Comparative Study of Oxymethylene Ether 3 (OME3) in Isobaric Combustion Mode: Numerical Study

Abstract

Abstract Authorities’ regulations focus on engine-out emissions as well as sustainable mobility; thus, a fuel that addresses both concerns is desirable. Fuel properties that are similar to diesel make the oxymethylene ether 3 (OME3) an appealing potential alternative in compression engines. An advantage of the transition to oxygenated fuels is that it complies with fuel standards and does not require modification to the current fuel infrastructure or engines. The higher efficiency and practicality of using diesel in compression engines for ground transportation are threatened by the intrinsic disadvantage of using such a fuel. When using diesel, many methods can mitigate the soot-NOx trade-off but these methods increase the complexity and mechanical stress. In this study, the performance of OME3 against other primary reference fuels (PRF) (diesel, n-heptane (PRF0), iso-octane (PRF100), and PRF60) is examined using numerical simulations. Some of the injection parameters, such as the start of injection (SOI) and rate of injection (ROI), are modified based on a mathematical model to obtain isobaric combustion mode. In terms of efficiency, the OME3 exhibits a comparable efficiency to the other fuels, with a significant reduction in soot and total hydrocarbon emissions.