Water in fuel nanoemulsion and method of making the same

Abstract

The present disclosure is directed to a composition and method for producing a nanoemulsion comprising fuel and water. The composition and method can produce a transparent and stable water in fuel nanoemulsion. The disclosure is directed to various surfactants and water contents that may be usable to improve fuel efficiency and reduced carbon emissions that plague known fuels.

1 . A clear nanoemulsion fuel that is 20 to 40 weight percent water resulting from the following steps:
 providing an oleaginous base fuel;   adding water in an amount of 20 to 40 weight percent to said resulting clear nanoemulsion fuel;   providing a first surfactant mixture comprising, in substantially equal weight ratios, polyethylene glycol tert-octylphenyl ether, sorbitan monooleate, and polyoxyethylene (20) sorbitan monooleate;   adding the first surfactant mixture to the water and the base fuel;   high-speed mixing the first surfactant mixture, water, and base fuel mixture at a temperature between 40 and 50 degrees Celsius to create a homogeneous milky product cooled to room temperature;   providing a second surfactant mixture comprising in substantially equal weight ratios polyoxyethylene (20) sorbitan monooleate and sorbitan monooleate;   adding the second surfactant mixture to the homogeneous milky product;   high-speed mixing the second surfactant mixture and the homogeneous milky product at a temperature between 40 and 50 degrees Celsius; and   continuing to mix the second surfactant mixture and the homogeneous milky product mixture while cooling the mixture to between 20 and 25 degrees Celsius to create said clear nanoemulsion fuel.   
     
     
         2 . The clear nanoemulsion fuel of  claim 1  wherein the step of adding the first surfactant mixture to the water and the base fuel further comprises adding a first additive of ethylene glycol and a second additive of hexadecane. 
     
     
         3 . The clear nanoemulsion fuel of  claim 1  wherein the base fuel is selected from the group consisting of diesel, biodiesel, gasoline, kerosene, mineral oil, synthetic oil, fuel oil, bunker oil, jet oil, and Fuel #4. 
     
     
         4 . A nanoemulsion fuel comprising:
 an external oleaginous phase comprised of base fuel more than 35 weight percent but less than 80 weight percent;   an internal aqueous phase comprised of water more than 10 weight percent but less than 50 wt percent; and   a surfactant mixture comprising a first nonionic surfactant, a second nonionic surfactant and a third nonionic surfactant in substantially equal weight ratios, wherein the first surfactant has a HLB value above 11, the second surfactant has a HLB value below 5, and the third surfactant has a HLB value above 11.   
     
     
         5 . The nanoemulsion fuel of  claim 4  further comprising:
 a first additive comprising an alkane glycol less than 7 weight percent. 
 
     
     
         6 . The nanoemulsion fuel of  claim 4  further comprising:
 a second additive comprising an alkane hydrocarbon less than 3 weight percent. 
 
     
     
         7 . The nanoemulsion fuel of  claim 4  wherein the first surfactant comprises a hydrophilic polyethylene oxide chain and an aromatic hydrocarbon lipophilic or hydrophobic group. 
     
     
         8 . The nanoemulsion fuel of  claim 7  wherein the second surfactant and the third surfactant are derived from sorbitol and a fatty acid. 
     
     
         9 . The nanoemulsion fuel of  claim 8  wherein the third surfactant is polyoxyethylene (20) sorbitan monooleate and the second surfactant is sorbitan monooleate. 
     
     
         10 . The nanoemulsion fuel of  claim 9  wherein the nanoemulsion is mixed with a second surfactant mixture comprised of the first surfactant and the second surfactant to form a stable nanoemulsion fuel. 
     
     
         11 . The nanoemulsion fuel of  claim 10  wherein the base fuel is selected from diesel, biodiesel, gasoline, kerosene, mineral oil, synthetic oil, fuel oil, bunker oil, jet oil, and Fuel #4. 
     
     
         12 . A nanoemulsion fuel comprising:
 an external oleaginous phase comprised of base fuel;   an internal aqueous phase comprised of water; and   a surfactant mixture comprised of a plurality of surfactants, the first surfactant derived from ethylene oxide, the second surfactant and the third surfactant are detergents having a fatty acid.   
     
     
         13 . The nanoemulsion fuel of  claim 12  further comprising:
 a first additive comprising an alkane glycol less than 7 weight percent. 
 
     
     
         14 . The nanoemulsion fuel of  claim 12  further comprising:
 a second additive comprising an alkane hydrocarbon less than 3 weight percent. 
 
     
     
         15 . The nanoemulsion fuel of  claim 12  wherein the first surfactant comprises a hydrophilic polyethylene oxide chain and an aromatic hydrocarbon lipophilic or hydr16/ophobic group. 
     
     
         16 . The nanoemulsion fuel of  claim 15  wherein the second surfactant and the third surfactant are derived from sorbitol and a fatty acid. 
     
     
         17 . The nanoemulsion fuel of  claim 16  wherein the third surfactant is polyoxyethylene (20) sorbitan monooleate and the second surfactant is sorbitan monooleate. 
     
     
         18 . The nanoemulsion fuel of  claim 17  wherein a nanoemulsion is formed from mixing the base fuel and water with a first surfactant mixture comprising equal weight percentages of the first, second and third surfactants. 
     
     
         19 . The nanoemulsion fuel of  claim 18  wherein the nanoemulsion is mixed with a second surfactant mixture comprised of the first surfactant and the second surfactant to form a stable nanoemulsion fuel. 
     
     
         20 . The nanoemulsion fuel of  claim 19  wherein the base fuel is selected from diesel, biodiesel, gasoline, kerosene, mineral oil, synthetic oil, fuel oil, bunker oil, jet oil, and Fuel #4, and further wherein the weight percentage of water is at least 10 percent.