Dual purpose fuel for gasoline driven automobile and fuel cell system, and system for storage and/or supply thereof

Abstract

The present invention provides a dual purpose fuel suitable for an automotive spark ignition (SI) engine and a fuel cell system and also provides a storage and/or supply system of said dual purpose fuel. A dual purpose fuel for use in both an automotive spark ignition (SI) engine and a fuel cell system wherein said fuel comprises hydrocarbons of 50 ppm by mass or less of sulfur content; 30 vol. % or more of saturates; 50 vol. % or less of aromatics; and 35 vol. % or less of olefins; wherein the ratio of paraffin in said saturates is 60 vol. % or more; the ratio of branched paraffin in said paraffin is 70 vol. % or more; the density of said hydrocarbons is 0.78 g/cm 3 or less; the initial boiling point in distillation is 24° C. or higher and 80 ° C. or lower, the 50 vol. % distillation temperature (T 50 ) is 60° C. or higher and 120° C. or lower, the 90 vol. % distillation temperature (T 90 ) is 100° C. or higher and 190° C. or lower, the final boiling point in distillation is 130° C. or higher and 230° C. or lower; the Reid vapor pressure of said hydrocarbons is 10 kPa or more and less than 100 kPa; and the research octane number of said hydrocarbons is 89.0 or more, and a storage and/or supply system of said dual purpose fuel, wherein said dual purpose fuel is stored in a fuel storage apparatus for an automotive spark ignition (SI) engine, and fed, as demanded, to the automotive spark ignition (SI) engine or to the fuel cell system from the fuel storage apparatus.

1 . A dual purpose fuel for use in both an automotive spark ignition (SI) engine and a fuel cell system wherein said fuel comprises hydrocarbons of 50 ppm by mass or less of sulfur content; 30 vol. % or more of saturates; 50 vol. % or less of aromatics; and 35 vol. % or less of olefins; wherein the ratio of paraffin in said saturates is 60 vol. % or more; the ratio of branched paraffin in said paraffin is 70 vol. % or more; the density of said hydrocarbons is 0.78 g/cm 3  or less; the initial boiling point in distillation is 24° C. or higher and 80° C. or lower, the 50 vol. % distillation temperature (T 50 ) is 60° C. or higher and 120° C. or lower, the 90 vol. % distillation temperature (T 90 ) is 100° C. or higher and 190° C. or lower, the final boiling point in distillation is 130° C. or higher and 230° C. or lower; the Reid vapor pressure of said hydrocarbons is 10 kPa or more and less than 100 kPa; and the research octane number of said hydrocarbons is 89.0 or more.  
     
     
         2 . A dual purpose fuel for use in both an automotive spark ignition (SI) engine and a fuel cell system according to  claim 1 , wherein said fuel exhibits total weighted demerits (TWD) of 40 or less based on the driveability assessment method at the intermediate temperature of CRC.  
     
     
         3 . A dual purpose fuel for use in both an automotive spark ignition (SI) engine and a fuel cell system according to  claim 1  or  2 , wherein said content of hydrocarbon compounds having four carbon atoms is 15 vol. % or less, the content of hydrocarbon compounds having five carbon atoms is 6 vol. % or more, the content of hydrocarbon compounds having six carbon atoms is 5 vol. % or more, a total content of hydrocarbon compounds having seven and eight carbon atoms is 20 vol. % or more, and the content of hydrocarbon compounds having ten or more carbon atoms is 20 vol. % or less.  
     
     
         4 . A dual purpose fuel for use in both an automotive spark ignition (SI) engine and a fuel cell system according to any one of  claims 1  to  3 , wherein heat capacity of the fuel is 2.6 kJ/kg° C. or less at 15° C. and 1 atm in liquid phase.  
     
     
         5 . A dual purpose fuel for use in both an automotive spark ignition (SI) engine and a fuel cell system according to any one of  claims 1  to  4 , wherein heat of vaporization is 400 kJ/kg or less.  
     
     
         6 . A dual purpose fuel for use in both an automotive spark ignition (SI) engine and a fuel cell system according to any one of  claims 1  to  5 , wherein oxidation stability of the fuel is 240 minutes or longer.  
     
     
         7 . A storage and/or supply system of the dual purpose fuel, wherein said dual purpose fuel according to any one of  claims 1  to  6  is stored in a fuel storage apparatus for an automotive spark ignition (SI) engine, and fed, as demanded, to the automotive spark ignition (SI) engine or to the fuel cell system from the fuel storage apparatus.  
     
     
         8 . A storage and/or supply system of the dual purpose fuel according to  claim 7 , wherein said fuel storage apparatus is formed of the existing storage apparatus for storing high-octane gasoline or regular gasoline.