Emissions and Performance Benchmarking of a Prototype Dimethyl Ether-Fueled Heavy-Duty Truck
1/1/2014
In cooperation with Volvo, ORNL commissioned the benchmarking of the emissions and performance data from a heavy-duty truck with a prototype engine fueled with dimethyl ether (DME). The tests demonstrated the near-term viability of DME in heavy-duty applications. The truck performed well under real-world driving conditions and emissions were within the targeted emission standards.
Authors: Szybist, J.P.; McLaughlin, S.; Iyer, S.
Mobility Chains Analysis of Technologies for Passenger Cars and Light-Duty Vehicles Fueled with Biofuels: Application of the GREET Model to the Role of Biomass in America's Energy Future (RBAEF) Project
5/30/2005
The Role of Biomass in America?s Energy Future (RBAEF) is a multi-institution, multiple-sponsor research project. The primary focus of the project is to analyze and assess the potential of transportation fuels derived from cellulosic biomass in the years 2015 to 2030. For this project, researchers at Dartmouth College and Princeton University designed and simulated an advanced fermentation process to produce fuel ethanol/protein, a thermochemical process to produce Fischer-Tropsch diesel (FTD) and dimethyl ether (DME), and a combined heat and power plant to co-produce steam and electricity using the ASPEN Plus? model. With support from the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), Argonne National Laboratory (ANL) conducted, for the RBAEF project, a mobility chains or well-to-wheels (WTW) analysis using the Greenhouse gases, Regulated Emissions, and Energy use in Transportation (GREET) model developed at ANL. The mobility chains analysis was intended to estimate the energy consumption and emissions associated with the use of different production biofuels in light-duty vehicle technologies.
Authors: Wu, May; Wu, Ye; Wang, Michael
A Full Fuel Cycle Analysis of Energy and Emissions Impacts of Transportation Fuels Produced from Natural Gas
12/1/1999
Because of its abundance and because it offers significant energy and envirnomental advantages, natural gas has been promoted for use in motor vehicles. A number of transportation fuels are produced from natural gas: each is distinct in terms of upstream production activities and vehicle usage. In this study, researchers evaluated eight fuels produced from natural gas - compressed natural gas, liquefied natural gas, liquefied petroleum gas, methanol, hydrogen, dimethyl ether, Fischer-Tropsch diesel, and electricity - for use in five types of motor vehicles - spark-ignition vehicles, compression-ignition vehicles, hybrid electric vehicles, battery-powered electric vehicles, and fuel-cell vehicles. Because of great uncertainties associated with advances in both fuel production and vehicle technologies, near-term and long-term fuels and vehicle technologies were evaluated separately. The study reveals that, in general, the use of petroleum-based fuels reduces energy use and emissions relative to use of petroleum-based gasoline and diesel fuel, although different natural gas-based fuels in different vehicle technologies can have significantly different energy and emissions impacts.
Authors: Wang, M.;Huang, H.
Notes: This document is available on the Argonne National Laboratory Transportation Technology Research and Development Center Web Site - http://www.transportation.anl.gov/ttrdc/pdfs/TA/13.pdf
Diethyl Ether (DEE as a Renewable Diesel Fuel)
10/13/1997
Producing and using renewable fuels for transportation is one approach for a sustainable energy future for the United States, as wel l as the rest of the world. Renewable fuels may also substantially reduce contributions to global climate change. In the transportation sector, ethanol produced from biomass shows promise as a future fuel for spark-ignited engines because of its high octane quality. Ethanol, however, is not a high-quality compression-ignition fuel. Ethanol can be easily converted through a dehydration process to produce diethyl ether (DEE), which is an excellent compression-ignition fuel with higher energy density than ethanol.. DEE has long been known as a cold-start aid for engines, but little is known about using DEE as a significant component in a blend or as a complete replacement for diesel fuel. Dimethyl ether, the methanol analog to DEE, was recently reported to be a low-emission, high-quality diesel fuel replacement, but similar engine testing and process information on DEE is limited. To identify the potential of Dee as a transportation fuel, we conducted a comprehensive literature review of its utilization in engines and also conducted limited laboratory experiments. This paper presents the findings on fundamental engine and emissions performance of DEE, along with an estimated cost of producing DEE from biomass ethanol.
Authors: Bailey, Brent