Heating fuel blend

Abstract

An embodiment of the invention provides a heating fuel blend comprising a petroleum based fuel and a vegetable oil. The petroleum based fuel can be selected from diesel fuel, fuel oil, and kerosene. The vegetable oil may be crude oil, degummed oil, or a mixture of crude and degummed oil and is selected from the group consisting of soybean oil, cottenseed oil, rapeseed oil, corn oil, peanut oil, sunflowerseed oil, palm kernel oil, copra oil and other oils of similar composition produced by plants. In a preferred embodiment, the vegetable oil is present in an amount greater than zero and up to about 50% by volume, in a more preferred embodiment the vegetable oil is present in an amount greater than zero and up to about 20% by volume. A preferred embodiment of the invention comprises a petroleum based fuel and a soybean oil, where the soybean oil is present in an amount greater than zero and up to about 20% by volume. The invention also involves a method of making the heating fuel blend and a method of heating a building with the heating fuel blend.

1 . A heating fuel blend comprising a petroleum based fuel and a vegetable oil.  
     
     
         2 . The blend of  claim 1  wherein said petroleum based fuel is diesel fuel, fuel oil, or kerosene.  
     
     
         3 . The blend of  claim 1  wherein said vegetable oil is selected from the group consisting of soybean oil, cottenseed oil, rapeseed oil, corn oil, peanut oil, sunflowerseed oil, palm kernel oil, copra oil and other oils of similar composition produced by plants.  
     
     
         4 . The blend of  claim 1  wherein said vegetable oil is crude oil, degummed oil, or a mixture of crude and degummed oil.  
     
     
         5 . The blend of  claim 1  wherein said vegetable oil is present in an amount greater than zero and up to about 50% by volume.  
     
     
         6 . The blend of  claim 1  wherein said vegetable oil is present in an amount greater than zero and up to about 20% by volume.  
     
     
         7 . A heating fuel blend comprising a petroleum based fuel and a soybean oil.  
     
     
         8 . The blend of  claim 7  wherein said petroleum based fuel is diesel fuel, fuel oil, or kerosene.  
     
     
         9 . The blend of  claim 7  wherein said soybean oil is crude oil, degummed oil, or a mixture of crude and degummed oil.  
     
     
         10 . The blend of  claim 7  wherein said soybean oil is present in an amount greater than zero and up to about 50% by volume.  
     
     
         11 . The blend of  claim 7  wherein said soybean oil is present in an amount greater than zero and up to about 20% by volume.  
     
     
         12 . A heating fuel blend comprising No. 2 fuel oil and degummed soybean oil where said degummed soybean oil is present in an amount greater than zero and up to about 20% by volume.  
     
     
         13 . A method of making a heating fuel blend comprising mixing a petroleum based fuel and a vegetable oil.  
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 13  wherein said vegetable oil is crude oil, degummed oil, or a mixture of crude and degummed oil.  
     
     
         15 . A method of heating a building comprising the step of burning a fuel blend comprising a petroleum based fuel and a vegetable oil using a heating device adjusted to produce a predetermined fuel efficiency.  
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 15  wherein said vegetable oil is crude oil, degummed oil, or a mixture of crude and degummed oil.  
     
     
         17 . The method of 15 further including adjusting at least one of the fuel spray pattern angle, the fuel spray pattern shape, pump pressure, fuel flow rate, and the air shutter of said heating device.