Ecomotive tests the DME in collaboration with the Technion University of Haifa and is now aiming for a 100% dedicated engine
Successful completion of the experimental activity to power a heavy vehicle (an Iveco Eurocargo) with dimethyl ether or DME as an alternative fuel to replace traditional diesel.
The initiative, promoted by Ecomotive Solutions was conducted in collaboration with the prestigious Technion University of Haifa (Israel).
"Since its inception we have promoted concrete, available and economic solutions for a 'truly sustainable' mobility: an approach that has never changed in these over ten years of activity, which aims decisively to the enhancement of existing resources without having to hastily set them aside in favor of new proposals that are more onerous and complex to implement ".
What is DME?
DME, also known as dimethyl ether, can be obtained from methanol dehydration processes or with direct production from syngas, both of which can be produced from biomass: this aspect 'elevates' it to the rank of renewable fuel.
Dimethyl ether can be liquefied with low pressures (like LPG) making it easily transportable, but its most interesting feature is its high cetane number (indicator of the behavior of fuels in the ignition phase) which makes it a valid substitute for diesel engines, which can be adapted to use the DME with non-invasive modifications.
Diesel engines that use DME have better environmental performance: they emit less Nox, Particulate and CO2.
"We have identified DME as one of the most sustainable alternative fuels for heavy-duty road transport. The advantages are many: it can be produced from a wide variety of renewable matrices, it is characterized by the total absence of sulfur and combustion with very low NOx and particulate emissions. These facts make it, in our opinion, one of the most suitable fuels to support the ecological transition towards the goals in terms of reducing CO2 emissions”.
The solution is applicable to all diesel engines (and in the future also in blending with LPG), modifying the engine in some of its parts, in a minimally invasive way.
The experimentation concluded with the Technion Haifa University is only the first step taken by Ecomotive Solutions, which is now developing an engine dedicated 100% to DME, as well as retrofit applications for diesel engines for special and industrial engines.
