Development of a Liquid-DME Fuel Tank - A Two-Fluid Thermodynamic Pump
2001-01-0652
03/05/2001
- Event
- Content
- A novel fuel tank for storing liquid dimethyl ether (DME) has been developed. This fuel tank was made of cast aluminum with a water capacity of 40 liters. It contains two fluids: liquid DME and a vapor-liquid mixture of propane. A diaphragm separates the two fluids. The propane in the tank is a pressurizing fluid that pressurizes DME into a subcooled-liquid state; and, it also functions as a driving fluid that pumps the liquid DME from the tank to the injection pump using its vapor pressure. These features characterize the tank as a thermodynamic pump. Several hundred hours of tank tests at various temperatures have been conducted. Results of tank filling-discharge cycles simulating those in vehicle applications demonstrated that the concept of the two-fluid thermodynamic pump works and that the tank design is successful.
- Pages
- 9
- Citation
- McCandless, J., Teng, H., and Schneyer, J., "Development of a Liquid-DME Fuel Tank - A Two-Fluid Thermodynamic Pump," SAE Technical Paper 2001-01-0652, 2001, https://doi.org/10.4271/2001-01-0652.