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 an aviation fuel 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 a petroleum fuel, and the low carbon fuel has at least two performance characteristic values measurable by ASTM tests which are 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 measurable by ASTM tests which are at least about 5% improved than corresponding performance characteristic values of the petroleum fuel.
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 sulfur content of the low carbon fuel is less than 5 ppm.
4. The blended fuel of claim 1 , wherein the low carbon fuel is a thermochemically processed low carbon fuel.
5. The blended fuel of claim 1 , wherein the low carbon fuel is kerosene-based.
6. The blended fuel of claim 1 , wherein the petroleum derived fuel and the low carbon fuel are blended in fuel trucks.
7. The blended fuel of claim 1 , wherein the petroleum derived fuel and the low carbon fuel are splash blended.