Vehicles, methanol-powered

First GM drivable fuel cell vehicle (methanol powered) - Paris Motor Show... 

Symp. on Introduction of Methanol-Powered Vehicles (Tokyo, Japan, Peb. 19,1987). 

Iceland may start with methanol powered PEM vehicles and vessels. The University of Iceland is involved in research on the production of methanol (CH3OH) from hydrogen combined with carbon monoxide (CO) or C02 from the exhaust of aluminum and ferrosilicon smelters. This would capture hundreds of thousands of tons of CO and C02 released from these smelters. If this is combined with hydrogen generated from electrolysis using renewable power, Iceland could cut its greenhouse gas emissions in half. 

One of the problems with the development of alternative fuels is the demand question. Why should manufacturers make alternative fuel engines with uncertain fuel supplies Why should the fuel industry manufacture and distribute fuels without a clear market Flexible fuel vehicles (FFVs), which are also called variable fuel vehicles, (VFVs) attempt to solve this problem. These vehicles are designed to use several fuels. Most of the major automobile manufacturers have developed FFV prototypes, many of these focus on methanol. These methanol powered vehicles can also use gasoline. There are about 15,000 M85 methanol vehicles in operation. Methanol vehicles can provide greater power and acceleration but they suffer from cold starting difficulties. 

Direct methanol fuel cell (DMFC) Proton conductive polymer membrane Methanol O2 (in air) 90-120 Transportation vehicles, stationary power plants, cogeneration plants, portable power supplies... 

Methanol is being considered as a replacement for gasoline, especially in urban areas that have extremely high levels of air pollution caused by motor vehicles. For example. Southern California has been testing methanol-powered cars since 1981. About half of these cars use 100% methanol (MlOO). The other half are flexible-fueled vehicles (FFVs) that use either M85, a blend of... 

What are the advantages and disadvantages of switching to methanol-powered vehicles Methanol burns more cleanly than gasoline, and levels of troublesome pollutants such as carbon monoxide, unreacted hydrocarbons, nitrogen oxides, and ozone are reduced (Chapter 4). However, there is concern about the higher exhaust emissions of carcinogenic formaldehyde from methanol-powered vehicles. Since the number of methanol-powered vehicles is limited, it is still difficult to assess the extent to which these formaldehyde emissions will contribute to the total aldehyde levels from other sources. 

Emonts, B, Hansen, JB, Jorgensen, SL, Hohlein, B, Peters, R. Compact methanol reformer test for fuel cell powered light-duty vehicles. J. Power Sources 1998 71 288-293. 

P. Jung, Technical and economic assessment of hydrogen and methanol powered fuel cell electric vehicles, Master Thesis, Chalmers University of Technology, January 1999... 

The first methanol bus in the world was placed in revenue service in Auckland, New Zealand in June 1981. It was a Mercedes O 305 city bus using the M 407 hGO methanol engine. This vehicle operated in revenue service for several years with mixed results. Fuel economy on an equivalent energy basis ranged from 6 to 17% mote than diesel fuel economy. Power and torque matched the diesel engine and drivers could not detect a difference. ReHabiUty and durabihty of components was a problem. Additional demonstrations took place in Berlin, Germany and in Pretoria, South Africa, both in 1982. 

Owing to its properties, methanol is not recommended for aircraft or marine fuel uses. Methanol caimot be used in conventional diesel-powered vehicles without modifications to the fuel system and engine. Simple methanol—diesel blends are not possible because of insolubiUty. Heavy-duty diesel engines have been adapted to use neat methanol by many U.S. manufacturers, and several are being used in field demonstrations (82) (see Alcohol fuels). 

In the United States, in particular, recent legislation has mandated sweeping improvements to urban air quality by limiting mobile source emissions and by promoting cleaner fuels. The new laws require commercial and government fleets to purchase a substantial number of vehicles powered by an alternative fuel, such as natural gas, propane, electricity, methanol or ethanol. However, natural gas is usually preferred because of its lower cost and lower emissions compared with the other available alternative gas or liquid fuels. Even when compared with electricity, it has been shown that the full fuel cycle emissions, including those from production, conversion, and transportation of the fuel, are lower for an NGV [2]. Natural gas vehicles offer other advantages as well. Where natural gas is abundantly available as a domestic resource, increased use... 

Ogden, J. Steinbugler, M. and Kreutz, T. (1999). A Comparison of Hydrogen, Methanol, and Gasoline as Fuels for Fuel Cell Vehicles. Journal of Power Sources 79 143-168. 

The electrocatalytic oxidation of methanol has been widely investigated for exploitation in the so-called direct methanol fuel cell (DMFC). The most likely type of DMFC to be commercialized in the near future seems to be the polymer electrolyte membrane DMFC using proton exchange membrane, a special form of low-temperature fuel cell based on PEM technology. In this cell, methanol (a liquid fuel available at low cost, easily handled, stored, and transported) is dissolved in an acid electrolyte and burned directly by air to carbon dioxide. The prominence of the DMFCs with respect to safety, simple device fabrication, and low cost has rendered them promising candidates for applications ranging from portable power sources to secondary cells for prospective electric vehicles. Notwithstanding, DMFCs were... 

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