Separating a fuel on-board a vehicle

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11719200-B2
Application number	US-202117154222-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 21, 2021
Priority date	Feb 28, 2017
Publication date	Aug 8, 2023
Grant date	Aug 8, 2023

Abstract

In an aspect, a system includes a mixer configured to mix a fuel stream with a solvent to form a mixed stream, the solvent having a higher affinity for a second component of the fuel stream than for a first component of the fuel stream. The system includes a first separator configured to separate the mixed stream into (i) a first fuel fraction including the first component of the fuel stream and (ii) a mixed fraction including the second component of the fuel stream based on a difference in volatility of the first fuel fraction and the mixed fraction. The system includes a second separator configured to separate the mixed fraction into a second fuel fraction including the second component of the fuel stream and a solvent fraction.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method comprising:
in a mixer, mixing a fuel stream with a solvent to form a mixed stream, the solvent having a higher affinity for a second component of the fuel stream than for a first component of the fuel stream;
in a first separator downstream from the mixer, separating the mixed stream into a first fuel fraction including the first component of the fuel stream and a mixed fraction including the second component of the fuel stream based on a difference in volatility of the first fuel fraction and the mixed fraction;
in a second separator downstream from the first separator and in fluid communication with the mixer, separating the mixed fraction into a second fuel fraction including the second component of the fuel stream and a solvent fraction;
in a heat exchanger, transferring heat from the second fuel fraction to the mixed fraction, thereby condensing the second fuel fraction and pre-heating the mixed fraction upstream of the second separator; and
recycling the solvent fraction from the second separator to the mixer to mix with the fuel stream to form the mixed stream.

2. The method of claim 1 , in which the first fuel fraction has a different auto-ignition characteristic value than the second fuel fraction.

3. The method of claim 1 , in which mixing the fuel stream with a solvent comprises mixing the fuel stream with the solvent fraction.

4. The method of claim 1 , comprising separating the mixed stream on-board a vehicle during operation of the vehicle.

5. The method of claim 1 , comprising heating the mixed stream; and
in which separating the mixed stream comprises separating the heated mixed stream.

6. The method of claim 5 , in which heating the mixed stream comprises heating the mixed stream by exchange with the first fuel fraction.

7. The method of claim 1 , comprising controlling the separating of one or more of the mixed stream and the mixed fraction based on an operating characteristic of an engine of a vehicle.

8. The method of claim 7 , in which the operating characteristic of the engine comprises one or more of an engine load, an engine torque, and engine speed, a fuel vapor-liquid ratio, a fuel vapor lock index, a fuel drivability index, a fuel T90 or T95 property, a fuel lubricity, a fuel viscosity, and an engine speed-torque ratio.

9. The method of claim 7 , in which controlling the separating of one or more of the mixed stream and the mixed fraction comprises controlling the separating to provide fuel with a target auto-ignition characteristic value to the engine.

10. The method of claim 7 , in which controlling the separating of one or more of the mixed stream and the mixed fraction comprises controlling a flow rate of one or more of the mixed stream and the mixed fraction.

11. The method of claim 7 , in which controlling the separating of one or more of the mixed stream and the mixed fraction comprises controlling a temperature or a pressure of the separating.

12. The method of claim 1 , comprising storing one or more of the first fuel fraction and the second fuel fraction in a corresponding fuel tank housed on a vehicle.

13. The method of claim 1 , comprising providing one or more of the first fuel fraction and the second fuel fraction to an engine of a vehicle.

14. The method of claim 1 , comprising storing one or more of the first fuel fraction and the second fuel fraction in a separation tank.

Assignees

• Saudi Arabian Oil Co

Inventors

• Hamad Esam Z
• Khan Ahmad A

Classifications

• F02M33/00 Primary

  Other apparatus for treating combustion-air, fuel or fuel-air mixture (combustion-air cleaners F02M35/00; arrangements for purifying liquid fuel F02M37/22) · CPC title

• B01D3/06

  Flash distillation · CPC title

• B01D3/32

  Other features of fractionating columns {; Constructional details of fractionating columns not provided for in groups B01D3/16 - B01D3/30} · CPC title

• B01D3/40

  Extractive distillation · CPC title

• B01D3/42

  Regulation; Control · CPC title