Researchers Led by IIT Delhi Develop Technology to Enable Use of Environment-Friendly Dimethyl Ether as Fuel in Automotive Vehicles
Researchers Led by IIT Delhi Develop Technology to Enable Use of Environment-Friendly Dimethyl Ether as Fuel in Automotive Vehicles
New Delhi: Researchers from the IIT Delhi’s
Department of Energy Science and Engineering (DESE), Indian Oil Corporation
(IOC R&D), and Ashok Leyland Ltd. have developed a technology, which
enables a diesel-powered automotive vehicle to run in flex fuel mode i.e.
either 100% diesel or Dimethyl Ether (DME) plus Diesel mode. The project was
funded by the Department of Science and Technology (DST), Government of India.
Using this technology, the researchers converted a
diesel-powered automotive vehicle into a flex fuel vehicle on a pilot basis.
This flex fuel technology-based vehicle DOST was jointly flagged off on 8th
April 2022 at IIT Delhi by Dr. Srivari Chandrasekhar, Secretary, DST; Prof.
Rangan Banejee, Director, IIT Delhi; Dr. SSV Ramakumar, Director (R&D),
IndianOil; Shri. Krishnan Sadagopan, Senior Vice President, Ashok Leyland;
Prof. Sunil Kumar Khare, Dean R&D, IIT Delhi; Prof. K. A. Subramanian,
Head, DESE, IIT Delhi in the presence of senior officials from IIT Delhi, IOC
R&D, and auto major Ashok Leyland.
The flex fuel engine technology for use of DME is
developed by IIT Delhi, and IOC R&D undertook the endurance and field
trials tests and developed the dedicated engine oil with the technical support
of Ashok Leyland.
Dimethyl Ether (DME) is one of the alternative
fuels to compression ignition engines/vehicles as it has a higher cetane number
(~58) than that of conventional diesel (51). DME can be produced from Biomass,
Coal, Industrial Wastes, Municipal Solid wastes, Black liquor (a by-product of
pulp) through gasification and the Fisher-Tropsch synthesis process. It can
also be produced via catalytic dehydration of methanol. DME is generally stored
in liquid and phase change from liquid to vapor/gas could easily occur at the
ambient temperature and pressure.
Speaking about the flex-fuel automotive vehicle
technology, Prof K. Subramanian, Head, Department of Energy Science and
Engineering, IIT Delhi said, “DME fuel is injected into the intake manifold of
the engine, and diesel is directly injected into the engine cylinder. The CRDI
system controls both diesel and DME fuel injection with respect to the load. The
engine/vehicle operates with the optimum DME energy share without a
knock.”
Key highlights of the technology developed by IIT
Delhi, IOC R&D, and Ashok Leyland:
- Flex
Fuel Vehicle Technology (Vehicle can run both modes: either 100% diesel or
DME-Diesel mode)
- The
transition of diesel trucks from conventional diesel to DME as an
alternative fuel (First phase as Flex Fuel Vehicle; Second Phase as
dedicated 100% DME/alternative fuelled vehicle)
- Less
/ negligible smoke/soot/PM emission
- Lower
noise with smoother engine/vehicle operation
- Improvement
in transient engine performance
- Enhancement
of energy security
- Sustainable environment as there is substantial reduction in Greenhouse Gas Emission
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