The present invention relates to use of Perovskite type of materials as combustion improver in gaseous and liquid fuels. Structurally, the Perovskite material consists of ABO.sub.3, A.sub.xB.sub.1-xC.sub.yO.sub.3 or A.sub.xB.sub.1-xC.sub.yO.sub.3 kind of material with stoichiometric deficiency and oxygen deficient sites. More particularly, the present invention relates to the nanosized perovskite materials stably dispersed in hydrocarbon medium and compatible to the fuel has been used to improve the combustion process and generate more heat output.

Proposed is a method of emulsifying fuel oil and a desulfurization agent. The method includes (a) a step of adding a desulfurization agent to fuel oil for line mixing thereof, (b) a step of generating droplets in the resulting mixture of step (a), (c) a step of causing the resulting mixture of step (b) to pass through a magnetic field so that the mixture can be magnetized, (d) a step of subjecting the resulting mixture of step (c) to vortex mixing, and (e) a step of causing collision of the resulting mixture of step (d). The method uses fuel oil as a continuous phase and a water-based desulfurization agent as a disperse phase and emulsifies the desulfurization agent in the fuel oil through water-in-oil (W/o) emulsification so that the desulfurization agent can be stably dispersed in the fuel oil. Since the fuel oil and the desulfurization agent are burned together during combustion, sulfur oxides that may occur during the combustion are removed, whereby sulfur oxide emissions are reduced.

This invention provides a system and method/process for treatment of fuel used in internal combustion engines that advantageously reduces greenhouse gasses and pollutants given off during combustion and provides all the above effects without the need to include additional traditional additives that increase costs and may be environmentally harmful. Nanoparticles of one or more metals are added to a fuel mixture, where the mixture consists of hydrophobic or hydrophilic biofuels of plant or animal origin and/or sulfur containing petroleum distillates. An electro-chemical process/method can then be employed, by passing a current through the mixture, to produce metal nanoparticles. These metal nanoparticles have a wide range of benefits when added to the fuel solution, and allow the user to avoid the use of such traditional fuel additives.

A composition including poly-oxygenated metal hydroxide material that comprises a clathrate containing oxygen gas (O.sub.2) molecules and a fuel. The poly-oxygenated metal hydroxide material, such as OX66 material, is added to a fuel, such as, but not limited to, fuels such as petrol, alcohol and diesel, which are combustible in engines to create significantly increased horsepower and torque. The OX66 material is added to fuel in different ratios to generate improved performance. The different ratios are based on several factors including the type and design of the engine, the type of fuel, and environmental parameters.

A method for fractionating biomass material according to ash content, the method comprising: grinding the biomass material to produce a ground biomass and sieving the ground biomass through a first screen to yield: a) a first fraction of biomass particles that does not pass through the first screen and which has a first particle size, and b) a second fraction of biomass particles that passes through the first screen and which has a second particle size, wherein the second particle size is smaller than the first particle size, and wherein the second fraction of biomass particles has a higher ash content than the first fraction of biomass particles; and optionally further comprising: passing the second fraction of biomass particles through a second screen having a finer mesh size to produce a third fraction having a smaller particle size and a higher ash content than the second fraction of biomass particles.

A method of synthesis of energetic particles, and associated systems, the method including providing a metal powder, dispersing the metal powder in a first fluid to form a first suspension, contacting the first suspension with an oxide precursor, aqueous ammonium hydroxide and a second fluid, to produce a first product, collecting product solids and inductively heating product solids to produce energetic core-shell particles.

A fuel element adapted for use in a smoking article is provided, the fuel element including a combustible carbonaceous material in an amount of at least 25% by dry weight, based on the weight of the fuel element, and a particulate ignition aid dispersed throughout the fuel element and selected from ceramic particles, cellulose particles, fullerenes, impregnated activated carbon particles, inorganic salts, and combinations thereof, wherein the average particle size of the ignition aid is less than about 1,000 microns. Also provided are elongate smoking articles having a lighting end and an opposed mouth end, and including the above-noted fuel element configured for ignition of the lighting end.

Disclosed is a catalyst for desulfurization, including (a) an oxide selected from among SiO.sub.2, Al.sub.2O.sub.3, Fe.sub.2O.sub.3, TiO.sub.2, MgO, MnO, CaO, Na.sub.2O, K.sub.2O and P.sub.2O.sub.3, (b) a metal selected from among Li, Cr, Co, Ni, Cu, Zn, Ga, Sr, Cd and Pb, and (c) a liquid compound selected from among sodium tetraborate (Na.sub.2B.sub.4O.sub.7.10H.sub.2O), sodium hydroxide (NaOH), sodium silicate (Na.sub.2SiO.sub.3) and hydrogen peroxide (H.sub.2O.sub.2). The catalyst of the invention has a 2:1 type layered structure in which one octahedral layer is interposed between two tetrahedral layers and which has a net negative charge due to occupation of only two of three positively charged sites in the octahedral layer, and the catalyst for desulfurization is provided in the form of a metal chelate compound through chelation with a metal ion, whereby sulfur oxide (SO.sub.x) can be adsorbed and removed at high efficiency upon combustion of a combustible substance.

Disclosed is a desulfurization system using a catalyst for desulfurization, including a coal feed unit for conveying a combustible substance, a spray unit for spraying a catalyst for desulfurization, a coal pulverization unit for pulverizing the combustible substance conveyed from the coal feed unit, and a combustion unit for combusting the pulverized combustible substance, wherein during transfer of the combustible substance from the coal feed unit to the coal pulverization unit, the catalyst for desulfurization is sprayed using the spray unit and is mixed with the combustible substance. The desulfurization system of the invention can be simply and easily applied to various combustion facilities because, during the transfer of the combustible substance from the coal feed unit to the coal pulverization unit, the catalyst for desulfurization is sprayed and is mixed with the combustible substance, thereby efficiently reducing sulfur oxide (SO.sub.x) emission due to combustion of fossil fuel.

The present invention includes a fuel injection amount sensor for detecting an injection amount of oil, a pretreatment desulfurization agent injection amount sensor for detecting an injection amount of a pretreatment desulfurization agent, and a control panel for controlling and monitoring the injection amount of the pretreatment desulfurization agent so that the predetermined desulfurization agent is mixed with the fuel in a predetermined mixing ratio. The fuel injection amount sensor is disposed on a fuel supply line between a fuel tank and a marine engine, and the pretreatment desulfurization agent injection amount sensor is disposed between a downstream fuel supply line installed downstream of the fuel injection amount sensor and a pretreatment desulfurization agent tank.