Blending biodiesel with diesel fuel in cold locations
AssigneeFlint Hills Resources, LP
InventorsKen Copeland, Rita Hardy, Jeff Johnson, Charles Selvidge, Kirk Walztoni
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Systems and methods for in-line blending of biodiesel and diesel fuels in cold weather environments include diluting heated B100 into a portion of heated diesel prior to blending into a cold diesel stream.
Claims23
A method of providing a blend of biodiesel and diesel fuel in a cold temperature environment comprising blending a portion of the diesel fuel with 100% biodiesel to achieve a first blend of 50% or less biodiesel, wherein the diesel and biodiesel are heated to a temperature such that the temperature of the first blend is above the Cloud Point for the first blend, and adding the first blend to unheated diesel fuel to provide a second biodiesel blend.
An in-line method of producing a bright and clear blend of biodiesel in which biodiesel is blended into diesel fuel that is below 20° F. comprising:
- providing a heated tank of 100% biodiesel and an unheated tank of diesel fuel;
- moving heated biodiesel through a first conduit from the heated tank to a first injection point;
- moving unheated diesel fuel through a second conduit to a second injection point;
- diverting a portion of the diesel fuel into a third conduit prior to the second injection point, wherein the third conduit comprises an in-line heater, wherein the third conduit joins the first conduit at the first injection point, and wherein a first blend is produced at the first injection point, and further wherein the first blend is at a temperature above the Cloud Point of the first blend;
- and
- moving the first blend through the first conduit to the second injection point such that the first blend is blended with the unheated diesel fuel to produce a bright and clear biodiesel blend.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.