Alternative fuel and fuel additive compositions

Abstract

Alternative gasoline, diesel fuel, marine diesel fuel, jet fuel, and flexible fuel compositions are disclosed. The compositions include an alcohol and/or a glycerol ether or mixture of glycerol ethers, which can be derived from renewable resources. When combined with gasoline/ethanol blends, the glycerol ethers can reduce the vapor pressure of the ethanol and increasing the fuel economy. When added to diesel fuel/alcohol blends, glycerol ethers improve the cetane value of the blends. All or part of the diesel fuel in the compositions described herein can be biodiesel fuel and/or synthetic fuel derived from a Fischer-Tropsch synthesis process. Fischer-Tropsch synthesis can also use feedstocks derived from sources other than crude oil, such as methane, methanol, ethanol, lignin and glycerol, which can further reduce reliance on foreign sources of crude oil. When used in jet fuel, glycerol ethers can replace all or part of conventional deicing additives, thus lowering skin toxicity, and glycerol ethers ability to reduce particulate emissions can lower the appearance of contrails. When used in marine diesel, the reduction in particulate emissions can be environmentally significant. In another embodiment, the alternative compositions comprise gasoline, ethanol, and n-butanol, and in one aspect, the ethanol and/or n-butanol can be derived from renewable resources. Fuel additive compositions, including glycerol ethers and hydrocarbons and/or alcohols, are also disclosed.

1 . An alternative fuel composition, comprising:
 a) a fuel/alcohol blend comprising between about 15 and about 95 percent by volume of gasoline or diesel fuel, and between about 10 and about 85 percent by volume of one or more C 1-10  alcohols,   b) between 1 and 15 percent by volume of a glycerol ether or mixture of glycerol ethers by volume of the fuel alcohol blend, and   c) optionally, one or more conventional fuel additives, so long as the above-listed ratios of the fuel, alcohol(s) and glycerol ether(s) is unchanged.   
   
   
       2 . The composition of  claim 1 , wherein the C 1-10  alcohol(s) comprise methanol, ethanol, or mixtures thereof. 
   
   
       3 . The composition of  claim 1 , wherein the mixture of glycerol ethers comprises a glycerol ether with one or two hydroxyl groups. 
   
   
       4 . The composition of  claim 1 , wherein the diesel fuel comprises biodiesel fuel. 
   
   
       5 . The composition of  claim 1 , wherein the composition comprises:
 a) a fuel/alcohol blend comprising between about 75 and about 85 percent by volume of gasoline and between about 10 and about 20 percent by volume of ethanol, and   b) between about 1 and about 10 percent of a glycerol ether or mixture of glycerol ethers, by volume of the fuel/alcohol blend.   
   
   
       6 . The composition of  claim 1 , wherein the composition comprises:
 a) a fuel/alcohol blend comprising about 85 percent by volume of gasoline and about 15 percent by volume of ethanol and/or methanol, and   b) about 5 percent of a glycerol ether or mixture of glycerol ethers by volume of the fuel/alcohol blend,   wherein the composition can optionally contain up to about 10 percent by volume of conventional fuel additives so long as the ratio of gasoline, ethanol and/or methanol, and glycerol ether(s) remains unchanged.   
   
   
       7 . (canceled) 
   
   
       8 . (canceled) 
   
   
       9 . A jet fuel composition, comprising hydrocarbons in the molecular weight range of between about 5 and 20, and glycerol ethers, wherein the glycerol ethers are present in a range of between about 0.5 and 10 percent by volume. 
   
   
       10 . A jet fuel composition comprising
 a) hydrocarbons typically found in JP-8, and   b) glycerol ethers as a jet fuel deicing additive, and, optionally,   c) ethylene glycol ethers.   
   
   
       11 . A marine diesel fuel composition, comprising marine diesel fuel and between about 0.5 and about 12 percent by volume of glycerol ethers. 
   
   
       12 . (canceled) 
   
   
       13 . A fuel additive composition, comprising:
 a) between 5 and 95 percent by volume of a hydrocarbon and/or an alcohol,   b) between 5 and 95 percent by volume of one or more glycerol ethers, and   c) optionally comprising one or more conventional fuel additives, wherein the above-listed ratios of the hydrocarbons and glycerol ether(s) is unchanged and wherein said hydrocarbon is kerosene.   
   
   
       14 . A fuel/fuel additive blend comprising:
 a) 80-99.7 percent by volume of gasoline,   b) 0.3 to 20 percent by volume of the fuel additive composition of  claim 13 .   
   
   
       15 . The composition of  claim 13 , wherein the conventional fuel additives comprise one or more additives selected from the group consisting of 1,2,4-Trimethylbenzene (Mesitylene); Xylene; Petroleum Distillates; Jet Fuel; Stoddard Solvent; Kerosene; Solvent Naphtha aliphatic; Solvent-refined heavy paraffinic distillate; Hydro-treated Heavy Paraffinic Distillates; 2-Ethylhexanol; Hydro-treated residual oils; Solvent dewaxed residual oils; Hydro-treated Light Naphthenic Distillate Solvent Extract; a viscosity improver; Medium Aliphatic Solvent Naphtha; Detergent; Light Aromatic Solvent Naphtha; or any combination thereof.