Ammonia-based fuel for compression engines containing a combustion enhancement additive
The invention relates to a compression ignition engine fuel comprising 95.0% to 99.9% by weight ammonia and 0.01% to 5.0% by weight of an alkyl nitrate or mixture of alkyl nitrates.
1. A compression ignition engine fuel comprising 95.0% to 99.9% by weight ammonia and 0.01% to 5.0% by weight of an alkyl nitrate, wherein said alkyl nitrate is selected from the group consisting of 2-ethylhexyl nitrate, cyclohexyl nitrate, dodecyl nitrate, n-nonyl nitrate, 2-tetradecyl-1-octadecyl nitrate, hexyl nitrate, 2-octyl nitrate, isononyl nitrate, 2-propylheptyl nitrate, a mixture of C 9 to C 13 branched alkyl nitrates, and mixtures thereof.
2. The fuel of claim 1 , comprising 0.05% to 2.0% by weight of said alkyl nitrate.
3. The fuel of claim 1 , comprising 0.1% to 0.8% by weight of said alkyl nitrate or a mixture of alkyl nitrates.
4. The fuel of claim 1 , which consists of 95.0% to 99.9% by weight of said ammonia and 0.01% to 5.0% by weight of said alkyl nitrate.
5. The fuel of claim 1 , wherein the alkyl nitrate is 2-ethylhexyl nitrate.
6. A method of obtaining a fuel as defined in claim 1 , which comprises mixing the alkyl nitrate and liquefied or gaseous ammonia.
7. The method of claim 6 , wherein the liquefied ammonia and the alkyl nitrate are mixed in an engine tank.
8. The method of claim 6 , wherein the liquefied ammonia and the alkyl nitrate are mixed in an injector.
9. The method of claim 6 , wherein the liquefied or gaseous ammonia and the alkyl nitrate are mixed in a premix chamber of an engine.
10. A method of reducing the ignition delay of an ammonia-based fuel, which comprises adding from 0.01% to 5.0% by weight of an alkyl nitrate to said ammonia-based fuel.
11. The method of claim 10 , comprising adding from 0.05% to 2.0% by weight of alkyl nitrate to the ammonia-based fuel.
12. The method of claim 10 , comprising adding from 0.1% to 0.8% by weight of alkyl nitrate to the ammonia-based fuel.
13. The method of claim 10 , wherein the alkyl nitrate is a linear alkyl nitrate having from 4 to 36 carbon atoms, a branched alkyl nitrate having from 4 to 36 carbon atoms, a cyclic alkyl nitrate having from 5 to 18 carbon atoms, or a mixture of these nitrates.
14. The method of claim 10 , wherein the alkyl nitrate is selected from the group consisting of 2-ethylhexyl nitrate, cyclohexyl nitrate, dodecyl nitrate, n-nonyl nitrate, 2-tetradecyl-1-octadecyl nitrate, hexyl nitrate, 2-octyl nitrate, isononyl nitrate, 2-propylheptyl nitrate, mixtures of C 9 to C 13 branched alkyl nitrates, and mixtures thereof.
15. The method of claim 10 , wherein the alkyl nitrate is 2-ethylhexyl nitrate.
16. The method of claim 10 , wherein a fuel formulation resulting from said method consists of ammonia and the alkyl nitrate.
17. The fuel of claim 1 , consisting essentially of said ammonia and said alkyl nitrate.
18. The method of claim 10 , wherein a fuel formulation resulting from said method consists essentially of ammonia and said alkyl nitrate.