Staff

The increasing scarcity of fossil fuels and the goal of CO₂ neutral propulsion techniques demand new energy concepts within the field of automobility. The utilization of alternative fuels based on renewable energies constitutes one possible route to achieve this objective. As a suitable additive or substitute for diesel fuel, oxymethylene ethers (OME) have gained increasing attention. They can be produced using H₂ from renewable energy sources, CO₂ and water, thus enabling a closed CO₂ loop. Furthermore, due to its molecular structure, the combustion of OME leads to significant reductions in soot emissions, allowing for more efficient inner-engine NOx reduction measures (e.g. higher exhaust gas recirculation rates).

Using blends of Diesel and OME however poses new demands for the diesel emission control systems downstream of the engine. The key component of such a system is a Diesel Oxidation Catalyst (DOC). Besides the efficient removal of CO and hydrocarbons from the diesel engine exhaust, its further purpose is to generate heat and to produce NO₂, which allows for optimal operation of downstream components such as the Diesel particulate filter (DPF), NH₃ selective catalytic reduction (SCR) catalyst or lean NO_x trap.