Methanol for Our Future
This section is about methanol fuel cells for our future. Since I have done this research I have never realized how important future fuels are. Methanol is a liquid fuel made form natural gas or renewable biomass resources. Methanol is the leading candidate to provide the hydrogen necessary to power fuel cell vehicles. The commercialization of methanol-powered fuel cells will offer practical, affordable, long-range electric vehicles with zero or near zero emissions while retaining the convenience of a liquid fuel. By 2004 they say or even sooner, fuel cells operating on methanol will power a variety of cars and buses in the U.S and worldwide.( www.mehanol.org)
Methanol is predoninantly produced by steam reforming of natural gas to dcreate a sythesis gas, which is then dfed into a reactor vessel in the presence of a catalyst to produce methanol and water vapor. Although a variety of feedstock's other than natural gas can and have been used, today's economics favor natural gas. Synthesis gas refers to combination of carbon monoxide and hydrogen while a large amount of synthesis gas us used to make methanol, most synthesis gas is used to make ammonia. As a result, most methanol plants are adjacent o or are part of ammonia plants. The gas fed into another reactor vessel under high temperatures and pressures, where monoxide and hydrogen are came in the presence of a catalyst to produce methanol. Finally, the reactor product is distilled to purify and separate the methanol from the reactor effluent. (wwwadfc.nrel.gov.)
"(Washington, D.C., January 28) A study by the environmental engineering firm Malcolm Pirnie, Inc. finds far fewer environmental threats from using methanol in fuel cell vehicles, compared to gasoline's use for internal combustion engines. In addition, a video presentation on methanol and the environment produced by the Public Interest Video Network will be premiered at "The Road to Fuel Cell Vehicles: A National Forum" being held on February 4th and 5th at the Hotel Washington in Washington, D.C" (www.methanol.org)
Methanol will probably be transferred from import terminals or production facilities by barge, rail, or truck to eventually reach retail outlets. While the alcohol fuel is a liquid at ambient temperatures and atmospheric pressures, the cannot be moved easily through the existing petroleum product market network.
"The world's major automakers have all announced plans for the market introduction of fuel cell vehicles by 2003/2004.
B: Economic , Planning & Policy, 2(3), 287-295. Eisenstien, P. (2000). Fuel cells get h2
Swim, David W. "Alcohol-fueled Cars Lose Their Fizz in Brazil." Online posting. 3 April 1998. Latin American Trade Council of Oregon Discussion List. 8 Nov 2001 <http://solstice.crest.org/renewables/bioconversion-arc/msg00125.html>.
In the future the global car market is full of potential. There are currently 44 million vehicles and by the year 2002 experts estimate that number will grow to 64 million. That growth is not expected to be in the US, rather in countries such as: China, India, The Pacific Rim, South Africa, and South America. In America, a current trend is for the neighborhood car dealer to be purchased by a large manufacturer, such as GM, so cars can be sold through retail outlets. Other future endeavors include low emission cars, which are expected to provide expansions in sales. Some major automakers are investing in fuel cells, devices that convert liquid hydrogen into elec...
Skov Arlie M. "Fuel-use reduction strategies." Issues in Science and Technology28.3 (2012): 12+. Student Edition. Web. 25 Mar. 2014.
The U.S. Department of Energy projects that if a mere 10% of automobiles nationwide were powered by fuel cells, regulated air pllutants would be cut by one million tons a year and 60 million tons of the greenhouse gas carbon dioxide would be eliminated. DOE projects that the same number of fuel cell cars would cut oil imports by 800,000 barrels a day which is about 13 percent of total imports.
Ethanol as a vehicle fuel is not a new concept. Henry Ford designed the framed Model T to run on alcohol, he said it was “the fuel of the future”. The oil companies thought otherwise, however the oil crisis of the early 1970s gave ethanol fuel the new lease of life. More than two trillion miles have been driven on ethanol blended fuels in the United States since 1980. Ethanol can save our future children generations of work by keeping our planet clean and prevent warfare.
When the problems with gasoline use are considered, the catastrophic environmental effects are the primary concern. Automobile use consumes 70 percent of the United States oil supply and is responsible for one-third of the nation’s carbon emissions (Lovins 173). This results in pollution, global warming, and health problems for the people, plants, and animals. The search for alternative fuel is powered by the increasingly evident environmental problems and long-term health of the planet (Povey 17). Fortunately, reducing emissions globally is predicted to have a positive effect and offset previous harms (Backer).
Fuel alternatives for the future are very important because, we need resources for life. We won’t have fossil fuels forever. It is important to start now. If we did not have any fuel alternatives how would the world be?
biomass to gasified coal and Hydrogel, Natural gas and Synthetic gas . As the technology develops, and if the cost of fossil fuels continues to rise, this clean, efficient alternative will stimulate the thermo mechanical
In 1965 Congress passed the Clean Air Act demanding 90% decrease of the automobile emission within the next six years. Manufactures now are looking into additional alternatives like Hydrogen. According to Daimler Chrysler, Hydrogen is the future for the automotive companies. Hydrogen is considered to be next breakthrough in fuel for all automobiles engines here in the United States and all over the world. By investing in research and development technology Daimler Chrysler will be able to revolutionize the automotive industry and remain on top of the automotive world. These changes and regulations comes with a cost, it will eventually affect the financial automotive industries who will pass the cost to the
The world is searching for alternative ways to reduce dependability of petroleum base fuel. Environment, public health is considered as an important aspect of searching alternative fuel.. California state has already introduced some hydrogen fuel vehicle on the road. The fuel cell vehicle is considered as a zero emission vehicle. It creates only water as a byproduct, therefore no concern about emission relate gas that is harmful for the surroundings. Hydrogen is also regarded as a renewable energy source because it produces water, this water could be potential source of hydrogen gas. Fuel cells could be future generation fuel for the high tech modern vehicle.
1. Energy for the future - Hydrogen and Fuel Cell industry sets out its blueprint. European Commission. 3-17-05
On January 9, 2002, U.S. Energy Secretary Spencer Abraham announced a new public-private partnership between the Energy Department and the nation's major automakers to promote the development of hydrogen as a primary fuel for cars and trucks. The Freedom CAR (Cooperative Automotive Research) would allow for hydrogen-powered fuel-cell vehicles that emit no harmful air pollutants, only water if pure hydrogen is used (5). The Freedom CAR project replaces the Partnership for a New Generation of Vehicles (PNGV) which pushed the development of hybrid gasoline-electric cars.
Olah A. George, Goeppert Alain, Surya.G.K ‘Beyond Oil and Gas: the Methanol Economy’ Wiley-VCH 2009