Apparatus and process for blending and treating fuel

A fuel treatment apparatus for treating fuel having a blending head thereon wherein heated fuel flowing from an engine is utilized to heat fuel flowing to the engine, said apparatus comprising:

• means defining a settling chamber having a side wall and a bottom;
• a blending head above said settling chamber, said blending head being a top for said settling chamber and comprising;
• a plurality of passages therein, said plurality of passages including a first passage and a second passage, and
• blending means within said blending head for communicatingly connecting said first and second passages;
• inlet means in a bottom portion of said chamber for directing a flow of fuel into said chamber, said inlet means including buoyant valve means for permitting fuel to flow into said bottom portion while preventing fuel from flowing out of said bottom portion;
• exit means communicating with an upper portion of said chamber for directing a flow of fuel out of said chamber;
• and
• an annular recess in said bottom portion of said chamber with said drain means in the bottom of the recess at the bottom of said chamber whereby drainage of water from said annular recess occurs in a direction opposite to the flow of fuel in said chamber.

A process for heating and treating fuel comprising the steps of:

• providing an apparatus comprising;
• means defining a settling chamber having a side wall and a bottom;
• a blending head above said settling chamber, said blending head being a top for said settling chamber and comprising;
• a plurality of passages therein, said plurality of passages including a first passage and a second passage,
• blending means within said blending head communicatively connecting said first and second passages;
• conduit means communicating with said first passage said conduit means passing from said blending head and extending vertically downwardly to a lower portion of said chamber, said conduit means defining a fuel inlet in the lower portion of said chamber;
• exit means communicating with an upper portion of said chamber and defining a fuel outlet;
• and
• buoyant valve means within said conduit means to permit fuel to flow in said inlet towards said outlet but to prevent fuel from flowing out of said inlet, said buoyant valve means movable within said conduit means from a point below said inlet to a point above said inlet near said blending head;
• passing a first heated fuel through said first passage while passing a second fuel to be heated through said second passage whereby said fuels blend through said blending means thereby heating said second fuel;
• introducing said second fuel into said conduit means, said second fuel forcing said buoyant valve means to travel down said conduit means past said inlet to permit said second fuel to flow through said inlet;
• stopping the flow of said fuel thereby permitting said buoyant valve means to float up said conduit means past said inlet to close off said conduit means to fuel flow upon said buoyant valve means contacting a restriction in said conduit means;
• and
• sediment within said conduit means settling to the bottom of said buoyant valve means toward said restriction in said conduit means.