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Dimethyl Ether (DME) is a promising future compression ignition fuel, particularly when derived from renewable, CO2-neutral feedstocks. While it is generally well-known that DME produces very little soot when burned, few studies have explored its low-temperature combustion behavior, where the potential for ultra-low engine-out emissions of both NOx and soot may exist. The present work shows the results of a single-cylinder engine operating with DME below the level of the US 2010 Heavy Duty Onroad Standard for NOx, without NOx aftertreatment. A high-pressure oil-over-fuel intensified injection system was used to maintain proper air utilization and high combustion efficiency, in combination with intake oxygen control using relatively high levels of EGR for low NOx. Fuel-related material issues notwithstanding, the engine results point toward a potentially cost-effective and efficient means of utilizing bio-derived fuels.

A numerical study on the combustion of Methanol in a directly injected (DI) engine was conducted. The study considers the effect of the bowl-in-piston (BIP) geometry, swirl ratio (SR), and relative equivalence ratio (λ), on flame propagation and burn rate of Methanol in a 4-stroke engine. Ignition-assist in this engine was accomplished by a spark plug system. Numerical simulations of two different BIP geometries were considered. Combustion characteristics of Methanol under swirl and no-swirl conditions were investigated. In addition, the amount of injected fuel was varied in order to determine the effect of stoichiometry on combustion. Only the compression and expansion strokes were simulated. The results show that fuel-air mixing, combustion, and flame propagation was significantly enhanced when swirl was turned on. This resulted in a higher peak pressure in the cylinder, and more heat loss through the cylinder walls.

A high-speed/high-resolution imaging technique and analysis were applied to study fuel injector spray timed evolution in ambient air and in a motored single-cylinder engine. Alcohol fuel was injected from a mid-pressure injection system into the engine cylinder at shaft speed of 1,000 rpm. The fuel injection system with various nozzles was designed for use in the EPA/NVFEL program to develop clean and efficient engines that use alternative fuels. A 15W copper vapor laser with a fiber optic delivery system synchronized with a high-speed drum streak camera was utilized to expose films at 5,000 frames per second (fps). The spray characteristics were investigated at 15.0 MPa injection pressure and injection duration range of 3-5 ms. A sequence of successive frames was selected from the films to examine the influence of the injector parameters and the valve lift on the atomization process. The spray penetration was quantified by analyzing the high-speed films.