Dimethyl ether, or DME, is a clean fuel made from natural gas. It is envisioned that DME will be transported by means of large-scale tankers after production. This would contribute not only to the solution of environmental problems related to power systems, but also to the utilization of small and medium-sized undeveloped gas fields. Already, projects to produce DME from coal in China have been initiated. In the study reported here, the combustion characteristics of DME using a full-scale burner in a marine boiler were examined. A 4 t/h single burner test furnace was used for the experiment. There were nine measurement ports on the side wall of the test furnace in the direction of flow. Measurements of heat flux and flame length, together with observation of combustion state, were carried out from these locations. Heat flux was measured using a heat flux meter consisting of thermocouples extending 10 mm into the furnace. DME properties are compared with petroleum gas (PG, mainly propane) and natural gas (NG). The combustion speed of DME is faster than that of conventional gas fuel, and the ignition temperature of DME is low (350 C), showing excellent ignitability. It was shown that the unit volume calorific value of DME is 1.64 times greater than that of natural gas, and, when using the same nozzle, the injection speed of DME is 0.61 times (inverse of 1.64) lower. On the other hand, the density of DME (gas specific gravity) is 2.56 times greater than for natural gas. It was found that DME could be burned with clear blue flame, similar to propane gas. Exhaust gases (e.g., O2, CO, CO2, NOx) were measured at the furnace outlet. DME combustion emitted much less NOx than bunker fuel combustion and almost no CO. However, the heat flux measured in the furnace showed a different distribution from that of petroleum gas combustion. It is important to clarify this further for actual application ofDME to marine boilers.
Application of DME fuel to marine boilers
2009
7 Seiten, 13 Bilder, 3 Tabellen, 3 Quellen
Conference paper
English
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