Method of Dissolving a Gaseous Hydrocarbon Into a Liquid Hydrocarbon

Abstract

The present invention is directed to a method of dissolving a gaseous hydrocarbon into a liquid hydrocarbon to re-circulate gaseous components, which have separated from the liquid fuel mixture, back into the liquid fuel mixture, as well as, a method for making batch or continuous process amounts of mixed hydrocarbon fuels. The mixed hydrocarbon fuel is produced by introducing a volume of a liquid hydrocarbon into a vessel, and introducing a volume of a gaseous hydrocarbon into the vessel by bubbling the gaseous hydrocarbon into the liquid hydrocarbon at a gravitational low point of the vessel such that the bubbled gaseous hydrocarbon is dissolved into the liquid hydrocarbon to produce a liquid fuel solution. The vessel may be a mixing tank from which the liquid fuel is pumped into a vehicle fuel tank, or the vessel may be the vehicle fuel tank.

1 . A method of mixing a two phase fuel mixture comprising a vapor component and a liquid component in a vessel to reduce stratification of the fuel mixture, the method comprising:
 providing the two phase fuel mixture in the vessel, the two phase fuel mixture comprising a gaseous methane and at least one other hydrocarbon and a mole percent of methane from about 50 percent to about 80 percent, the mixture of methane and the at least one other hydrocarbon maintained at a temperature of about −1° C. or greater and at a pressure of about 8.0 Mpa or greater   withdrawing at least a portion of the vapor component of the mixture from the vessel; and   re-introducing the withdrawn vapor component into the vessel by bubbling the withdrawn vapor component into the liquid component of the fuel mixture at a gravitational low point of the vessel such that the bubbled vapor component is dissolved into the liquid component and the fuel mixture is sufficiently agitated to effectively mix the two phase fuel mixture.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the vapor component is bubbled into the liquid component of the fuel mixture at a downward angle of from about 5 degrees to about 45 degrees relative to a vertical axis of the vessel. 
     
     
         3 . A method of mixing a two phase fuel mixture comprising a vapor component and a liquid component in a vessel to reduce stratification of the fuel mixture, the method comprising the steps of:
 providing the two phase fuel mixture in the vessel, the two phase fuel mixture comprising a gaseous methane and at least one other hydrocarbon and a mole percent of methane from about 50 percent to about 80 percent, the mixture of methane and the at least one other hydrocarbon maintained at a temperature of about −1° C. or greater and at a pressure of about 8.0 Mpa or greater   withdrawing at least a portion of the vapor component of the mixture from the vessel; and   re-introducing the withdrawn vapor component into the vessel by bubbling the withdrawn vapor component into the liquid component of the fuel mixture in a downward direction such that the bubbled vapor component is dissolved into the liquid component and the fuel mixture is sufficiently agitated to effectively mix the two phase fuel mixture.   
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 3  wherein the vapor component is bubbled into the liquid component of the fuel mixture at a downward angle of from about 5 degrees to about 45 degrees relative to a vertical axis of the vessel.