Where's DME | Green Energy News

February 24, 2002 – Vol.6 No.48

WHERE’S DME?

Clearly, fossil fuel companies want to continue to be the energy suppliers to the world. They - like any business - will resist any major change until they can find a way to profit from it. Business is business after all.

What if a new fuel were developed that would be environmentally friendly, renewable, satisfied many and angered few? Maybe dimethyl ether (DME) should be looked at.

DME has properties similar to LPG (propane). Gaseous at room temperature and liquid when chilled, it is handled like propane and can use the same storage and fueling equipment. If it handles like propane it should also be as easy. Quantum, a division of IMPCO, has said that a propane refueling infrastructure can be developed that will ensure that filling-up (with propane) is as easy as it is with gasoline. The same should be true for DME.

DME can be made from a number of sources: methane from sewage and animal wastes, used plastic, natural gas and coal. Yes, coal.

DME can be used for power generation. And for cars and trucks it has been used successfully in diesel engines (which auto companies know how to make) where it burns soot-free. It has little if any SOx emissions, and NOx emissions are reduced by 20-30 percent. When used in a kitchen stove it burns a nice blue just like propane or natural gas. It can also be a good source of hydrogen for fuel cells.

NKK Corporation, Mitsubishi Gas Chemical Company and others in Japan are developing mass production techniques for DME. India has its own DME project in which BP is involved. The International Energy Agency (IEA) has said that it expects DME to become an alternative to conventional fuels.

Now Kawasaki Heavy Industries has developed a fuel injection system for gas turbines (for power generation) that keeps the fuel liquid at room temperature by cooling the fuel supply pipe by using the DME’s vaporization heat.

Kawasaki is planning to begin selling its DME fueled turbines in 2006, the same year that mass production of the fuel is planned for Japan. Visit the NKK DME page at http://www.nkk.co.jp/en/environment/dme/main.html or the India DME program at http://www.dmeforpower.net/ .