Blends of low carbon and conventional fuels with improved performance characteristics
The present invention provides a blended fuel and methods for producing the blended fuel, wherein a low carbon fuel derived from a renewable resource such as biomass, is blended with a traditional, petroleum derived fuel. A blended fuel which includes greater than 10% by volume of low carbon fuel has an overall improved lifecycle greenhouse gas content of about 5% or more compared to the petroleum derived fuel. Also, blending of the low carbon fuel to the traditional, petroleum fuel improves various engine performance characteristics of the traditional fuel.
1. A blended fuel comprising:
a) a petroleum fuel; and
b) a low carbon fuel wherein the low carbon fuel is a hydrocarbon that has a well-to-wheels greenhouse gas content which is at least about 50% lower than a well-to-wheels greenhouse gas content of the petroleum fuel, and the low carbon fuel has a sulfur content of less than 5 ppm and a cetane number greater than 65; and
wherein the blended fuel has a well-to-wheels greenhouse gas content which is at least 5% lower than the well-to-wheels greenhouse gas content of the petroleum fuel, and the blended fuel has at least two performance characteristic values selected from a group of performance characteristic values consisting of cetane number and sulfur content which are at least about 5% improved than corresponding performance characteristic values of the petroleum fuel, wherein the blended fuel is a non-ester hydrocarbon fuel that meets the specification of ASTM D975.
2. The blended fuel of claim 1 , wherein the low carbon fuel is a renewable biomass feedstock-based fuel.
3. The blended fuel of claim 2 , wherein the renewable biomass feedstock comprises one or more of the following: renewable plant material, waste material, animal fats, oils and greases.
4. The blended fuel of claim 3 , wherein the low carbon fuel is a hydroprocessed renewable biomass feedstock-based fuel.
5. The blended fuel of claim 1 , wherein the oxidative stability of the low carbon fuel is at least about 30% improved over the oxidative stability of the petroleum fuel, and wherein the oxidative stability of the blended fuel is at least about 5% improved over the oxidative stability of the petroleum fuel.
6. The blended fuel of claim 1 , wherein the lubricity of the low carbon fuel is at least about 30% improved over the lubricity of the petroleum fuel, and wherein the lubricity of the blended fuel is at least about 5% improved over the lubricity of the petroleum fuel.
7. A process for producing a blended fuel comprising:
a) hydroprocessing renewable biomass thereby converting it into a low carbon fuel;
b) blending the low carbon fuel with a petroleum fuel
wherein the low carbon fuel has a well-to-wheels greenhouse gas content which is at least about 50% lower than a well-to-wheels greenhouse gas content of the petroleum fuel, and the low carbon fuel has a sulfur content of less than 5 ppm and a cetane number greater than 65; and
wherein the blended fuel has a well-to-wheels greenhouse gas content which is at least 5% lower than the well-to-wheels greenhouse gas content of the petroleum fuel, and the blended fuel has at least two performance characteristic values selected from a group of performance characteristic values consisting of cetane number and sulfur content which are at least about 5% improved than corresponding performance characteristic values of the petroleum fuel, wherein the blended fuel meets the specification of ASTM D975.
8. The process of claim 7 , wherein the renewable biomass comprises one or more of the following: renewable plant material, waste material, animal fats, oils and greases.
9. The process of claim 7 , wherein the renewable biomass is animal fats.
10. The process of claim 7 , wherein the renewable biomass is oils or greases.
11. A blended fuel consisting essentially of:
a) a petroleum fuel; and
b) a low carbon fuel
wherein the low carbon fuel is a hydrocarbon that has a well-to-wheels greenhouse gas content which is at least about 50% lower than a well-to-wheels greenhouse gas content of the petroleum fuel, and wherein the low carbon fuel has a sulfur content of less than 5 ppm and a cetane number greater than 65; and
wherein the blended fuel has at least two performance characteristic values selected from a group of performance characteristic values consisting of cetane number and sulfur content which are at least about 5% improved than corresponding performance characteristic values of the petroleum fuel, wherein the blended fuel is a non-ester hydrocarbon fuel that meets the specification of ASTM D975.
12. The blended fuel of claim 11 , wherein the low carbon fuel is a renewable biomass feedstock-based fuel.
13. The blended fuel of claim 12 , wherein the renewable biomass feedstock is one or more of the following: renewable plant material, waste material, animal fats, oils and greases.
14. The blended fuel of claim 11 , wherein the low carbon fuel is a hydroprocessed renewable biomass feedstock-based fuel.
15. The blended fuel of claim 11 , wherein the oxidative stability of the low carbon fuel is at least about 30% improved over the oxidative stability of the petroleum fuel, and wherein the oxidative stability of the blended fuel is at least about 5% improved over the oxidative stability of the petroleum fuel.
16. The blended fuel of claim 11 , wherein the lubricity of the low carbon fuel is at least about 30% improved over the lubricity of the petroleum fuel, and wherein the lubricity of the blended fuel is at least about 5% improved over the lubricity of the petroleum fuel.
17. The blended fuel of claim 14 , wherein the renewable biomass feedstock is animal fats.
18. The blended fuel of claim 14 , wherein the renewable biomass feedstock is oils or greases.