Twitter headlinesDME
[Due to the increasing size of the archives, each topic page now contains only the prior 365 days of content. Access to older stories is now solely through the Monthly Archive pages or the site search function.]
Swedish Energy R&D Board Awards Up To US$72M to Chemrec for BioDME and Biomethanol Demo
September 28, 2009
The Swedish Energy R&D Board will provide an investment grant for the demonstration at industrial scale of the Chemrec technology for production of the renewable motor fuels BioDME (dimethyl ether) and Biomethanol. The new plant will be built at the Domsjö Fabriker biorefinery in Örnsköldsvik. (The biorefinery Domsjö Fabriker produces specialty cellulose, lignosulfonate and ethanol at Örnsköldsvik,550 km north of Stockholm.) The investment grant of up to SEK 500 million (€49 million, US$72 million) is contingent on approval by the EU Directorate General for Competition.
Earlier this month, Chemrec broke ground on a pulp mill-integrated BioDME biorefinery demonstration plant project in Piteå, Sweden, with expected biofuel production by mid-2010. The project will demonstrate the production of BioDME using black liquor from the pulp mill as feedstock, and will also demonstrate the use of this fuel in heavy vehicles in commercial service. (Earlier post.)
More... | Comments (2) | TrackBack (0)
Volvo Trucks in Bio-DME Field Test
September 18, 2009
| Bio-DME: wood to wheel. Click to enlarge. |
In a joint project with the EU, the Swedish Energy Agency, fuel companies and the transport industry, Volvo Trucks is investigating the potential for large-scale investment in dimethyl ether (DME) fuel produced from biomass (Bio-DME).
Volvo Trucks is participating in the project by contributing 14 Volvo FH trucks that will be tested by selected customers at four locations in different parts of Sweden between 2010 and 2012. The first field-test truck was shown today in Piteå, where the production of Bio-DME will take place in Chemrec’s demonstration plant, which just broke ground. (Earlier post.) The Volvo Group, of which Volvo Trucks is a part, is one of the co-owners of Chemrec via its subsidiary, Volvo Technology Transfer. (Earlier post.)
More... | Comments (2) | TrackBack (0)
Chemrec Launches BioDME Project, Production Expected in 2010
August 11, 2009
| Overview of project area. Click to enlarge. |
Chemrec’s pulp mill-integrated BioDME (dimethyl ether) biorefinery demonstration plant project will break ground in September in Piteå, Sweden, with expected biofuel production by mid-2010. The project will demonstrate the production of BioDME for use as a renewable fuel in diesel engines from forest biomass over the black liquor route and will also demonstrate the use of this fuel in heavy vehicles in commercial service.
The Chemrec gasification process in the BioDME demonstration plant will combine two objectives: production of green liquor from black liquor and upgrade of the organic part of the black liquor to synthesis gas. Primary gas cleaning and cooling also takes place here, using the Chemrec DP-1 gasifier plant for this service.
More... | Comments (3) | TrackBack (0)
Consortium Seeks Stimulus Funding for DME-Electric Hybrid Buses
June 15, 2009
A consortium is seeking US stimulus funding available through the Federal Transit Administration’s (FTA) Transit Investments for Greenhouse Gas and Energy Reduction (TIGGER) program to convert 20 hybrid diesel-electric buses to hybrid dimethyl-ether (DME)-electric propulsion.
Among the consortium members is Alternative Fuel Technology, Inc., a developer of fuel injection equipment for DME-fueled vehicles. Volvo Truck Corp. has been using AFT fuel systems in field demonstrations and in laboratory research since 1995, according to the company.
More... | Comments (2) | TrackBack (0)
DME Low-Temperature Combustion Concept Maintains Low NOx with Decreases in CO and HC Emissions
December 14, 2008
Researchers at Shanghai Jiao Tong University are exploring a new combustion concept for dimethyl ether (DME): low-temperature combustion (LTC) of a compound charge combining port aspiration and in-cylinder direct injection (DI). In comparison to a DME homogeneous charge compression (HCCI) combustion mode, DME LTC can extend the engine operating range with little change in NOx emissions and a considerable reduction in HC and CO emissions. A paper on their work was published online 8 December in the ACS journal Energy & Fuels.
The same research team earlier this published a paper on the development of a DME compound charge compression ignition (CCCI) process. (Earlier post.) The CCCI combustion process consists of HCCI combustion, premixing combustion, and diffusion combustion. The combustion characteristics are mainly decided by the premixed fuel ratio and CO2 concentration in the air charge.
More... | Comments (4) | TrackBack (0)
Dimethoxymethane (DMM)/Diesel Blends as a Low-Cost Approach for Emissions Control
November 17, 2008
 |
| Relationship between NOx and smoke of the DMM blends under one set of speed and load conditions. Click to enlarge. Credit: ACS |
Researchers at Xi’an Jiaotong University in China have investigated the combustion, performance, and emissions of a direct-injection (DI) diesel engine fueled with dimethoxymethane (DMM)/diesel blends, with DMM content ranging from 0 to 50%.
Their results showed that, with no changes to the fuel injection system or modifications to the engine, smoke and CO emissions decrease and NOx remains almost unchanged, while hydrocarbons (HCs) increase. Brake-specific fuel consumption (BSFC) is higher (DMM has a smaller lower heating value than diesel), while thermal efficiency increases a little. A diesel engine fueled with a 30% DMM blend can deliver both satisfactory fuel efficiency and emissions levels, they conclude. A report on their study was published online 14 November in the ACS journal Energy & Fuels.
