Synergistic fuel composition for enhancing fuel cold flow properties

Abstract

Disclosed herein is a fuel oil composition describing a synergistic blend of petroleum based fuels with renewable fuels to enhance the combined fuel's cold temperature operability properties. The oil composition comprises a petroleum based component and a renewable fuel component.

1 . A composition for enhancing cold temperature operability of a fuel comprising a petroleum based component and a renewable based component. 
     
     
         2 . The composition of  claim 1 , wherein said petroleum based component is selected from the group consisting of a middle distillate fuel, a jet fuel, and a Fischer-Tropsch fuel. 
     
     
         3 . The composition of  claim 1 , wherein said petroleum based component comprises less then about 500 ppm by mass of sulfur. 
     
     
         4 . The composition of  claim 3 , wherein said petroleum based component comprises less then about 15 ppm by mass of sulfur. 
     
     
         5 . The composition of  claim 1 , wherein said renewable based component is selected from the group consisting of a product derived from the trans esterification of naturally occurring whole oils of plants or animals with an alcohol, the ester of a fatty acid derived from naturally occurring oils, and an alcohol. 
     
     
         6 . The composition of  claim 5 , wherein said natural oils are selected from the group consisting of Soy, Palm, Rapeseed, Linseed, Coconut, Corn, Cotton, Cooking, Sunflower, Safflower, Tallow, Lard, Yellow Grease, Fish Oils and blends thereof. 
     
     
         7 . A method of synergistically enhancing cold temperature operability of a fuel, comprising employing a combination of a petroleum based component and a renewable based component. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 7 , wherein said petroleum based component is selected from the group consisting of a middle distillate fuel, a jet fuel, and a Fischer-Tropsch fuel. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 7 , wherein said petroleum based component comprises less then about 500 ppm by mass of sulfur. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein said Petroleum Based Component comprises less then about 15 ppm by mass of sulfur. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 7 , wherein said renewable based component selected from the group consisting of product derived from the trans esterification of naturally occurring whole oils of plants or animals with an alcohol, or the ester of a fatty acid derived from naturally occurring oils, and an alcohol. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein said natural oils are selected from the group consisting of Soy, Palm, Rapeseed, Linseed, Coconut, Corn, Cotton, Cooking, Sunflower, Safflower, Tallow, Lard, Yellow Grease, Fish Oils, and blends thereof. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein said natural oil is Rapeseed ad blends thereof. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein said natural oil is Soy and blends thereof. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein said alcohol is selected from the group consisting of linear, branched, alkyl, aromatic, primary, secondary, tertiary, and polyols. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 7 , wherein said renewable based component is present in the fuel blend between about 0.1% to about 99.9% v/v of fuel blend. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein said renewable based component is present in the fuel blend between about 1% to about 50% v/v of fuel blend. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 17 , wherein said renewable based component is present in the fuel blend between about 2% to about 25% v/v of fuel blend. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the synergistic fuel blend combination of a further comprise one or more additives selected from the group consisting of: (a) low temperature operability/cold flow additives, (b) corrosion inhibitors, (c) cetane improvers, (d) detergents, (e) lubricity improvers, (f) dyes and markers, (g) anti-icing additives, (h) demulsifiers/anti haze additives, (i) antioxidants, (j) metal deactivators, (k) biocides, (l) thermal stabilizers (m) antifoams, (n) static dissipater additives, and combinations thereof. 
     
     
         20 . A method for operating an internal combustion engine such as a compression-ignition engine using as fuel for the engine a petroleum based component and a renewable based component, wherein said combination synergistically enhances cold temperature operability of said fuel.