Recent Studies on Alternative Fuel of Dimethyl Ether

With the development of industrialization, a large number of non-renewable fuels (such as coal and crude oil) are consumed, and the harmful substances produced in the combustion process of a large number of fossil fuels have caused serious pollution to the atmosphere, and the harmful gases produced by combustion have caused disastrous damage to the ecological balance. Therefore, finding clean energy and exploring alternative fuels are very important in today's society. This paper mainly reviews the studies on the alternative fuels of dimethyl ether (DME). Firstly, the types of alternative fuels currently researched by society and their respective advantages and disadvantages are analyzed, and the preparation of dimethyl ether and its advantages and disadvantages are analyzed in detail. In addition, the physicochemical properties, combustion and emission characteristics of dimethyl ether and diesel are compared and analyzed. The conclusion is that the injection delay angle of dimethyl ether is larger than that of diesel, the ignition delay period is shorter than that of diesel, and the maximum explosion pressure, maximum pressure rise rate and combustion noise of dimethyl ether are lower than that of diesel. The diffusion combustion speed of DME is faster than that of diesel, and the combustion duration is shorter than that of diesel. At the same time, as an alternative energy, dimethyl ether engine has a significant reduction in NOx emission, a very low level of HC and CO emission, and zero soot emission. In conclusion, the DME engine has good performance and emission characteristics.