Renewable Methanol-Ethanol Blend Fuels for Use in Internal Combustion Engines

Abstract

A fuel composition for internal combustion engines manufactured from renewable fuel feedstocks, primarily simple alcohols, and including a fraction of water and optionally other additives. Using high efficiency General Cycle engines fueled by this alcohol fuel blend gives exceptional efficiency, especially in heavy transportation and off-road heavy equipment scenarios. An alcohol fuel blend provides low-cost manufacturing, production at high volume, lowest emissions, high process lifecycle efficiency, low environmental impact, and minimal impact on transport norms.

Therefore, having described our invention in its preferred embodiments, we claim: 
     
         1 . A high efficiency engine and fuel combination comprising:
 a) an internal combustion engine having a compression ratio greater than 19 and an Atkinson ratio greater than 1.1; and   b) a fuel mixture which is combusted in combination with air within the engine, the fuel having the following mixture, the total of all components adding to 100%, the fuel mixture comprising methanol and/or ethanol and having the following formulation:   
       
         
           
                 
                 
                 
               
                     
                     
                 
                     
                   Methanol 
                   0% to 80% 
                 
                     
                   Ethanol 
                   0% to 80% 
                 
                     
                   Water 
                   0% to 25% 
                 
                     
                   Cetane improver 
                   0% to 20% 
                 
                     
                   Other additives 
                   0% to 20%. 
                 
                     
                     
                 
             
                
               
               
                
                
                
                
                
                
               
            
           
         
       
     
     
         2 . The high efficiency engine and fuel combination of  claim 1  wherein the fuel mixture is absent any fossil derived hydrocarbon component. 
     
     
         3 . The high efficiency engine and fuel combination of  claim 1  wherein the fuel mixture has a fossil derived hydrocarbon component less than 15%. 
     
     
         4 . The high efficiency engine and fuel combination of  claim 1  wherein the fuel mixture has a 50% or greater percentage of methanol. 
     
     
         5 . A fuel mixture, the total of all components in the mixture adding to 100%, the fuel mixture comprising the following percentages by weight: 
       
         
           
                 
                 
                 
                 
               
                     
                     
                 
                     
                   a) 
                   Methanol 
                   20% to 80%; 
                 
                     
                   b) 
                   Ethanol 
                   10% to 80%; 
                 
                     
                   c) 
                   Water 
                    1% to 25%; 
                 
                     
                   d) 
                   Cetane improver 
                    0% to 20%; 
                 
                     
                   e) 
                   Other additives 
                    0% to 20%. 
                 
                     
                     
                 
             
                
               
               
                
                
                
                
                
                
               
            
           
         
       
     
     
         6 . The fuel mixture of  claim 5  wherein the fuel mixture is absent any fossil derived component. 
     
     
         7 . The fuel mixture of  claim 5  wherein the fuel mixture contains fossil derived components totaling less than 15% by weight. 
     
     
         8 . The fuel mixture of  claim 5  wherein the fuel mixture has a 50% or greater percentage of methanol by weight. 
     
     
         9 . A high efficiency engine and fuel combination comprising an alcohol-blend fuel of primarily methanol and/or ethanol used in a high compression engine operating on the principles of the General Cycle. 
     
     
         10 . The high efficiency engine and fuel combination of  claim 9  wherein the engine utilizes compression ignition and a compression ratio of 19 or greater and an Atkinson ratio of 1.1 or greater. 
     
     
         11 . The high efficiency engine and fuel combination of  claim 9  wherein the engine has spark ignition and a compression ratio of 15 or greater. 
     
     
         12 . The high efficiency engine and fuel combination of  claim 9  wherein the engine obtains an energy conversion efficiency of greater than 50%. 
     
     
         13 . A process for manufacturing a fuel blend of primarily simple alcohols, comprising:
 a) producing ethanol in a fermentation process from starch containing biomass, and in the process having CO 2  produced as a by-product;   b) producing H 2  gas by electrolysis of water;   c) using the CO 2  produced from step (a) and the H 2  produced from step (b) as feedstocks in the production of methanol;   d) producing an alcohol-blend fuel comprising the ethanol from step (a) and the methanol from step (c).   
     
     
         14 . The process for manufacturing a fuel blend of  claim 13  further comprising addition of a cetane improver. 
     
     
         15 . The process for manufacturing a fuel blend of  claim 14  wherein the cetane improver is dimethyl ether, produced by a dehydration reaction of some of the methanol. 
     
     
         16 . The process for manufacturing a fuel blend of  claim 13  further comprising addition of a lubricity improver. 
     
     
         17 . The process for manufacturing a fuel blend of  claim 13  wherein the ethanol production step includes water in the process, and not all of the water is removed, a portion of the water being included as fuel component in the fuel blend. 
     
     
         18 . The process for manufacturing a fuel blend of  claim 17  wherein the water percentage in the final fuel blend is 1% to 25%.