Method for increasing the maximum operating speed of an internal combustion engine operated in a low temperature combustion mode

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9663739-B2
Application number	US-201313891569-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 10, 2013
Priority date	May 10, 2013
Publication date	May 30, 2017
Grant date	May 30, 2017

Abstract

Disclosed herein is a method for increasing the maximum operating speed of an internal combustion engine operated in a low temperature combustion ignition mode, the method comprising operating the engine with a fuel composition comprising (a) gasoline having a Research Octane Number (RON) greater than 85 and (b) one or more cetane improvers.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method for increasing a maximum operating speed of an internal combustion engine operated in a low temperature combustion mode, the method comprising operating the internal combustion engine in the low temperature combustion mode with a fuel composition comprising (a) a gasoline having a Research Octane Number (RON) greater than 85 and (b) one or more cetane improver additives, wherein the fuel composition allows the internal combustion engine to operate at a higher maximum operating speed.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the internal combustion engine is operated in a premixed compression ignition combustion mode.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the internal combustion engine is operated in a homogeneous charge compression ignition mode.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the RON of the gasoline is greater than 85 and up to about 120.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the RON of the gasoline is greater than 85 and up to about 100.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the gasoline contains ethanol.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the gasoline contains from about 0.5 up to about 20 vol. % ethanol.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the one or more cetane improver additives are selected from the group consisting of nitrogen-containing cetane improver additives, nitrogen-free cetane improver additives, and mixtures thereof.

9. The method of claim 8 , wherein the nitrogen-containing cetane improver additives are nitrate-containing cetane improver additives.

10. The method of claim 9 , wherein the nitrate-containing cetane improver additives are selected from the group consisting of substituted or unsubstituted alkyl nitrates, substituted or unsubstituted cycloalkyl nitrates, nitrate esters of alkoxy substituted aliphatic alcohols, and mixtures thereof.

11. The method of claim 10 , wherein the nitrate-containing cetane improver additives are selected from the group consisting of methyl nitrate, ethyl nitrate, n-propyl nitrate, isopropyl nitrate, allyl nitrate, n-butyl nitrate, isobutyl nitrate, sec-butyl nitrate, tert-butyl nitrate, n-amyl nitrate, isoamyl nitrate, 2-amyi nitrate, 3-amyl nitrate, tert-amyl nitrate, n-hexyl nitrate, 2-ethylhexyl nitrate, n-heptyl nitrate, sec-heptyl nitrate, n-octyl nitrate, sec-octyl nitrate, n-nonyl nitrate, n-decyl nitrate, n-dodecyl nitrate, isomers thereof and mixtures thereof.

12. The method of claim 10 , wherein the nitrate-containing cetane improver additives are selected from the group consisting of cyclopentyl nitrate, cyclohexyl nitrate, methylcyclohexyl nitrate, cyclododecyl nitrate, isomers thereof and mixtures thereof.

13. The method of claim 10 , wherein the nitrate esters of alkoxy substituted aliphatic alcohols are selected from the group consisting of 1-methoxypropyl-2-nitrate, 1-ethoxpropyl-2 nitrate, 1-isopropoxy-butyl nitrate, 1-ethoxylbutyl nitrate and mixtures thereof.

14. The method of claim 8 , wherein the nitrogen-free cetane improver additives are selected from the group consisting of alkyl peroxides, aryl peroxides, alky aryl peroxides, acyl peroxides, peroxy esters, peroxy ketones, per acids, hydroperoxides and mixtures thereof.

15. The method of claim 8 , wherein the nitrogen-free cetane improver additives are selected from the group consisting of di-tert-butyl peroxide, cumyl peroxide, 2,5-dimethyl-2,5-di(tertiary butylperoxy) hexane, tertiary butyl amyl peroxide, benzoyl peroxide, tertiary butyl peracetate, 3,6,9-triethyl-3,9-trimethyl-1,4,7-triperoxononan, 2,2- di(teriary butyl) butane, peroxy acetic acid, tertiary butyl hydroperoxide and mixtures thereof.

16. The method of claim 1 , wherein the one or more cetane improver additives is 2-ethylhexyl nitrate.

17. The method of claim 1 , wherein the one or more cetane improver additives is di-tert-butyl peroxide.

18. The method of claim 1 , wherein the one or more cetane improver additives are present in the fuel composition in an amount ranging from about 0.1 to about 5.0 wt. %.

19. The method of claim 16 , wherein the 2-ethylhexyl nitrate is present in the fuel composition in an amount ranging from about 0.1 to about 5.0 wt. %.

20. The method of claim 16 , wherein the 2-ethylhexyl nitrate is present in the fuel composition in an amount ranging from 0.25 to about 5 wt. %.

21. The method of claim 17 , wherein di-tert-butyl peroxide is present in the fuel composition in an amount ranging from about 0.1 to about 5.0 wt. %.

22. The method of claim 17 , wherein di-tert-butylperoxide is present in the fuel composition in an amount ranging from about 0.25 to about 5.0 wt. %.

23. The method of claim 1 , wherein an amount of the one or more cetane improver additives added to the fuel composition during engine operation is dependent on one or more of engine speed, power output (load), boost level, or % EGR.

24. The method of claim 1 , wherein the internal combustion engine is operated at an intake pressure of 100 kPa.

25. The method of claim 1 , wherein the internal combustion engine is operated at an intake pressure of about 100 kPa to about 400 kPa.

26. The method of claim 1 , wherein the one or more cetane improver additives are nitrate-containing cetane improver additives.

Assignees

• Cannella William James
• Maria Amir Gamal
• Chevron Usa Inc

Inventors

• Cannella William James
• Maria Amir Gamal

Classifications

• C10L1/23

  containing at least one nitrogen-to-oxygen bond, e.g. nitro-compounds, nitrates, nitrites {(C10L1/221 takes precedence)} · CPC title

• C10L1/1811

  peroxides; ozonides · CPC title

• Y02T10/36

  Cross-Sectional Technologies · mapped topic

• F02D41/3035

  a mode being the premixed charge compression-ignition mode · CPC title

• C10L10/12 Primary

  for improving the cetane number · CPC title