Ethanol as fuel

W. Bandel, "Problems in the Application of Ethanol as Fuel for Utility Vehicles," 2nd lnt. Symp. on Alcohol Fuel Technolog (Wolfsburg, Germany,... 

Moreover, there is a current need of miniaturized propulsion system for widening the capabilities of low cost micro-satellites. Recently, the development of a turbo-pump fed miniature rocket engine has been proposed as a new propulsion system for micro-satellites (10 to 100 kg) [6] the bipropellant tlmister uses 70 wt.-% H2O2 as oxidizer and ethanol as fuel. The engine displays four sub-components (i) two propellant micro-pumps, (ii) a HP decomposition chamber, (iii) a turbine coupled to an electric power generator and driven by the hot gas released from HP decomposition, and (iv) a thruster for the combustion reaction. 

Even though the hydrogen yield is improved in a membrane reactor, the authors concluded based on simulation that their employed 30 pm Pd-Ag membrane would need 20 times higher flux to generate hydrogen yields that match the DoE target. Table 11.4 shows experimentally reported results for membrane reactors employing ethanol as fuel. 

Table 11.4 Experimentally reported results for membrane reactors employing ethanol as fuel...

The use of methanol or ethanol as fuels started with the replacement of steam engines for farm machinery and train locomotives and, at the end of the nineteenth century, alcohols were used in internal combustion engines (ICE). During the first decade of the twentieth century, alcohols lost the race against gasoline-powered automobiles, even when they released less contaminants, a fact that deserved not concern at that time. The main reason for that was economic alcohols could not... 

DAFCs with ethanol as fuel have been also studied by modeling. Andreadis et al. proposed a model for a DEFC anode [187]. The model accounts for the influence of different parameters, e.g., temperature, electrode thickness and ethanol concentration on anode overpotential. 

Platinum and Pt-based materials are currently the best electrocatalysts for these reactions. The price and the hmited reserves of Pt are the prime obstacles to adequately developing this major field. Extensive research efforts have been devoted to the development of highly active and cost-effective electrocatalysts. This chapter describes recent advances in electrocatalysts for anodic reactions in low-temperature fuel cells that use methanol and ethanol as fuels in acidic media. Special attention is focused on the effort to decrease Pt content in the catalysts. Electrocatalysts employed in alkaline fuel cells are not discussed as they have been adequately covered in Chap. 5. 

Dias de OUveira, M. E., Vaughan, B. E., Rykiel, E. J., Jr. (2005). Ethanol as fuel energy, carbon dioxide balances, and ecological footprint. BioScierux, 55, 593—602. 

The present section describes recent advances in electrocatalysis for anodic reactions in low-temperature fuel cells that use hydrogen/carbon monoxide, methanol, and ethanol as fuels in acidic media. Electrocatalysis in alkaline fuel cells are not discussed. 

DMFC and DEFC fuel cells use a solid polymer electrolyte for ionic transport. However, they use, respectively, liquid methanol and ethanol as fuel instead of hydrogen. During chemical reactions, the fuel (methanol or ethanol) is directly oxidized in the anode. At the cathode, the reaction occurs with oxygen, producing electricity and water as a byproduct (EUis et al., 2001 Garcia et al., 2004). 

In 2011, alcohol dehydrogenase (ADH) was used as a model enzyme coupled with poly (MG) for NADH reoxidation in the construction of a three-dimensional BFC with ethanol as fuel [103]. In combination with an air-breathing/gas difhision cathode (using laccase as an oxygen reduction enzyme), a BFC was fabricated that was able to successfully exploit ethanol oxidation by an NAD -dependent ADH, immobilized by entrapment in a multiwaUed CNT (MWCNT)/chitosan matrix [106]. The feasibility and reproducibUity of the resulting BFC were demonstrated in 2008 with a series of standardized multilaboratory experiments [96]. 

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