CN-117222725-B - Fuel composition

Abstract

Disclosed is a fuel composition comprising (a) a base fuel suitable for use in an internal combustion engine; (b) a tetraalkylalkylethane compound having the formula (I) wherein Ar represents an aryl group and each X is independently selected from a hydrogen atom, a substituted or unsubstituted linear or branched C 1 -C 12 alkyl group, (CH 2 ) n OH or (CH 2 ) n NH 2 ) wherein n is in the range of 1 to 9, provided that at least one of the X groups in each CX 3 group is a hydrogen atom.

Inventors

• T.K. Bella
• ARNEL JOHNSON KENNETH
• A.A. Aladdi

Assignees

• 国际壳牌研究有限公司

Dates

Publication Date

20260512

Application Date

20220421

Priority Date

20210426

Claims (17)

1. 1. A liquid fuel composition comprising: (a) A base fuel suitable for use in an internal combustion engine, wherein the base fuel is a gasoline base fuel; (b) A tetraalkylalkylethane compound having formula (I): (I) Wherein Ar represents an aryl group and each X is independently selected from a hydrogen atom, a substituted or unsubstituted linear or branched C 1 -C 12 alkyl group, provided that at least one of the X groups in each CX 3 group is a hydrogen atom, wherein the tetraalkylalkane compound is present in the fuel composition at a level of from 2000ppm to 10 wt% based on the weight of the fuel composition, and (C) Nitroxide radicals having formula (II): (II) Wherein R 1 、R 2 、R 3 and R 4 are independently selected from alkyl groups or heteroatom substituted alkyl groups, and wherein R 5 and R 6 are any atom or group other than hydrogen capable of covalent bonding to carbon, wherein the nitroxide radical is present in the fuel composition at a level of from 2000ppm wt% to 2wt% based on the weight of the fuel composition.
2. 2. The liquid fuel composition of claim 1, wherein R 1 、R 2 、R 3 and R 4 are independently selected from a methyl group, an ethyl group, or a propyl group, and wherein R 5 and R 6 form part of a 4 carbon atom or 5 carbon atom ring.
3. 3. The liquid fuel composition of claim 1 or 2, wherein the nitroxide radical has formula (III): (III) Wherein R 5 、R 6 and R 7 are independently selected from the group consisting of-CR 'R' -, wherein each R Independently selected from hydrogen, hydroxyl groups, alkyl groups or alkoxy groups.
4. 4. The liquid fuel composition of claim 1 or 2, wherein the nitroxide radical comprises a2, 6-tetramethyl-1-piperidinyloxy radical.
5. 5. The liquid fuel composition according to claim 1 or 2, wherein Ar of the tetraalkylalkylethane compound is a substituted or unsubstituted aromatic group selected from phenyl, biphenyl, naphthyl, thienyl, or anthracenyl.
6. 6. The liquid fuel composition according to claim 1 or 2, wherein Ar is an unsubstituted phenyl group.
7. 7. The liquid fuel composition according to claim 1 or 2, wherein each X is independently selected from a hydrogen atom, an unsubstituted, linear or branched C 1 -C 6 alkyl group, provided that at least one of the X groups in each CX 3 group is a hydrogen atom.
8. 8. The liquid fuel composition according to claim 1 or 2, wherein each X is independently (CH 2 ) n O or (CH 2 ) n NH 2 ), wherein n is in the range of 1 to 9, provided that at least one of the X groups in each CX 3 group is a hydrogen atom.
9. 9. The liquid fuel composition according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the tetraalkylalkylethane compound is 1,1' (1, 2-tetramethyl-1, 1-ethanediyl) bis-benzene.
10. 10. The liquid fuel composition of claim 1 or 2, wherein the nitroxide radical is present in the fuel composition at a level of 2500ppm to 1 wt% based on the weight of the fuel composition.
11. 11. The liquid fuel composition of claim 1 or 2, wherein the tetraalkylalkane compound is present in the fuel composition at a level of from 2500ppm to 5wt% based on the weight of the fuel composition.
12. 12. The liquid fuel composition of claim 1 or 2, wherein the base fuel comprises less than 10% by volume aromatics based on total base fuel.
13. 13. The liquid fuel composition of claim 1 or 2, wherein the base fuel comprises less than 2% by volume of aromatic compounds having 9 or more carbon atoms, based on total base fuel.
14. 14. A method for improving the power output of an internal combustion engine, wherein the method comprises fueling the engine with a liquid fuel composition according to any one of claims 1 to 13.
15. 15. A method for improving acceleration of an internal combustion engine, wherein the method comprises fueling the engine with a liquid fuel composition according to any one of claims 1 to 13.
16. 16. A method of reducing the duration of combustion of a fuel composition in an internal combustion engine, the method comprising fueling the internal combustion engine with a liquid fuel composition according to any one of claims 1 to 13.
17. 17. A method for increasing the flame speed of a fuel composition in an internal combustion engine, the method comprising fueling the internal combustion engine with a liquid fuel composition according to any one of claims 1 to 13.

Description

Fuel composition Technical Field The present invention relates to liquid fuel compositions, in particular liquid fuel compositions having improved power and/or acceleration properties. The present invention also relates to a method of improving the power and/or acceleration properties of an internal combustion engine by fueling the internal combustion engine with a liquid fuel composition as described below. Background Laminar combustion speed (also referred to as "flame speed") is the basic combustion property of any fuel/air mixture. As taught in SAE 2012-01-1742, formulating a gasoline fuel blend with faster combustion speeds can be an effective strategy to enhance engine and vehicle performance. Faster burning fuels may result in better combustion phasing, resulting in more efficient energy transfer, and thus faster acceleration and better performance. The Ignition Delay Time (IDT) is increased sufficiently to allow optimization of spark timing during the power stroke in a spark-ignition internal combustion engine (SI-ICE), which provides the best opportunity to calibrate optimum efficiency. In addition, if the fuel is changed such that the increase in ignition delay time is caused by the inhibition of chemical radical reactions occurring before the spark, and the shift of these same reactions further increases the temperature/pressure trace of the cycle occurring after the spark, then combustion improvement can be achieved by increased flame speed, resulting in shorter combustion duration. The ability to jointly control flame speed and combustion duration enables SI-ICE to be calibrated to achieve an optimal balance between fuel economy, power and acceleration, expressed in terms of "thermal efficiency break" (BTE). It has now surprisingly been found that the use of specific additive components or combinations of additive components in a liquid fuel composition can provide benefits in terms of increasing flame speed, decreasing combustion duration, increasing combustion rate, improving power output, improving acceleration performance, and improving fuel economy. Surprisingly, the present invention achieves this without affecting the Ignition Delay Time (IDT). Disclosure of Invention According to the present invention, there is provided a fuel composition comprising: (a) A base fuel suitable for use in an internal combustion engine; (b) A tetraalkylalkylethane compound having formula (I): Wherein Ar represents an aryl group and each X is independently selected from a hydrogen atom, a substituted or unsubstituted linear or branched C 1-C6 alkyl group, OH, (CH 2)nOH、(CH2)nNH2) wherein n is 1 to 9, provided that at least one of the X groups in each CX 3 group is a hydrogen atom. It has surprisingly been found that the fuel compositions of the present invention provide increased flame speed, reduced combustion duration, increased combustion rate, improved power output and improved acceleration performance. Surprisingly, the present invention achieves this without affecting the Ignition Delay Time (IDT). According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method of improving the power output of an internal combustion engine, the method comprising fueling the internal combustion engine with a liquid fuel composition as described below. According to yet another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method of improving acceleration of an internal combustion engine, the method comprising fueling the internal combustion engine with a liquid fuel composition as described below. According to yet another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method of increasing the flame speed of a liquid fuel composition in an internal combustion engine, the method comprising fueling the internal combustion engine with the liquid fuel composition described below. According to yet another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method of reducing the duration of combustion of a liquid fuel composition in an internal combustion engine, the method comprising fueling the internal combustion engine with the liquid fuel composition described below. According to yet another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method of increasing the burn rate of a liquid fuel composition in an internal combustion engine, the method comprising fueling the internal combustion engine with the liquid fuel composition described below. According to a further aspect of the present invention there is provided the use of a liquid fuel composition as described herein for improving power output. According to a further aspect of the present invention there is provided the use of a liquid fuel composition as described herein for improving acceleration. According to yet another aspect of the present invention there is provided the use of a liquid fuel composition for increasing flame speed. According to yet another aspect of the present invention there is provided the use of a liquid fu