Systems and methods for utilizing alcohol fuels

Abstract

Methods, systems, and devices are disclosed for producing, storing and using alcohol fuels. In one aspect of the disclosed technology, a method to provide a fuel for an engine includes mixing an alcohol with water to produce a wet alcohol, adding a fuel constituent in the wet alcohol to form a liquid fuel, the fuel constituent being soluble in the wet alcohol, and converting, in a container having an interior formed of an armored material, the liquid fuel into a gaseous fuel substance using at least one of heat energy or electrical energy to pressurize the liquid fuel, the gaseous fuel substance exhibiting a higher pressure and lower density than that of the liquid fuel.

I/We claim: 
     
         1 . A method for preparing a gaseous fuel, comprising:
 providing a wet alcohol;   adding a fuel constituent to the wet alcohol to form a liquid fuel; and   converting the liquid fuel to form a gaseous fuel,   wherein the gaseous fuel has a lower fuel density than the liquid fuel.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the wet alcohol comprises an alcohol and water. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein the alcohol and water are mixed to form the wet alcohol prior to adding the fuel constituent. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein the alcohol and water are co-produced. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 4 , wherein the alcohol and water are co-produced by reacting hydrogen with carbon dioxide. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 5 , wherein at least a portion of the hydrogen and carbon are produced by heating a hydrocarbon feedstock. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1  further comprising adding an odorizing agent to the wet alcohol and/or the liquid fuel. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the converting comprises applying heat to the liquid fuel. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the converting comprises applying electrical energy to the liquid fuel. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the converting comprises applying heat and electrical energy to the liquid fuel. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the converting occurs in an armored container. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the gaseous fuel has a higher chemical energy potential and/or a higher pressure energy potential than the liquid fuel. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein the gaseous fuel has one or more of:
 a lower availability to be ingested by animals or plants than the alcohol;   a shorter half-life as a contaminant than the liquid fuel; and   a shorter time of dispersion upon leakage than the liquid fuel.   
     
     
         14 . A method for providing a gaseous fuel to a combustion chamber, the method comprising:
 providing a wet alcohol;   adding a fuel constituent to the wet alcohol to form a liquid fuel;   converting the liquid fuel to form a gaseous fuel; and   delivering the gaseous fuel to a combustion chamber,   wherein the gaseous fuel has a lower fuel density than the liquid fuel.   
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein the wet alcohol comprises an alcohol and water. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein the alcohol and water are mixed to form the wet alcohol prior to adding the fuel constituent. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein the alcohol and water are co-produced. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 17 , wherein the alcohol and water are co-produced by reacting hydrogen with carbon dioxide. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 18 , wherein at least a portion of the hydrogen and carbon are produced by heating a hydrocarbon feedstock. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 14  further comprising adding an odorizing agent to the wet alcohol and/or the liquid fuel. 
     
     
         21 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein the converting comprises applying heat to the liquid fuel. 
     
     
         22 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein the converting comprises applying electrical energy to the liquid fuel. 
     
     
         23 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein the converting comprises applying heat and electrical energy to the liquid fuel. 
     
     
         24 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein the converting occurs in an armored container. 
     
     
         25 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein the delivering occurs through an armored conduit. 
     
     
         26 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein the gaseous fuel has a higher chemical energy potential and/or a higher pressure energy potential than the liquid fuel. 
     
     
         27 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein the gaseous fuel has one or more of:
 a lower availability to be ingested by animals or plants than the alcohol;   a shorter half-life as a contaminant than the alcohol; and   a shorter time of dispersion upon leakage than the alcohol.   
     
     
         28 . A method for providing gaseous components to a combustion chamber, the method comprising:
 providing a liquid fuel comprising an alcohol and water;   passing the liquid fuel through a countercurrent heat exchanger in a first direction to form a heated liquid fuel;   passing the heated liquid fuel through an endothermic reactor and/or a heat exchanger to form pressurized gaseous components;   passing the pressurized gaseous components through the countercurrent heat exchanger in a second direction opposite from the first direction to form cooled pressurized gaseous components; and   introducing the cooled pressurized gaseous components into the combustion chamber,   wherein the cooled pressurized gaseous components have a lower fuel density than the liquid fuel and/or the heated liquid fuel.   
     
     
         29 . The method of  claim 28 , wherein the liquid fuel further comprises an odorizing agent. 
     
     
         30 . The method of  claim 28 , wherein the liquid fuel further comprises a fuel constituent. 
     
     
         31 . The method of  claim 28 , wherein the endothermic reactor and/or the heat exchanger is armored. 
     
     
         32 . The method of  claim 28 , wherein the introducing occurs through an armored conduit. 
     
     
         33 . The method of  claim 28 , wherein countercurrent heat exchanger is within an exhaust pipe. 
     
     
         34 . The method of  claim 33  further comprising collecting water condensates from the exhaust pipe and 
     
     
         35 . The method of  claim 33  further comprising:
 collecting water condensates from the exhaust pipe; 
 mixing the water condensates with an alcohol to form a second liquid fuel; and 
 delivering the second liquid fuel to the countercurrent heat exchanger. 
 
     
     
         36 . The method of  claim 28 , wherein the cooled pressurized gaseous components have a higher chemical energy potential and/or a higher pressure energy potential than the liquid fuel. 
     
     
         37 . The method of  claim 28 , wherein the cooled pressurized gaseous components have one or more of:
 a lower availability to be ingested by animals or plants than the alcohol;   a shorter half-life as a contaminant than the alcohol; and   a shorter time of dispersion upon leakage than the alcohol.   
     
     
         38 . A method for producing a gaseous fuel substance, the method comprising:
 forming a liquid fuel comprising formic acid;   adding a fuel constituent to the liquid fuel to form a mixture; and   applying heat and/or electrical energy to the mixture to form the gaseous fuel substance,   wherein the gaseous fuel substance has a lower fuel density than the liquid fuel.   
     
     
         39 . The method of  claim 38 , wherein the liquid fuel further comprises an alcohol and/or water. 
     
     
         40 . The method of  claim 39 , wherein the gaseous fuel substance has one or more of:
 a lower availability to be ingested by animals or plants than the alcohol;   a shorter half-life as a contaminant than the alcohol; and   a shorter time of dispersion upon leakage than the alcohol.