Fuel compositions with gdi deposit fluidizing agents and methods of use thereof

Abstract

GDI deposit fluidizing additives, liquid fuel compositions including such additives and methods that improve a liquid fuel composition's GDI performance are provided. A liquid fuel composition may include a major amount of a base gasoline fuel; and 1 to 500 ppm of one or more polyether monohydroxy compounds, with the proviso that the liquid fuel composition is essentially free of fuel detergent additives. The liquid fuel composition provides at least 10% lower particulate emission as a function of time relative to a comparable liquid fuel composition not including the one or more polyether monohydroxy compounds. The GDI deposit fluidizing enhancing additive may include polyether monohydroxy compounds with the butane oxide and propene oxide in a variety of ratios and randomly distributed in the additive.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A liquid fuel composition for use in a gas direct injection (GDI) engine comprising:
 a major amount of a base gasoline fuel; and   1 to 500 ppm of one or more polyether monohydroxy compounds, with the proviso that the liquid fuel composition is essentially free of fuel detergent additives, and   wherein the fuel composition provides at least 10% lower particulate emission as a function of time as measured by a particle number measurement system described herein relative to a comparable liquid fuel composition not including the one or more polyether monohydroxy compounds.   
     
     
         2 . The liquid fuel composition of  claim 1 , wherein the polyether monohydroxy compounds are represented by the formula: 
       
         
           
           
               
               
           
         
       
       wherein R 1  is an aromatic, alkylaromatic, aliphatic, linear or branched hydrocarbyl group, R 2 , R 3  and R 4  are independently hydrogen or an alkyl hydrocarbon chain having 1 to 5 carbons, and R 2 , R 3  and R 4  are the same or different, and m+n+o are integers ranging from 10 to 40 and are either randomly distributed or block distributed copolymers. 
     
     
         3 . The liquid fuel composition of  claim 2 , wherein the weight average molecular weight of the polyether monohydroxy compounds is from 500 to 3000. 
     
     
         4 . The liquid fuel composition of  claim 2  wherein R 1  is a linear or branched aliphatic hydrocarbyl group of 5 to 20 carbon atoms. 
     
     
         5 . The liquid fuel composition of  claim 1  further including about 5 wt. % to about 45 wt. % of one or more oxygen-containing compounds. 
     
     
         6 . The liquid fuel composition of  claim 5 , wherein the one or more oxygen containing compounds are selected from the group consisting of methanol, ethanol, diethyl ether, methyl t-butyl ether, and combinations thereof. 
     
     
         7 . The liquid fuel composition of  claim 6 , wherein the one or more oxygen-containing compounds is ethanol. 
     
     
         8 . The liquid fuel composition of  claim 1 , further including other fuel additives selected from the group consisting of corrosion inhibitor, lubricity additive, octane improver, demulsifier, and combinations thereof. 
     
     
         9 . A method of maintaining fuel injector cleanliness in a direct injection spark-ignition internal combustion engine using a liquid fuel composition comprising:
 providing to a vehicle with a direct injection spark-ignition internal combustion engine a liquid fuel composition comprising a major amount of a base gasoline fuel; and 1 to 500 ppm of one or more polyether monohydroxy compounds, with the proviso that the liquid fuel composition is essentially free of fuel detergent additives, and   measuring the particulate emissions as a function of vehicle time-of-use using a particle number measurement system as described herein; and   wherein the liquid fuel composition provides at least 10% lower particulate emission as a function of time as measured by a particle number measurement system relative to a comparable liquid fuel composition not including the one or more polyether monohydroxy compounds.   
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein the polyether monohydroxy compounds are represented by the formula: 
       
         
           
           
               
               
           
         
       
       wherein R 1  is an aromatic, alkylaromatic, aliphatic, linear or branched hydrocarbyl group, R 2 , R 3  and R 4  are independently hydrogen or an alkyl hydrocarbon chain having 1 to 5 carbons, and R 2 , R 3  and R 4  are the same or different, and m+n+o are integers ranging from 10 to 40 and are randomly distributed or block copolymers. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein the weight average molecular weight of the polyether monohydroxy compounds is from 500 to 3000. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein R 1  is a linear or branched aliphatic hydrocarbyl group of 5 to 20 carbon atoms. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein the liquid fuel composition further includes about 5 wt. % to about 45 wt. % of one or more oxygen-containing compounds. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein the one or more oxygen containing compounds are selected from the group consisting of methanol, ethanol, diethyl ether, methyl t-butyl ether, and combinations thereof. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein the one or more oxygen-containing compounds is ethanol. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein the liquid fuel composition further includes other fuel additives selected from the group consisting of corrosion inhibitor, lubricity additive, octane improver, demulsifier, and combinations thereof. 
     
     
         17 . A method for maintaining deposit free gasoline direct injection injector cleanliness of an internal combustion engine using a liquid fuel composition comprising:
 providing to a vehicle with a gasoline direct injection injector a liquid fuel composition comprising at least about 99 wt % percent of a base gasoline fuel; and 1 to 500 ppm of one or more polyether monohydroxy compounds, with the proviso that the liquid fuel composition is essentially free of fuel detergent additives, and   measuring the particulate emissions as a function of vehicle time-of-use using a particle number measurement system as described herein; and   wherein the liquid fuel composition provides at least 10% lower particulate emission as a function of time as measured by particulate emission test relative to a comparable liquid fuel composition not including the one or more polyether monohydroxy compounds.   
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 17 , wherein the polyether monohydroxy compounds are represented by the formula; 
       
         
           
           
               
               
           
         
       
       wherein R 1  is an aromatic, alkylaromatic, aliphatic, linear or branched hydrocarbyl group, R 2 , R 3  and R 4  are independently hydrogen or an alkyl hydrocarbon chain having 1 to 5 carbons, and R 2 , R 3  and R 4  are the same or different, and m+n+o are integers ranging from 10 to 40 and are randomly distributed or block copolymers. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 18 , wherein the weight average molecular weight of the polyether monohydroxy compounds is from 500 to 3000. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 18 , wherein R 1  is a linear or branched aliphatic hydrocarbyl group of 5 to 20 carbon atoms.