Process and apparatus for making aqueous hydrocarbon fuel compositions, and aqueous hydrocarbon fuel composition

A process for making an aqueous diesel fuel composition, comprising

• (A) mixing a diesel fuel and a chemical additive to form a diesel fuel-additive mixture, said chemical additive comprising an emulsifier composition which comprises:
• (i) a diesel fuel-soluble product made by reacting a hydrocarbyl substituted carboxylic acid acylating agent with ammonia or an amine, the hydrocarbyl substituent of said acylating agent having about 50 to about 500 carbon atoms;
• (ii) an ionic or a nonionic compound having a hydrophilic lipophilic balance of about 1 to about 10;
• and (iii) an emulsion stabilizing and combustion improving amount of a water-soluble salt represented by the formula
• k[G(NR3)y]y+nXp−
• wherein G is hydrogen or an organic group of 1 to about 8 carbon atoms having a valence of y;
• each R independently is hydrogen or a hydrocarbyl group of 1 to about 10 carbon atoms;
• provided either G or at least one R is hydrogen;
• Xp− is an anion having a valence of p;
• and k, y, n and p are independently integers of at least 1;
• and
• (B) flowing said diesel fuel-additive mixture and water in separate streams (i) to said high shear mixer where they are mixed under high shear mixing conditions or (ii) to a conduit at the entrance to said high shear mixer where they are initially mixed for up to about 15 seconds and then to said high shear mixer where they are mixed under high shear mixing conditions to form said aqueous diesel fuel composition, said high shear mixer being a rotor-stator mixer comprising a first rotor-stator, a second rotor-stator and a third rotor-stator arranged in series, said diesel fuel-additive mixture and said water being mixed in said first rotor-stator, then said second rotor-stator and then said third rotor stator to form said aqueous diesel fuel composition, said aqueous diesel fuel composition including a discontinuous aqueous phase, said discontinuous aqueous phase being comprised of aqueous droplets having a mean diameter of 1.0 micron or less.

An apparatus for making an aqueous hydrocarbon fuel composition, comprising:

• a high shear mixer for mixing a hydrocarbon fuel-chemical additive mixture with water under high shear mixing conditions to form said aqueous hydrocarbon fuel composition;
• a blend tank for mixing a hydrocarbon fuel with a chemical additive to form said hydrocarbon fuel-chemical additive mixture;
• a chemical additive storage tank and a pump and conduit for transferring said chemical additive from said chemical additive storage tank to said blend tank;
• a conduit for transferring said hydrocarbon fuel from a hydrocarbon fuel source to said blend tank;
• a conduit for transferring said hydrocarbon fuel-chemical additive mixture from said blend tank to said high shear mixer;
• a water conduit for transferring said water from a water source to said high shear mixer;
• said conduit for transferring said hydrocarbon fuel-chemical additive from said blend tank to said high sheer mixer and said water conduit being arranged to provide for the initial mixing of the hydrocarbon fuel-chemical additive mixture and water in the high shear mixer or in an inlet to the high shear mixer;
• a fuel storage tank for storing said aqueous hydrocarbon fuel composition;
• a conduit for transferring said aqueous hydrocarbon fuel composition from said high shear mixer to said fuel storage tank;
• a conduit for dispensing said aqueous hydrocarbon fuel composition from said fuel storage tank;
• and
• a programmable logic controller for controlling:
• (i) the transfer of said chemical additive from said chemical additive storage tank to said blend tank;
• (ii) the transfer of said hydrocarbon fuel from said hydrocarbon fuel source to said blend tank;
• (iii) the transfer of said hydrocarbon fuel-additive mixture from said blend tank to said high shear mixer;
• (iv) the transfer of water from said water source to said high shear mixer;
• (v) the mixing in said high shear mixer of said hydrocarbon fuel-additive mixture and said water;
• and (vi) the transfer of said aqueous hydrocarbon fuel composition from said high shear mixer to said fuel storage tank.

A containerized equipment package, comprising:

• a housing and contained within said housing an apparatus for making an aqueous hydrocarbon fuel composition, said apparatus comprising:
• a high shear mixer for mixing a hydrocarbon fuel-chemical additive mixture with water under high shear mixing conditions to form said aqueous hydrocarbon fuel composition;
• a blend tank for mixing a hydrocarbon fuel with a chemical additive to form said hydrocarbon fuel-chemical additive mixture;
• a chemical additive storage tank and a pump and conduit for transferring said chemical additive from said chemical additive storage tank to said blend tank;
• a conduit for transferring said hydrocarbon fuel from a hydrocarbon fuel source to said blend tank;
• a conduit for transferring said hydrocarbon fuel-chemical additive mixture from said blend tank to said high shear mixer;
• a water conduit for transferring said water from a water source to said high shear mixer;
• said conduit for transferring said hydrocarbon fuel-chemical additive from said blend tank to said high sheer mixer and said water conduit being arranged to provide for the initial mixing of the hydrocarbon fuel-chemical additive mixture and water in the high shear mixer or in an inlet to the high shear mixer;
• a fuel storage tank for storing said aqueous hydrocarbon fuel composition;
• a conduit for transferring said aqueous hydrocarbon fuel composition from said high shear mixer to said fuel storage tank;
• a conduit for dispensing said aqueous hydrocarbon fuel composition from said fuel storage tank;
• and
• a programmable logic controller for controlling:
• (i) the transfer of said chemical additive from said chemical additive storage tank to said blend tank;
• (ii) the transfer of said hydrocarbon fuel from said hydrocarbon fuel source to said blend tank;
• (iii) the transfer of said hydrocarbon fuel-additive mixture from said blend tank to said high shear mixer;
• (iv) the transfer of water from said water source to said high shear mixer;
• (v) the mixing in said high shear mixer of said hydrocarbon fuel-additive mixture and said water;
• and (vi) the transfer of said aqueous hydrocarbon fuel composition from said high shear mixer to said fuel storage tank.

An aqueous hydrocarbon fuel composition, comprising:

• a continuous phase of a normally liquid hydrocarbon fuel;
• a discontinuous aqueous phase, said discontinuous aqueous phase being comprised of aqueous droplets having a mean diameter of 1.0 micron or less;
• and
• an emulsifying amount of an emulsifier composition comprising (i) a hydrocarbon fuel-soluble product made by reacting a hydrocarbyl substituted carboxylic acid acylating agent with ammonia or an amine, the hydrocarbyl substituent of said acylating agent having about 50 to about 500 carbon atoms;
• (ii) an ionic or a nonionic compound having a hydrophilic lipophilic balance of about 1 to about 10;
• or a mixture of (i) and (ii);
• in combination with (iii) an emulsion stabilizing and combustion improving amount of a water-soluble salt represented by the formula
• k[G(NR3)y]y+nXp−
• wherein G is hydrogen or an organic group of 1 to about 8 carbon atoms having a valence of y;
• each R independently is hydrogen or a hydrocarbyl group of 1 to about 10 carbon atoms;
• provided either G or at least one R is hydrogen;
• Xp− is an anion having a valence of p;
• and k, y, n and p are independently integers of at least 1.

An aqueous diesel fuel composition, comprising:

• a continuous phase of a diesel fuel;
• a discontinuous aqueous phase, said discontinuous aqueous phase being comprised of aqueous droplets having a mean diameter of 1.0 micron or less;
• and
• an emulsifying amount of an emulsifier composition comprising (i) a diesel fuel-soluble product made by reacting a carboxylic acid acylating agent with ammonia or an amine, said carboxylic acid acylating agent having a hydrocarbyl substituent containing about 50 to about 500 carbon atoms;
• (ii) an ionic or a nonionic compound having a hydrophilic lipophilic balance of about 1 to about 10;
• or a mixture of (i) and (ii);
• in combination with (iii) an emulsion stabilizing and combustion improving amount of a water-soluble salt represented by the formula
• k[G(NR3)y]y+nXp−
• wherein G is hydrogen or an organic group of 1 to about 8 carbon atoms having a valence of y;
• each R independently is hydrogen or a hydrocarbyl group of 1 to about 10 carbon atoms;
• provided either G or at least one R is hydrogen;
• Xp− is an anion having a valence of p;
• and k, y, n and p are independently integers of at least 1.