Updates from the HAN Automotive Brandt Schoon Project - research on the application of direct and indirect methanol injection

Platform Renewable Fuels is one of the partners affiliated with the steering committe of the Brandt Schoon project led by HAN Automotive. The project is dedicateed to conducting research on dual fuel engine technology with a focus on direct and indirect injection of methanol in conventional diesel engines. Through this project, the complexities related to direct injection can be unravelled along with the investigation of the exhaust gas aftertreatment needed with indirect injection. In addition, the possible techniques to convert conventional diesel engines to Stage V engines are assessed. Ultimately, the retrofitting of combustion engines with methanol can lead to reduced GHG emissions and an overall better business case for companies. A consortium meeting took place on the 6^th of February to inform the partners on the latest developments.

Main messages

• The Brandt Schoon project focuses on the use of methanol and dual fuel application in different markets
  • Non road mobile machinery (agricultural and construction machinery)
    • Subsidies exist for SCR for which can reduce the cost of retrofitting in building machinery
    • Emissions from the use ofagricultural vehicles in the agri sector are not yet targeted and thus do notpresent enough economic incentive
  • Seagoing shipping and inland shipping
    • Two engine categories are definedfor the shipping sector
      • Shipping with methanol-ready engines
      • Shipping with possibility of dual-fuel (retrofit)
• The use of dual fuel engines in these sectors could significantly help to reduce the emission of harmful substances. Furthermore, the Emission Trading System (ETS) provides additional incentive for this sector to adopt renewable methanol or switch to a dual fuel engine to reduce its emissions.

• Currently methanol worldwide is still dominated by fossil, renewable methanol productionis still very limited, only 1% of the total methanol.
• Hatz engine has been used to conduct tests (in collaboration with Marin). The engine was equipped with different methanol blends to investigate the level of nitrous oxide (NOx), hydrocarbon, particulate matter (PM), and carbon monoxide (CO) emissions.
  • NOx emissions are decreasing with increasing methanol being added. The reduction of emissions is accompanied by lower thermal efficiency.
• They are testing different types of aftertreatment and measuring the impact on the emissions.
  • Exploring the effects of Exhaust Gas Recirculation (EGR), diesel particulate filter (DPF) and Diesel Oxidation Catalyst (DOC) as aftertreatments.
  • Methanol injection and retrofitting is not enough to reduce NOx, engines needretrofitting with aftertreatment.
• Other updates:
  • The project will soon receive a PFI engine from Bredenoord to be converted to dual-fuel methanol and put to the test.
  • Already thinking about certification of ECU (Engine control unit), how to get a Stage III engine certified for stage V.
  • They plan on developping a TCO tool to understand the financial benefits from CO2 savings.

‍