Experimental study on vapour pressure of dimethyl ether blended in diesel oil

Abstract

Abstract

Experiments have been conducted to determine the vapour pressure of dimethyl ether (DME) blended in diesel oil in a thermophysical property measurement system with high accuracy. Based on previous research on the viscosity of DME blends, three blends at 10, 20, and 30 wt% DME in diesel oil were chosen for this study. Experimental results indicate that DME can be soluble in diesel oil at room temperature. The vapour pressure of blends is lower than that of pure DME at a certain temperature and decreases with increase in diesel oil in DME, which helps to eliminate vapour lock in the fuel supply system of the engines. In addition, the cloud point of blends decreases as the fraction of DME in the diesel oil increases, which is beneficial to the operation of the engines at a lower ambient temperature.