10 DME-Powered Buses to Hit Shanghai in June
2009-05-07 Source：english.chinabuses.com
Summarize：In June, 2009, ten dimethyl ether (DME) powered buses will be put into service in Shanghai to usher in trial operation of the new energy vehicles at next year’s Shanghai World Expo. According to ...
In June, 2009, ten dimethyl ether (DME) powered buses will be put into service in Shanghai to usher in trial operation of the new energy vehicles at next year’s Shanghai World Expo. According to sources, DME powered buses have already been designated to serve some special bus routes for the expo to showcase China’s expertise in the field of clean energy utilization.
Dimethyl Ether is the organic compound with the formula CH3OCH3. The simplest ether, it is a colorless gas that is a useful precursor to other organic compounds and an aerosol propellant. Dimethyl ether is also promising as a clean-burning hydrocarbon fuel.
In 2008, ten DME-powered buses were put into operation on bus route Line 147. To further promote the new energy bus’s commercial operation, China’s first DME refill station has already been built at the terminal of the bus route. Currently, the station is capable of satisfying the gas refill of 30 DME buses. After the operation of DME buses in Shanghai, other Chinese cities, including Beijing, Guangzhou, and Hangzhou, etc. are now considering introduction of the new energy buses in their urban public transport networks.
DME-powered Buses at DME Refill Station in Shanghai
A test of DME buses on Line 147 show that they can improve fuel economy by about 5% compared with diesel- or gasoline-powered buses. In addition, they can meet Euro Ⅲ Emission Standards. HUANG Zheng, Dean of Energy Research Institute attached to Shanghai Jiaotong University, which has been involved in R&D of DME-powered buses, revealed that it costs about RMB 10,000 (about USD 1,465.71) to reequip the large-sized diesel-fueled bus with DME engine and costs for mass production of DME are almost the same as that of diesel.
Currently, Shanghai Jiaotong University is joining hands with Shanghai Diesel Engine Co., Ltd. in R&D of the second generation of DME buses that can meet National IV Emission Standards.
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