# US 10,308,885 B2 · Direct incorporation of natural gas into hydrocarbon liquid fuels > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 10,308,885 B2 - Document ID: US10308885B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 15/528,823 - Filed: 2015-12-02 - Published: 2018-06-21 - Granted: 2019-06-04 - Earliest claimed: 2014-12-03 - Assignees: Drexel University - Applicants: Alexander Fridman; Alexander Rabinovich; Danil Dobrynin; Ivan Chernets; Chong Liu - Inventors: Alexander Fridman; Alexander Rabinovich; Danil Dobrynin; Ivan Chernets; Chong Liu - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10308885B2 ## CPC - C10L 1/04: essentially based on blends of hydrocarbons - C10G 32/02: by electric or magnetic means - F17C 11/007: {for hydrocarbon gases, such as methane or natural gas, propane, butane or mixtures thereof [LPG]} - C10L 2250/06: Particle, bubble or droplet size - C10L 2290/143: of fuel - C10L 2290/36: Applying radiation such as microwave, IR, UV - C10L 2290/38: Applying an electric field or inclusion of electrodes in the apparatus - C10L: FUELS NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; NATURAL GAS; SYNTHETIC NATURAL GAS OBTAINED BY PROCESSES NOT COVERED BY SUBCLASSES C10G OR C10K; LIQUIFIED PETROLEUM GAS; USE OF ADDITIVES TO FUELS OR FIRES; FIRE-LIGHTERS - C10G: CRACKING HYDROCARBON OILS; PRODUCTION OF LIQUID HYDROCARBON MIXTURES, e.g. BY DESTRUCTIVE HYDROGENATION, OLIGOMERISATION, POLYMERISATION (cracking to hydrogen or synthesis gas C01B; cracking or pyrolysis of hydrocarbon gases to individual hydrocarbons or mixtures thereof of definite or specified constitution C07C; cracking to cokes C10B); RECOVERY OF HYDROCARBON OILS FROM OIL-SHALE, OIL-SAND, OR GASES; REFINING MIXTURES MAINLY CONSISTING OF HYDROCARBONS; REFORMING OF NAPHTHA; MINERAL WAXES - F17C: VESSELS FOR CONTAINING OR STORING COMPRESSED, LIQUEFIED OR SOLIDIFIED GASES; FIXED-CAPACITY GAS-HOLDERS; FILLING VESSELS WITH, OR DISCHARGING FROM VESSELS, COMPRESSED, LIQUEFIED, OR SOLIDIFIED GASES (storing fluids in natural or artificial cavities or chambers in the earth B65G5/00; construction or assembling of bulk storage containers employing civil-engineering techniques E04H7/00; variable-capacity gas-holders F17B; liquefaction or refrigeration machines, plants, or systems F25) ## Abstract The present invention provides a method of incorporating a gaseous hydrocarbon into a liquid hydrocarbon. The method comprises steps of exposing a gaseous hydrocarbon to non-thermal plasma generated using a reduced electric field with an E/N ratio in a range of from about 10 to about 30 Td to activate the gaseous hydrocarbon, and contacting the activated gaseous hydrocarbon with the liquid hydrocarbon to incorporate the gaseous hydrocarbon into the liquid hydrocarbon. The method provides the advantages of low energy consumption and relatively low capital expenditure. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A method of incorporating a gaseous hydrocarbon into a liquid hydrocarbon, comprising steps of: exposing the gaseous hydrocarbon to a non-thermal plasma generated using a reduced electric field with an E/N ratio in a range of from about 10 to about 30 Td to provide an activated gaseous hydrocarbon; and contacting the activated gaseous hydrocarbon with the liquid hydrocarbon to incorporate the gaseous hydrocarbon into the liquid hydrocarbon. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the reduced electric field has an E/N ratio is in a range of from about 12 to about 28 Td. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the reduced electric field generates electron energy in a range of from about 0.2 eV. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the reduced electric field is generated by a discharge selected from a high gas flow gliding arc discharge, a microwave discharge, a corona discharge, an atmospheric pressure glow discharge, and a dielectric barrier discharge. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the discharge is an atmospheric pressure glow discharge that is generated using a voltage in a range of from about 1 kV to about 5 kV. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The method of claim 5, wherein the atmospheric pressure glow discharge is generated using a current in a range of from about 0.2 mA to about 10 mA. ### Claim 7 (depends on 5) The method of any claim 5, wherein the atmospheric pressure glow discharge is generated using an alternating current having a frequency in the range of from about 1 kHz to about 500 kHz. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the gaseous hydrocarbon is selected from methane, ethane, propane, n-butane, iso-butane, tert-butane, and combinations thereof. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the gaseous hydrocarbon is methane in a natural gas. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the liquid hydrocarbon is selected from hydrocarbons with a C5 to C28 hydrocarbyl group. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the liquid hydrocarbon is selected from C5 to C20 alkanes, alkenes, alkynes, their isomeric forms, and combinations thereof. ### Claim 12 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the liquid hydrocarbon is selected from crude oil, gasoline, kerosene, naphtha, diesel oils, gas oils, heating oils, fuel oils, residual oils, and other petroleum products manufactured from crude oil. ### Claim 13 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the liquid hydrocarbon is selected from lower grade liquid fuels and synthetic fuels derived from coal, shale oil, bituminous sands, and tar sands. ### Claim 14 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the contacting step comprises reducing the liquid fuel to droplets with an average diameter in a range of from about 1 microns to about 30 microns and the droplets are produced using pneumatic nozzles or atomizers. ### Claim 15 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein in the contacting step, a molar ratio between the gaseous hydrocarbon and the liquid hydrocarbon is in a range of from about 1:20 to about 1:2. ### Claim 16 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein a catalyst selected from the group consisting of an organometallic compound containing a transition metal, a transition metal-containing compound, and a mixture thereof, is present during the contacting step. ### Claim 17 (depends on 16) The method of claim 16, wherein the transition metal is selected from groups V, VI and VIII of the periodic table. ### Claim 18 (depends on 16) The method of claim 16, wherein the catalyst is a metal naphthenate, an ethyl sulfate, or an ammonium salt of a polyvalent metal anion. ### Claim 19 (depends on 16) The method of claim 16, wherein the catalyst is in the form of pellets, granules, wires, mesh screens, perforated plates, rods, and strips. ### Claim 20 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein unreacted gaseous hydrocarbon is recycled back to the exposing step.