Final Report of the European BioDME Project

5th International DME Conference

Ann Arbor, April 18, 2013

Per Salomonsson
EUROPEAN PROJECT
Grant agreement No: TREN/FP7EN/218923

Production of DME from Biomass and Utilisation

as Fuel for Transport and for Industrial Use

Starting date: 1 September 2008 Total budget 28.4 M€

Duration 52 months EU funding: 8.2 M€
Contact: per.salomonsson@volvo.com Energimyndigheten: 9.6 M€
BioDME Project Partners

- BioDME Plant engineering, - DME injection system

construction and operation development
- BioDME Plant owner

- DME production
- Laboratory support to technology provider
plant operation

BioDME Project Coordinator

- Engine development
- Vehicle manufacturing
- DME fuel specification - Field test responsible
- BioDME distribution - Fuel Additive development
- BioDME filling stations
Some Facts About the BioDME Plant

DME 4 tons / d
production
capacity:
Pipe ~ 10 000 m
SmurfitKappa installation:
Kraftliner
Pulp Mill Hand valves &
on/off valves: ~ 1400 pieces

Instruments: ~ 450 pieces

Black Liquor
to gasification Vessels: ~ 30 pieces

Heat ~ 25 pieces
Gasification exchangers:

Gas Shift, Process Plant 20 x 30 m

Synthesis Foot Print:
Gas
& Cleaning
Distillation
Investment ~ 22 million €
cost (excl
gasification):
BioDME to
European Project BioDME
Storage 7th Framework Programme
 BioDME Production

The plant incl. gasification is

operated by 2 operators per shift
Over 4 ton DME/d
was reached in Sep -12

Key operation data:

Gasification at 30bar/1050˚C
Methanol synthesis at 130 bar
DME synthesis at 15 bar
European Project BioDME
7th Framework Programme
Synthesis Gas Preparation

• Demonstration of Sulphur-rich synthesis gas water shift

Steam Synthesis Gas

WGS
Feed Gas SGS-cat AGR CO2, H2S

MDEA

Water
Single-pass Methanol Synthesis
– breaking the equilibrium limitation

• Stoichiometric syngas at P > 130 bar in synthesis

• Sulphur & Carbonyl Guards demonstrated

Carbonyl-

Synthesis Gas
guard MeOH reactors
MPS LPS

S-guard

Guard- MeOH-cat
reactor Raw MeOH
 DME Synthesis & Distillation

• 99.5% DME directly from raw methanol

• Reduced wax production and wax removal demonstrated

DME reactor DME Purification

Light
DME MeOH
byproduct

MeOH

Water

Wax DME-cat
BioDME Production
390 Tons by end of Project

450

400
E
350 D
Produced BioDME, ton

300
C
250
B
200 A: Authority Inspection
B: Maintenance stop
150
C: Holiday period
100 A D: Maintenance stop
E: Equipment installation
50

0
12/2011

01/2012

02/2012

03/2012

04/2012

05/2012

06/2012

07/2012

08/2012

09/2012

10/2012

11/2012

12/2012

01/2013
European Project BioDME
7th Framework Programme
 BioDME Quality Control

• Quality control of BioDME and participating Typical analysis of produced BioDME ISO draft [2]
in DME ISO standardization process C2 ppm wt 15
– Development of analysis methods for C3 ppm wt 160 10000
BioDME from storage tank, from the trailer C4 ppm wt 600
and from filling stations Methanol ppm wt 120 500
– LPG residues observed in filling stations, Water ppm wt 40 300
originating from trailer [1].
CO2 ppm wt 100 1000
[1]. Öhrman, O. et al. Quality control of BioDME produced via DME (by % wt > 99.8 > 98.5
black liquor gasification. 7th Asian DME Conference, Niigata, difference)
Nov. 16-18, 2011.
[2]. Bollon, F. 7th Asian DME Conference, Niigata, Nov 16-18, 2011

First unloading Dec. 2011

13 000 kg BioDME

European Project BioDME

10 7th Framework Programme
 Fuel Distribution

• Available technology modified for DME

• Safety regulations based on LPG
• ~200 k€ per filling station (+33% vs diesel)
200 m3 storage tank in Piteå
• Easy to achieve
Piteå

34 m3 trailer

Stockholm
Göteborg

Jönköping
Four filling stations

European Project BioDME

11 7th Framework Programme
 Fuel Delivery

• DME from methanol used as back-up

• First delivery of BioDME in Dec 2011, 100% since Feb 2012
• 60 % BioDME overall

DME deliveries
100000 1000000
90000 BioDME 900000
80000 800000
Fossil
70000 700000
Acc deliveries
60000 600000
liter DME

50000 500000
40000 400000
30000 300000
20000 200000
10000 100000
0 0
Feb

Feb
Dec

Dec

Dec
Apr

Apr
Aug

Aug

Aug
Oct

Oct

Oct
Jun

Jun

Jun

2010 2011 2012

European Project BioDME
12 7th Framework Programme
 Fuel and Lube Oil Specification

• Materials compatibility with liquid DME

– Big difference within polymer families from different suppliers
– Within polymer families XIIR, HNBR, FFKM and EPDM, it is possible
to find convenient products
– Good behavior of PTFE and PI (Polyimide)
– No problem of corrosion (in agreement w literature)

• Engine oil specification and field test evaluation

– Tested oils adequately protect the engine and full drain intervals can
safely be kept
– All oils contribute to some deposit formation in the fuel system at
different levels, the mechanism is being studied

European Project BioDME

13 7th Framework Programme
 DME Fuel Injection Equipment

• The pump supplied for DME is an application of a current Delphi diesel

production unit.
• The injector is a bespoke design required for DME application
• Design adaptation to DME properties (valve optimisation, sealings, tolerances,..)
• The mileage accrued by the field trucks is has proven the concept to be a
success.

Common Rail DME pump

and Injector

European Project BioDME

14 7th Framework Programme
 10 Field Test Trucks

Long haul, Swedish mail Regional and local Regional and local Development truck Long haul, DHL
transportation transportation

Regional and local Long haul, Swedish mail Long haul, DHL Heavy loaded, up to 60 Heavy loaded, up to 60
transportation ton payload ton payload

European Project BioDME 7th Framework

Programme
 Field Test Status 2012-12-31

• 10 field test trucks

• Accumulated mileage: 824 798 km / 512 600 mi

• Max truck mileage : 183 588 km / 115 000 mi

Total Field test mileage

1000000
900000
800000
700000
600000
km

500000
400000
300000
200000
100000
0

Date
European Project BioDME 7th Framework
Programme
 Emission Verification
PEMS – Portable Emission Measurement System

• Independent (AVL) verification after 183 000 km (115 000 mi)

• EUV Emissions still fulfilled

Cycle NOx PM HC CO
(g/kWh) (g/kWh) (g/kWh) (g/kWh)

EUV EEV 2.0 0.02 0.40 3.0

limits (ETC)
PEMS 20 ton 1.66 0.00* 0.25 2.34

PEMS 60 ton 1.72 0.00* 0.31 1.82

* Measured with AVL 483 Micro Soot Sensor

European Project BioDME

17 7th Framework Programme
 Fuel Consumption

Truck Gross weight FC diesel FC diesel Compared to

Cycle (ton) eqv. eqv. diesel
(l / 10 km) (mi / gal)
FH-787 Min 15 2.3 10.4 Similar / lower
Local & regional Max 26
haul Avg 20-22
FH-711 Min 36-38 4.3 5.5 Similar
Regional haul Max 60
Avg 50-52
FH-842 Min 21 6.4 3.7 higher
Local, Start & stop Max 57
Avg 53

European Project BioDME

18 7th Framework Programme
 Summary of Field Test Experience

• Driver perception (compared to diesel truck)

– Less noise from the engine
– Good engine response
– Longer time to fuel the truck
– Positive comments about locally produced fuel,
environmental properties and absence of soot

• Volvo perspective
– Trucks function well in commercial operation
– Low fault rate given the early development stage – exceeds expectation
– DME distribution and handling works well
– Slightly shorter service intervals compared to diesel – to be improved
– Because of inherent properties of DME, it has been possible to reach very far
with a relatively limited development effort

European Project BioDME

19 7th Framework Programme
 Fuel consumption

www.biodme.eu
BioDME Video

Truck Gross weight Typical FC

Application (Min/Max/Avg) Diesel Equivalent
(l /10 km & mi/gal))
FH-787 14/26/21 ton 2.3 / 10.2
Regional and local haul
FH-711 25/50/ ton 4.1 / 5.7
long haul
FH-842 21/57/53 ton 6.1 / 3.8
local start/stop

European Project BioDME

20 7th Framework Programme
Extended Volvo Field Test
8 trucks, 2013-01-01 to 2014-06-30
(1000 Km / 1000 mi) Status Target
2013-04-08 June 2014
Total mileage 970 / 603 1 475 / 917
1 truck 200 / 124 300 / 186
Total Field test mileage
1000000
900000
800000
700000
600000
500000
km

400000
300000
200000 Extended field test
100000
0

Date

Volvo Group Trucks Technology