Work

Effects of polyoxymethylene dimethyl ether (PODEn) blended fuel on diesel engine emission: Insight from soot-particle aerosol mass spectrometry and aethalometer measurements

Year: 2023

Type: article

Abstract: Polyoxymethylene Dimethyl Ether (PODE n ) is a promising diesel additive that can reduce particulate matter (PM) emission effectively, yet the changes in chemical and physical characteristics of PM emissions due to the application of PODE n -diesel blended fuel remain largely unexplored. This laboratory study investigates the effects of PODE 3 –diesel blended fuels (10, 20, and 30 vol% of PODE 3 mixed with diesel, denoted as P10, P20, and P30, respectively) on diesel engine emissions at 30% and 60% engine loads. Black carbon (BC) and organic aerosol (OA) were characterized in real time by a combination of a soot-particle aerosol mass spectrometer (SP-AMS) and a seven-wavelength aethalometer. Our results show that PODE 3 can significantly reduce both OA and BC emissions at both engine loads, with P20 producing the largest total PM mass reductions (> 84%). The changes in the contribution of refractory oxygenated fragments to BC mass (i.e., C 3 O 2 + /C 3 + and C 3 O + /C 3 + ) indicate that PODE 3 can reduce the functionality of soot surface/nanostructure. This is the first work showing that PODE 3 can affect the mixing state of BC and OA in diesel engine exhaust. Increasing PODE 3 blended volume can enhance the fraction contribution of BC-containing particles with a relatively thick OA coating that can potentially enhance the light absorption ability of soot particles. Lastly, the absorption Ångström exponent of BC (AAE BC ) can be enhanced with PODE 3 blended volume for both engine loads, and brown carbon (i.e., a light absorbing fraction of OA) can contribute up to ~5% to the total aerosol absorption at the wavelength of 370 nm. Overall, this work provides insights into the potential impacts of PODE n blended fuel application on the chemical and optical properties of BC and OA emitted from diesel engine combustion.

Source: Atmospheric Environment X

DOI: 10.1016/j.aeaoa.2023.100216