the outer cover of the filter
is not shown. As
shown, the filter 300 comprises a center tube 306 having perforations 308. The
center tube 306 is
surrounded by the filtering media 100 in a pleated arrangement 320. Also shown
is the end cap
314.
Figure 5 illustrates a portion of the filter 300 after filtering water in
accordance with
embodiments of the invention. As shown, the pleats 320 of the filtering media
100 have swelled.
Thus, as retention of water (both water molecules and water-alcohol molecules)
occurs within the
filtering media, the water-absorbing structure 102 shown in Figures 1 and 2
swells and presses
against the particle-filtering medium 104 and the other medium 106 previously
described.
Because the mediums 104 and 106 are flexible, the swelling expands the pleats
320 to press
against the inside chamber of the filter 300 (between the center tube 306 and
the outer cover or
sheath 320). By design, the filter 300 and the filtering media 100 enable
water retention that is
significantly greater than existing water-absorbing filters of comparable
size. For example, a
4"x5" filter embodiment retains approximately 12 ounces of water and a 7"x18"
filter
embodiment retains approximately one gallon of water.
When the filter 300 absorbs a threshold amount of water (e.g., approximately
10 ounces
for a 4"x5" filter), the pleats 320 press together with sufficient pressure to
prevent fuel flow
though the filter 300. In this manner, contaminated fuel is prevented from
being dispensed to a
vehicle or to a vehicle's engine. Also, by tracking the amount of filters that
are used within a
predetermined time period (e.g., if more than two filter are used within three
months), a user is
able to approximate if phase separation of fuel and/or phase-separation of
water within a fuel tank
is occurring or is about to occur. As previously explained, phase-separated
fuel relates to an
uneven distribution of alcohol in an alcohol-blended fuel (i.e., the fuel is
separating from the
alcohol or vice versa) and phase-separated water relates to water that is
unable to be dissolved by
an alcohol-blended fuel (e.g., water in excess of a threshold amount that is
dissolvable in the
alcohol-blended fuel becomes phase-separated water).
Figure 6 illustrates a fuel dispensing system 600 in accordance with
embodiments of the
invention. As shown in Figure 6, the fuel dispensing system 600 comprises a
fuel tank 602 and a
fuel dispenser 610. The fuel dispenser 610 comprises a fuel pump 612 and a
filter 614 that uses
the filtering media 100.
The fuel tank 602 contains alcohol-blended fuel (i.e., alcohol molecules 210
blended with
fuel molecules 206) such as E-85. As time passes, water molecules 208 and
solid particles 212
may contaminate the alcohol-blended fuel. For example, water molecules 208
from the
atmosphere 630 may be drawn to the alcohol molecules 210 in the fuel tank 602
creating water-
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alcohol molecules 204. Eventually, phase-separated fuel and phase-separated
water can occur
within the fuel tank 602.
When a vehicle 620 (e.g., a car, a truck or another vehicle having an engine)
needs fuel, a
user is able to fill a fuel tank 622 of the vehicle 620 by accessing the fuel
dispenser 610. For
example, the fuel tank 602 and the fuel dispenser 610 may be part of a service
station that
provides fuel to consumers. To ensure that the vehicle 620 receives
uncontaminated fuel, the fuel
dispenser 610 pumps the fuel from the fuel tank 602 through the filter 614. As
previously
described, the filtering media 100 of the filter 614 is able to filter solid
particles 212, water
molecules 208 and water-alcohol molecules 204. In at least some embodiments,
the filtering
occurs as the alcohol-blended fuel is pumped from the fuel dispenser 610 to
the fuel tank 622 of
the vehicle 620.
As time passes, water molecules 208 and solid particles 212 may contaminate
the alcohol-
blended fuel in the vehicle's fuel tank 622. For example, water molecules 208
from the
atmosphere 630 may be drawn to the alcohol molecules 210 in the fuel tank 622
creating water-
alcohol molecules 204. Eventually, phase-separated fuel and phase-separated
water can occur
within the fuel tank 622.
To prevent undesirable burn temperatures (caused by burning phase-separated
fuel) and
water-related damage to the engine 628, a filter 626 that uses the filtering
media 100 is placed
between the vehicle's fuel pump 624 and the engine 628. The filtering media
100 is able to filter
solid particles 212, water molecules 208 and water-alcohol molecules 204 from
the alcohol-
blended fuel in the fuel tank 622. In at least some embodiments, the filtering
occurs as the fuel
pump 624 pumps the alcohol-blended fuel from the fuel tank 622 to the engine
628. In this
manner, the engine 628 is able to burn uncontaminated fuel thereby improving
fuel performance
and reducing occurrences of engine damage caused high temperatures and/or
water.
Embodiments of the invention are not limited to the fuel dispensing system 600
illustrated
in Figure 6. Rather, the system 600 illustrates that one or more filters which
implement the
filtering media 100 are able to effectively filter water and other particles
from alcohol-blended
fuel such as E-85. Such filters (e.g., the filters 614 and 624) may be
implemented in the fuel
dispenser 610 and/or in a vehicle 620 as shown. As previously described, the
filtering media 100
is designed to be resistant to biodegradation caused by bacteria and other
life-forms found in
water. Thus, filters that implement the filtering media 100 are able to retain
water for long
periods of time without failure. In at least some embodiments, if a filter
absorbs a threshold
amount of the water (i.e., a maximum water capacity), the filter automatically
stops the flow of
fuel even against the force of a fuel pump (e.g., the pump 612 or 622).
Thereafter, a new filter
may be used to continue the filtering process. By tracking the amount of
filters that are changed
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within a predetermined amount of time, it is possible for a user (i.e., filter
operator) to
approximate whether phase-separation of fuel or phase-separation of water has
occurred or is
about to occur.
Figure 7 illustrates a filtering process 700 in accordance with embodiments of
the
invention. As shown in Figure 7, the filtering process 700 involves a portable
unit 710 that
connects to a fuel tank 702. The fuel tank 702 contains an alcohol-blended
fuel such as E-85.
The portable unit 710 comprises a pump 712 and a filter 714 that uses the
filtering media 100.
In operation, the pump 712 of the portable unit 710 pumps the alcohol-blended
fuel from
the fuel tank 702 through the filter 714. The filtering media 100 is able to
filter solid particles
212, water molecules 208 and water-alcohol molecules 204 from the alcohol-
blended fuel. In
some embodiments, the alcohol-blended fuel is returned to the fuel tank 702.
In such
embodiments, the portable unit 710 may operate for a predetermined amount of
time. If the filter
714 reaches maximum water capacity during operation, the filter 714 stops the
flow of fuel even
against the pressure of the pump 712. An operator is then able to turn the
pump 712 off, replace
the filter 714, turn the pump 712 on and continue the filtering process. As
shown, the filtering
process 700 removes the contaminants from the alcohol-blended fuel.
Embodiments of the invention are not limited to the filtering process 700
illustrated in
Figure 7. For example, in alternative embodiments, the pump 712 is separate
from the portable
unit 710. Also, some embodiments may temporarily store the filtered fuel in a
separate fuel tank
until all the fuel and contaminants are emptied from the fuel tank 702.
Thereafter, the filtered
alcohol-blended fuel may be dispensed from the separate fuel tank or returned
to the fuel tank
702.
In at least some embodiments, the filtering process 700 is used to prevent
phase-
separation of fuel or phase-separation of water. For example, if a filter
(e.g., a the filter 614) of a
fuel dispenser (e.g., the fuel dispenser 610) is replaced more than a
threshold amount of times
within a predetermined time period, the filtering process 700 may be used
before phase-
separation of fuel or phase-separation of water occurs within a fuel tank.
Even if phase-
separation of fuel or phase-separation of water has occurred within a fuel
tank, the filtering
process 700 may be used to remove the contaminant water on-site (the filter
714 may be replaced
several times if needed). Thus, embodiments provide efficient and cost-
effective solutions to
filtering water from alcohol-blended fuels before or after phase-separation of
fuel or phase-
separation of water occurs.
Figure 8 illustrates a method 800 in accordance with embodiments of the
invention. As
shown in Figure 8, the method 800 comprises impregnating a laminated media
with non-naturally
occurring monomers that exhibit a strong negative valence upon exposure to
water and less
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strong positive valence upon exposure to alcohol (block 802). The method 800
further comprises
filtering alcohol-blended fuel using the impregnated laminated media while
dispensing the fuel
(block 804). For example, the filtered alcohol-blended fuel may be dispensed
from a bulk storage
tank to the fuel tank of a vehicle or from a vehicle's fuel tank to the
vehicle's engine. If a
threshold amount of water is filtered within a predetermined amount of time
(determination block
806), alcohol-blended fuel is filtered using the impregnated laminated media
without dispensing
the fuel (block 808). For example, a portable unit may be used to pump and
filter contaminated
fuel of a bulk storage tank without dispensing the fuel to a consumer or to
the consumer's vehicle.
If the fuel tank is part of a vehicle, a portable unit may pump and filter
contaminated fuel of the
vehicle's fuel tank without dispensing fuel to the engine. If a threshold
amount of water is not
filtered within a predetermined amount of time (determination block 806),
alcohol-blended fuel is
filtered using the impregnated laminated media while dispensing the fuel
(block 804).
The above discussion is meant to be illustrative of the principles and various
embodiments of the present invention. Numerous variations and modifications
will become
apparent to those skilled in the art once the above disclosure is fully
appreciated. For example,
the filtering media 100 and filters that implement the filtering media 100 may
be used in other
applications now known or later developed and are not limited to filtering
alcohol-blended fuel
intended for vehicles. Rather, the filtering media 100 and filters that
implement the filtering
media 100 are able to effectively filter water from alcohol and may be useful
in any application
that involves such a process. As an example, in the distillation process of
producing alcohol, it is
desirable that water not be present in the final alcohol product. Thus,
filters containing the
filtering media 100 can be used to remove the water. Also, filters containing
the filtering media
100 are able to effectively remove water from non-blended fuels such as
gasoline or diesel. It is
intended that the following claims be interpreted to embrace all such
variations and
modifications.
