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 at least two performance characteristic values measurable by ASTM tests which are at least about 30% improved than corresponding performance characteristic values of the petroleum fuel; 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 has a sulfur content that is at least 30% lower than the petroleum fuel.
3. The blended fuel of claim 1 , wherein the cetane number of the low carbon diesel fuel is at least 30% higher than the cetane number of the petroleum diesel fuel measured by ASTM D613.
4. The blended fuel of claim 3 , wherein the cetane number of the low carbon fuel is greater than about 65 measured by ASTM D 613.
5. The blended fuel of claim 1 , wherein the sulfur content of the low carbon fuel is less than 5 ppm.
6. The blended fuel of claim 1 , wherein the low carbon fuel is a thermochemically processed low carbon fuel.
7. The blended fuel of claim 6 , wherein the thermochemical process comprises the conversion of renewable biomass feedstock into syngas.
8. 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 liquid 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 at least two performance characteristic values measurable by ASTM tests which are at least about 30% improved than corresponding performance characteristic values of the petroleum fuel; 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
thereby producing a blended fuel.
9. The process of claim 8 , wherein the renewable feedstock comprises waste animal fats.
10. The process of claim 8 , wherein the renewable feedstock comprises vegetable oil.
11. The process of claim 8 , wherein the low carbon fuel has a sulfur content that is at least 30% lower than the petroleum fuel.
12. The process of claim 8 , wherein the cetane number of the low carbon diesel fuel is at least 30% higher than the cetane number of the petroleum diesel fuel measured by ASTM D613.
13. The process of claim 8 , wherein the cetane number of the low carbon fuel is greater than about 65 measured by ASTM D 613.
14. The process of claim 8 , wherein the sulfur content of the low carbon fuel is less than 5 ppm.
15. 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 the low carbon fuel has at least two performance characteristic values measurable by ASTM tests which are at least about 30% improved than corresponding performance characteristic values of the petroleum fuel; 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.
16. The blended fuel of claim 15 , wherein the low carbon fuel has a sulfur content that is at least 30% lower than the petroleum fuel.
17. The blended fuel of claim 15 , wherein the cetane number of the low carbon diesel fuel is at least 30% higher than the cetane number of the petroleum diesel fuel measured by ASTM D613.
18. The blended fuel of claim 15 , wherein the cetane number of the low carbon fuel is greater than about 65 measured by ASTM D 613.