Use of a fuel additive in diesel fuel for reducing fuel consumption in a diesel engine

Abstract

The present invention relates to the use of a diesel fuel additive comprising peroxide for reducing the fuel consumption in a diesel engine.

1 .- 17 . (canceled) 
     
     
         18 . A method for reducing fuel consumption in a diesel engine comprising:
 adding a fuel additive comprising a peroxide to a diesel fuel; and,   permitting a diesel engine to combust the fuel additive and the diesel fuel.   
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 18 , wherein the fuel additive comprises at least one organic peroxide. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 19 , wherein the at least one organic peroxide is a hydroperoxide, dialkylperoxide, a cyclic or acyclic ketone peroxide, a perketal or a combination thereof. 
     
     
         21 . The method of  claim 18 , wherein the fuel additive comprises tert-butylhydroperoxide (TBHP), cumene hydroperoxide, methylethylketonperoxide, acetone peroxide, tert-amyl hydroperoxide (TAHP), di-tert-butyl peroxide (DTBP), tert-butyl peroxybenzoate (TBPB), 1,1-Di-(tert-butylperoxy)-cyclohexan (CH) or tetramethyl-dioxa-cyclohexane (TMDOCH). 
     
     
         22 . The method of  claim 18 , wherein the fuel additive comprises TBHP. 
     
     
         23 . The method of  claim 18 , wherein the fuel additive comprises DTBP. 
     
     
         24 . The method of  claim 18 , wherein the fuel additive comprises CH. 
     
     
         25 . The method of  claim 18 , wherein the fuel additive is anhydrous. 
     
     
         26 . The method of  claim 25 , wherein water in the anhydrous fuel additive is <5 wt. %, <1 wt. %, <0.3 wt. %, or <0.01 wt. %. 
     
     
         27 . The method of  claim 18 , wherein the fuel additive further comprises a solvent, wherein the solvent is an alcohol or a hydrocarbon. 
     
     
         28 . The method of  claim 27 , wherein the alcohol is tert-butyl alcohol, and the hydrocarbon is isododecane, diesel, kerosene or 2,2,4-trimethyl-1,3-pentanediol diisobutyrate. 
     
     
         29 . The method of  claim 18 , wherein the fuel additive comprises a mixture of TBHP and tert-butyl alcohol (TBA). 
     
     
         30 . The method of  claim 29 , wherein the TBHP is anhydrous TBHP. 
     
     
         31 . The method of  claim 18 , wherein the diesel fuel without the fuel additive has a cetane number of <50 or <45. 
     
     
         32 . The method of  claim 18 , wherein the diesel fuel with fuel additive has a cetane number larger by at least 2 compared to the diesel fuel without fuel additive. 
     
     
         33 . The method of  claim 18 , wherein the diesel engine has a displacement of at least 1000 cm 3  per cylinder. 
     
     
         34 . The method of  claim 18 , wherein the peroxide is in an amount of 0.001 wt. % to 10 wt. %, 0.25 wt. % to 10 wt. %, 0.1 wt. % to 3 wt. % or 0.1 to 0.5 wt. %, based on the total weight of the fuel. 
     
     
         35 . The method of  claim 18 , wherein the fuel consumption of diesel fuel with fuel additive is reduced by at least 5% compared to the fuel consumption of diesel fuel without fuel additive. 
     
     
         36 . The method of  claim 18 , wherein the fuel consumption is reduced when the fuel additive is continuously used for an operation time of the diesel engine of at least 100 h. 
     
     
         37 . The method of  claim 18 , wherein deposits in the diesel engine are prevented, reduced and/or removed. 
     
     
         38 . The method of  claim 18 , wherein the diesel fuel with the fuel additive has a HFRR score of at least 70 lower than the diesel fuel without the fuel additive.