Effects of Oxymethylene Ether in a Commercial Diesel Engine

Oxymethylen Ether (OME) is a promising alternative fuel for diesel engines. It can be produced sustainably, and its combustion is clean and efficient. This study investigates the effects of different OME${}_{3-5}$ mixtures on emissions and combustion. The measurements were done on a four-cylinder common rail commercial diesel engine equipped with an exhaust gas recirculation system (EGR). Five different blends of OME${}_{3-5}$ and B7 diesel were applied with 0, 7, 15, 25 and 45 vol% OME${}_{3-5}$content at four loads. The NO${}_x$–PM trade-off was investigated at 11 EGR rates for each mixture at each load. Increasing OME${}_{3-5}$ mixing ratio reduced the PM emission, improved the NO${}_x$–PM trade-off, and increased the brake thermal efficiency. The maximum achieved PM emission reduction was 86.8% for high loads. However, NO${}_x$ emission increased, and also low heat capacity and viscosity can be a problem for real applications.