LIQUIFIED FUEL GAS AND PROCESS FOR MAKING AND USING THE SAME

Abstract: Base hydrocarbon liquid, preferably dimethylmethane (propane), is fortified with 4 % to 10 % of a mixture of methylethylketone plus C4 H10 O or C4 H10 O2 group hydrocarbons plus activated carbon as a catalyst to make an azeotropic mixture. Better performance of a motor vehicle and lower emissions can be obtained. Under water cutting can be performed with as little as 95 % oxygen.

Description: Liquified Fuel Gas and Process for Making and Using the Same Technical Field The present invention relates to fuel gas used as a torch fuel for cutting and/or welding also as an automotive fuel, the combustion qualities altered by the use of additives. Background Art Various formulations in the market place are non composed of methacetylene, plus propadiene, plus propane. Also used are propylene and bytane or bytane. Ather groups use propane with methanol additive. These mixtures are primarily methanical in that each component retains its own boiling point. All of these liguified fuel gasses were designed to be a replace ment for acetylene which is a gas dissolued in acetone with in a media. A liquified fuel gas occupies almost one fifthi the vocume of a dissolued gas making the cost of shipping and handling lower. Liquified fuel gasses can be used at higaer operating pressures and their cost is generally lower. Disclosure of the Invention. The principal objects of this invention are to provide a liquified fuel gas which has a higher flame SUBSTITUTE SHEET temperature, a faster rate of burning and lower emission of pollutants. A particular object is to make available any where in the world that liquified petroleum gas [LPG] is found a means of making a superior cutting and / or welding gas and motor fuel. A further object is to provide a liquified fuel gas which can be stored and transported easily and economicaly. It is also an object to provide a liquified fuel gas which when burned with oxygen for flame cutting of ferrous metals will produce a cleaner, faster cutt with no objectionable slag or scoria formation. Another object is to provide an automotive motor fuel which has enhanced performance and lower emissions of sucpher dioxide, carbon dioxide and nitric oxides. An additional object is to provide a liquified fuel gas that can be used by torches for cutting underwater at considerable depths. The foregoing objects can be accompcished by reformu eating di-methyl methane [propane] with other hydro carbons which act as promoters and octane boosters. Best modes for carrying out the Invention. Liquified propane [Di-Methyl Methane] which has been dehydrated and de-sucferized is the preffered base in gredient for the liquified fuel gas of the present invention because of its high heat content, low cost SUBSTITUTE SHEET and world wide availability. The first additive orfortifier used is methylethyl ketone, also known as z- butanone, having the formula CH3 C0CH2 CH3 . This additive is a liquid with a boilig point of 70.6° C and a specific gravity of 0.805 at 20° C. The mek acts as a promoter or booster to increase the flame propagation in a member of the alkane family of hydrocarbons which is chemically lazy. The second additive is dimethyl ether, formula (C2H5)2 0 which acts as an octane booster raising the flame temperature. Other members of the family of chemicals of the C4 H10 0 or C4 H10 02 can be used according to availability and cost. Both of the additives introduce additional oxygen in to the combustion process. The additional oxygen accomplishs faster flame propogation, hisher temperatures, lower percentages of Co2 and NOx. The proceedure for combining the additives with the dimethyl methane [propane] is simple. The additives, methyl ethyl kentone [ mek ] and dimethyl ether, or members of the group are in liquid form at ambient temperature and are transported in barrets or tanker truck. The additives are introduced in to clean, new commercially available liquified petroleum gas containers along with a catalyst, preferably activated carbon in the form of powder. Alternative catalysts SUBSTITUTESHEET which can be used are cupric oxide, powdered alumina or zeolites. The amount of additives used will depend on the extent to which it is desired to enhance the characteristics of the base liquid, but the amount would be 49o to 10% of the base liquid by weight. The amount of catalyst used is not critical, but a sufficient amount should be placed in the bottom of the storage container so that the additives will be mixed with the base liquid [propane] dimethyl methane when it is supplied to the container under pressure. An amount of such catalyst between 19o and 5% of the weight of the additives would be satisfactory. The resulting mixture of the base liquid and additives is now an azeotropic mixture with a new boiling point. This assures that a homogenous fuel gas is delivered to a torch or to aninternal combustion engine. An advantage of using the liquified fuel gas of the present invention over acetylene or other acetylene based liquified fuel gases is that aklean precise kerf is obtained. Oxyacetylene and / or oxyacetylene based liquid fuels produce a hard scoria persistently adherent to the work increases the heating required and usually must be subjequently be removed from the work. Utilization of the enhanced liquified fuel gas of the present invention produces a soft friable scoria which is slougaed off from the work and out of the kerf as SUBSTITUTE SHEET the cutting progresses to leave a narroner clean kerf with virgin metal along opposite margins of the kerf. A particular advantage of the liquified fuel gas of the present invention is to improve the performance of a motor vehicle or engine which is operated on propane By introducing additional oxygen in to the combustion process and improving the octane rating acceration is improved and the level of pollutants emitted is lowered. An additional advantage of the liquified fuel gas of the present invention is that it will work as a flame cutting gas for ferrous metals with oxygen of 95% quality. Other burning and cutting fuels such as acetylene and/or acetylene based liquid fuels require 99% quality oxygen or better. Another advantage of the liquified fuel gas of the present invention is that when supplied a liquid with appropiate hardware it may be used down to 400 feet for underater cutting and burning to good effect. The following mixtures have been found to perform well: A. 94% Propane [Di-Methyl Methane] 3% Methyl Ethyl Ketone [MEK] 3% Di - Methylether B. 94% Propane 3% [MEK] 3% Of the C4 H10 0 or C4 H10 02 Group P. SUBSTITUTE SHEET

Claims: Claims 1. A Liquified fuel gas comprising a mixture of propane methylethyl ketone and a member of the C4 H10 0 or C4 H10 02 Group of hydrocarbons. 2. A liquified fuel gas comprising a mixture of a major portion by weigat of a hydrocarbon base liquid and a minor portion by weight of methyl ethyl ketone and one of the C4 HIO 0 or C4 HIO 02 group of hydrocarbons. 3. The liquified fuel gas defined in claim 2, in which the amount of additives is with in the range of 4% to 10% of the base liquid by weight. 4. The liquified fuel gas defined in claim 2 and claim 3 in which the base liquid is di methyl methane. Which has been dehydrated and desulphurized. 5. The process of making a liquified fuel gas which comprises mixing methyl ethyl ketone [ MEK ] , a member of the C4 HIO 0 or C4 H10 02 Hydrocarbon group with dimethylmethane [propane]. 6. The process of making liquified fuel gas which comprises supplying [MEK] methylethyl ketone and a member of the C4 HIO 0 or C4 HIO 02 hydrocarbon group with activated carbon as a catalyst and supplying a base hydrocarbon liquid suma a de methyl methane [propane] for mixing with the additives. 7. The process defined in claim 6, in which the additives in total are with in the range of 49o to 10% of the base hydrocarbon by weight. 8. The process defined in claim 6, claim 7 in which the SUBSTITUTE SHEET base hydrocarbon liquid is dehydrated and desulpaurized de methyl methane [propane] . 9. The process of using the liquified fuel gas as an enhanced motor fuel with better permance and lower pollutant emmissions. 10. The process of using the liquified fuel gas with a torch and 99 + % Oxygen for cutting ferrous metals with less slag and pollution emissions. 11. The process of cutting ferrous metal under water which comprises suppluing to a torch submersed in water a mixture of vaporized liquified fuel gas and 95% quality oxyge . 12. The process of cutting ferrous metal underwater to great depth which comprises supplying to a torch submerged in water a mixture of liquified fuel gas and 95% quality oxygen. 13. he process defined in any of claims 9 - to 12 in which the liquified fuel gas is base hydrocarbon liquid fortified with methyl ethyl ketone and C4 HIO 02 group of hydrocarbons. 14. The process defined in any of claims 9 to 12 in which the liquified fuel gas is fortified dimethyl methane [propane] . 15. The process of improving the performance and reducing the emission of pollutants from a motor vehicle using liquified fuel gas composing a mixture of propane and methylethyl ketone and one or more of C2 H10 O or C4 H10 02 group of hydrocarbons. SUBSTITUTESHEET

Inventors: HALL FRANK, HALL, FRANK
Applicants: HALL FRANK, HALL, FRANK
Application year: 1992
Main classification: C10L3
IPC codes: C10L1, C10L3