Additive for liquid or liquified hydrocarbon fueled direct fired burners, open flames and related processes

Abstract

The present invention relates to the field of fuel additives, in particular, to an additive for hydrocarbon fueled burners and flames to enhance efficiency and/or reduce undesirable emissions, such as pollutants. The fuel additive of the invention includes a phosphorus-containing parent solution. The phosphorus salts are at least partially dispersed and/or dissolved in water or other appropriate solvent to create a phosphorus-containing parent solution that forms the basis for the fuel additive. The phosphorus-containing parent solution is added or mixed with a dispersion fluid.

1 . A fuel additive comprising a mixture of salts and a dispersion fluid, the mixture of salts comprising: 
 (a) [Y] x H 2 PO 4 ; and    (b) [Y] x+ HPO 4,  wherein [Y] is a cation, the dispersion fluid being operable to maintain the salts within the dispersion fluid in at least a partially dispersed state, the fuel additive being operable to enhance combustion when placed into contact with fuel in a direct fired burner or open flame and combusted, the enhanced combustion being measurable by increased fuel efficiency or decreased pollutant output in an exhaust gas resulting from the combustion of the fuel and the fuel additive.    
   
   
       2 . The fuel additive of  claim 1 . further comprising [NH 4 ] 2 HPO 4.    
   
   
       3 . The fuel additive of  claim 2  further comprising NH 4 C 2 H 3 O 2  where C 2 H 3 O 2  is an acetate group.  
   
   
       4 . The fuel additive of  claim 1 . wherein the pH of the solution is between about 6.0 and 8.0.  
   
   
       5 . A process for enhancing fuel performance of a hydrocarbon fuel in a combustion system having a direct fired burner or open flame comprising the steps of providing the fuel additive of in an amount effective to enhance fuel performance to the direct fired burner or open flame and combusting the hydrocarbon fuel with the fuel additive, the fuel additive comprising: 
 (a) [Y] x H 2 PO 4 ; and    (b) [Y] x+ HPO 4,  wherein [Y] is a cation, the dispersion fluid being operable to maintain the salts within the dispersion fluid in at least a partially dispersed state, the fuel additive being operable to enhance combustion when placed into contact with fuel in a direct fired burner or open flame and combusted, the enhanced combustion being measurable by increased fuel efficiency or decreased pollutant output in an exhaust gas resulting from the combustion of the fuel and the fuel additive.    
   
   
       6 . The process of enhancing fuel performance of  claim 5  wherein the fuel additive further comprises [NH 4 ] 2 HPO 4.    
   
   
       7 . The process of enhancing fuel performance of  claim 5  wherein the fuel additive further comprises NH 4 C 2 H 3 O 2 , where C 2 H 3 O 2  is an acetate group.  
   
   
       8 . The process of enhancing fuel performance of  claim 5  wherein the hydrocarbon fuel is a liquid hydrocarbon fuel.  
   
   
       9 . An enhanced fuel comprising 
 (a) a substantial amount of hydrocarbon fuel suitable for combustion, and    (b) an amount of fuel additive of  claim 1  operable to enhance combustion.    
   
   
       10 . The enhanced fuel of  claim 9  wherein phosphorus is present in the hydrocarbon fuel in an amount of between about 1 and 150 ppm by weight.  
   
   
       11 . The enhanced fuel of  claim 9  wherein the amount of fuel additive is the amount operable to reduce emissions upon combustion of the enhanced fuel as compared to the combustion of the hydrocarbon fuel without the fuel additive.  
   
   
       12 . A process for creating an enhanced hydrocarbon fuel for use in a combustion system comprising the step of: 
 (a) Adding an amount effective to enhance fuel performance to the hydrocarbon fuel of a chemical addition composition, the chemical addition composition comprising reaction products from mixing of a source of phosphoric acid, an alkali metal hydroxide, ammonium hydroxide and water.    
   
   
       13 . The process of  claim 12  for creating an enhanced hydrocarbon fuel wherein the chemical addition composition further comprises acetic acid.  
   
   
       14 . A process for creating a fuel additive for enhancing combustion of a hydrocarbon fuel, the process comprising the steps of: 
 (a) Mixing the salts [Y] x H 2 PO 4  and [Y] x+ HPO 4,  wherein [Y] is a cation, in a solvent to at least partially disperse the salts in the solvent to create an phosphorus-containing parent solution;    (b) Mixing the phosphorus-containing parent solution with dispersion fluid such that the phosphorus-containing parent solution is generally dispersed in the dispersion fluid;    (c) Removing a substantial portion of the solvent from the mixture of the phosphorus-containing parent solution with the dispersion fluid to create a fuel additive that is operable to enhance combustion when added to a direct fired burner or open flame in the presence of a hydrocarbon fuel and combusted.