Investigation on exhaust emissions of a common rail high-speed direct injection diesel engine running with dimethyl ether

Abstract

This research investigates engine performance and the potential to reduce exhaust emissions by using dimethyl ether (DME) as an alternative fuel to diesel for compression ignition engines. The main objective of this study it to evaluate on a test-bed the performance and emissions reduction potential of a four-cylinder passenger car HSDI common rail turbocharged diesel engine running with DME in the absence of specific modifications to the engine itself but some modifications to the fuel injection system. The results obtained from this engine running with DME using diesel fuel as reference are encouraging. In the next phase of this study the injection rate will be adapted to DME operation and to the geometric and thermodynamic conditions of the combustion process. A study of combustion reaction is also necessary in order to optimize the turbocharging system for exclusive DME operation.