A flex-fuel automotive vehicle, DOST, powered by environment-friendly DME (Dimethyl Ether)-Diesel dual fuel was flagged off at the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Delhi.
Srivari Chandrasekhar, the secretary of the Department of Science and Technology (DST), government of India, flagged off the vehicle.
The project was funded by DST and the engine technology for use of DME under dual fuel mode developed by the Energy Science and Engineering Department at IIT Delhi.
Indian Oil Corporation Limited (IOCL) Research and Development (R&D) had undertaken the endurance and field trials tests and developed the dedicated engine oil with the technical support of Ashok Leyland.
IOCL R&D, IIT-Delhi, Ashok Leyland and DST collaborated on the development and demonstration of Diesel+DME fuel. DME diesel is a greener fuel that cuts pollution and improves fuel economy.
India has been among the major emitters in the world and a significant portion of the air pollutants come from automobiles.
A combination of diesel and DME, using 20 per cent of the latter, under certain conditions can reduce smoke by 70 per cent and nitrogen oxide production by 20 per cent, according to a study titled, ‘Dimethyl Ether (DME): A New Alternative Fuel for Diesel Vehicle’ published in the periodical Advanced Materials Research (Volumes 156-157).