Comparison of Promising Sustainable C1-Fuels Methanol, Dimethyl Carbonate, and Methyl Formate in a DISI Single-Cylinder Light Vehicle Gasoline Engine

Liquid e-fuels such as methanol represent a possible solution to emission-neutral drivetrains. Reduced emissions from the combustion process increase the influence of cylinder wall interaction of the fuel spray and the influence of the fuel ingress into the lubricating oil. Combining emission analysis methods and optical measurements allows a deeper understanding of the processes around the piston assembly group and cylinder wall. This paper aims to increase the understanding of the processes resulting from fuel spray and cylinder wall interaction. Emission measurements from a single-cylinder SI research engine were gathered across multiple operating parameters. Optical measurements were taken at similar operating points using an optically accessible engine. A laser-induced fluorescence (LIF) setup with dyed fuel was used for the optical measurements. This paper focuses on thermodynamic steady state measurements at 2000 rpm, varying loads between 3 and 11 bar IMEP, and corresponding optical measurements at 11 bar IMEP. The measurements of both engines were correlated, and a more profound understanding of the processes involved and their influence on emission behavior was derived. Measurements showed a lower particle emission behavior with a tendency of a higher PN10 to PN23 ratio and higher formic acid emissions using methanol fuel compared to gasoline. A higher wall film interaction with methanol could be visualized, and possible effects were correlated to the exhaust emission measurements. Tests with two start of injection timings (SOI) of 430° crank angle (CA) after fired top dead center, as used for gasoline operation, and 550°CA as an optimized SOI for methanol operation were compared. A correlation between the results from the thermodynamic engine and the optically accessible engine was demonstrated. The optical measurements showed lower penetration depths for the optimized SOI and lower fuel spray-to-piston interaction. The thermodynamic measurements have shown higher efficiencies and fewer emissions for the optimized SOI.

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Potential Analysis of Defossilized Operation of a Heavy-Duty Dual-Fuel Engine Utilizing Dimethyl Carbonate/Methyl Formate as Primary and Poly Oxymethylene Dimethyl Ether as Pilot Fuel

Mühlthaler,

Härtl,

Jaensch

2024

Engines

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<div>This study demonstrates the defossilized operation of a heavy-duty port-fuel-injected dual-fuel engine and highlights its potential benefits with minimal retrofitting effort. The investigation focuses on the optical characterization of the in-cylinder processes, ranging from mixture formation, ignition, and combustion, on a fully optically accessible single-cylinder research engine. The article revisits selected operating conditions in a thermodynamic configuration combined with Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy.</div> <div>One approach is to quickly diminish fossil fuel use by retrofitting present engines with decarbonized or defossilized alternatives. As both fuels are oxygenated, a considerable change in the overall ignition limits, air–fuel equivalence ratio, burning rate, and resistance against undesired pre-ignition or knocking is expected, with dire need of characterization.</div> <div>Two simultaneous high-speed recording channels granted cycle-resolved access to the natural flame luminosity, which was recorded in red/green/blue and OH chemiluminescence.</div> <div>Selected conditions were investigated in more detail with the simultaneous application of planar laser-induced fluorescence of OH and HCHO and recording natural flame luminescence in a cycle-averaged manner.</div> <div>Poly oxymethylene dimethyl ether was used as pilot fuel, building on prior investigations. The mixture of 65 vol% Dimethyl Carbonate and 35 vol% Methyl Formate with prior verification on a passenger-car-sized engine substitutes synthetic natural gas in this study.</div> <div>Thermodynamically, the increased compression ratio up to 17.6 resulted in feasible operation and increased indicated efficiency. On the lower compression ratio of 15.48, a more comprehensive range of applicable air–fuel equivalence ratios and increased degrees of freedom regarding the pilot’s total energy share are observed compared to the base configuration with natural gas and EN590 as pilot fuel.</div> <div>The air–fuel equivalence ratio sweep from λ = 1.0–2.0 revealed predominantly premixed and high-temperature heat release via OH*. The temporal and spatial evolution shifts while leaning out the mixture with increasing gradients on the radial distribution and decouples for lean mixtures from the initial spray trajectory.</div>

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Comparison of Promising Sustainable C1-Fuels Methanol, Dimethyl Carbonate, and Methyl Formate in a DISI Single-Cylinder Light Vehicle Gasoline Engine

Cited by 13 publications

References 58 publications

Efficiency Increase for Spark-Ignited Oxygenated Fuels through Adaptation of Cylinder Head and Piston

Efficiency Increase for Spark-Ignited Oxygenated Fuels through Adaptation of Cylinder Head and Piston

Combined exhaust gas and optical investigation of methanol DI-engine with focus on the fuel spray-wall interaction

Potential Analysis of Defossilized Operation of a Heavy-Duty Dual-Fuel Engine Utilizing Dimethyl Carbonate/Methyl Formate as Primary and Poly Oxymethylene Dimethyl Ether as Pilot Fuel

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