Methanol
[Due to the increasing size of the archives, each topic page now contains only the prior 365 days of content. Access to older stories is now solely through the Monthly Archive pages or the site search function.]
Dimethoxymethane (DMM)/Diesel Blends as a Low-Cost Approach for Emissions Control
November 17, 2008
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| Relationship between NOx and smoke of the DMM blends under one set of speed and load conditions. Click to enlarge. Credit: ACS |
Researchers at Xi’an Jiaotong University in China have investigated the combustion, performance, and emissions of a direct-injection (DI) diesel engine fueled with dimethoxymethane (DMM)/diesel blends, with DMM content ranging from 0 to 50%.
Their results showed that, with no changes to the fuel injection system or modifications to the engine, smoke and CO emissions decrease and NOx remains almost unchanged, while hydrocarbons (HCs) increase. Brake-specific fuel consumption (BSFC) is higher (DMM has a smaller lower heating value than diesel), while thermal efficiency increases a little. A diesel engine fueled with a 30% DMM blend can deliver both satisfactory fuel efficiency and emissions levels, they conclude. A report on their study was published online 14 November in the ACS journal Energy & Fuels.
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New Process for Direct Conversion of Glycerol to Methanol
November 06, 2008
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| The new process catalytically converts glycerol to methanol using hydrogen under mild conditions. Click to enlarge. |
Researchers at Oxford University (UK) have developed a new method to produce methanol (CH3OH) directly from glycerol (C3H5(OH)3), a byproduct of the transesterification process that produces biodiesel.
The process, developed by Professor Edman Tsang and his group at the Department of Inorganic Chemistry, uses direct catalytic hydrogenolysis of glycerol under mild conditions: 100°C and hydrogen at 20 bar pressure. Earlier this year, Tsang’s research in new catalytic materials identified a supported precious metal which efficiently converts glycerol to methanol.
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Alcohol Boosting Enables Significant Downsizing of Heavy-Duty Diesels to Smaller Gasoline Engines
August 09, 2008
Using a direct-injected alcohol fuel as a second, boosting fuel can allow a turbo-charged, high-compression ratio spark-ignited gasoline engine to replace larger diesels in certain heavy-duty applications, according to work being done by Ethanol Boosting Systems, LLC (EBS), a spin-off from MIT. (Earlier post.)
A study by EBS supported by Volvo Powertrain North America found that for a given engine size, an alcohol-boosted gasoline engine (spark-ignited, SI) could operate with about twice the torque and at higher horsepower than a baseline diesel. In a study presented at the DEER (Diesel Engine-Efficiency and Emissions Research) conference last week, EBS simulated a scaled, downsized 7-liter alcohol-boosted SI engine operating at a 14:1 compression ratio and found that it exhibited higher predicted efficiency than the baseline 11-liter diesel engine when operating over the boosted operating points.
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Researchers Develop Process for High-Yield Conversion of Lignin to Bio-Hydrocarbons and Methanol
July 18, 2008
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| Proposed routes for the conversion of lignin into alkanes and methanol. Click to enlarge. |
Researchers at Peking University (PKU) and the Institut des Sciences et Ingénierie Chimiques Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL) have developed a two-step process for converting lignin—a key component of plant cell walls—to alkanes (hydrocarbons) and methanol that obtains about 42 wt% C8–C9 alkanes, 10 wt% C14–C18 alkanes, and 11 wt% methanol—close to the calculated maximum.
The researchers, led by Professor Yuan Kou at the PKU Green Chemistry Center, published a report on their work 9 July in the journal ChemSusChem.
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Ford, Brunel Studying CAI Combustion with Methanol and Ethanol in Direct Injection Engine
June 23, 2008
Researchers at Ford Motor Company’s Dunton Technical Centre (UK) and Brunel University (UK) are studying CAI (controlled auto-ignition, also referred to as HCCI, homogeneous charge compression ignition) combustion of methanol and ethanol as part of a larger, on-going CAI project.
In results presented at the 2008 SAE International Powertrains, Fuels and Lubricants Congress in Shanghai (23-25 June), the researchers found that both oxygenate fuels, methanol and ethanol, can lead to CAI combustion as well as gasoline fuel. The load of CAI combustion was increased and emissions were lower with the two oxygenate fuels. Methanol was found to have highest output and lowest energy consumption among the three fuels tested.
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Two Developments in DMFC Output: New MIT Membrane Boosts Power More Than 50% and Sharp Achieves Highest Power Density Yet
May 16, 2008
MIT engineers have developed an alternative membrane for direct methanol fuel cells (DMFC) that can increase power output by more than 50%. The new material is also considerably less expensive than its conventional industrial counterpart, among other advantages.
Separately, Sharp Corporation announced that it achieved the world’s highest power density for direct methanol fuel cells (DMFC) for mobile equipment to date—0.3W/cc, or about 7 times greater than previous Sharp technology. This new technology would enable efficient power generation from a small cell volume making it possible to develop fuel cells that have almost the same volume but a longer continuous-use lifespan than lithium-ion batteries in use in mobile equipment.
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Project to Start Trials on Ship-Board Methanol SOFC APU
March 18, 2008
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| The Wallenius MV Undine will host the methanol SOFC trial. |
After nearly one and a half years of research and development, the EU-funded METHAPU (Validation of renewable methanol based auxiliary power systems for commercial vessels) project is about to start trials on a prototype of a methanol-based solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC) auxiliary power unit (APU). The prototype will be tried and tested for performance and emissions under real-life conditions onboard a vessel—the MV Undine, a Pure Car Truck Carrier (PCTC)—involved in trading between Asia, Europe and the USA.
The one-year METHAPU trial will help to assess the maturity of methanol-based technology and its suitability for daily use in the shipping sector. At the same time, the test will make it possible to quantify the short-term and long-term environmental impact of such a system in comparison with conventional systems. These systems still tend to rely on battery power or generators to provide power independent of the ship’s propulsion source or main electric system.
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Oorja Protonics Launches Direct Methanol Fuel Cell Technology; Targeting Material Handling Market
March 17, 2008
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| Schematic of working principle of a direct methanol fuel cell. Click to enlarge. Source: LTNT |
Oorja Protonics has publicly launched its patented direct methanol fuel cell (DMFC) technology. Funded by venture capital firms Sequoia Capital and DAG Ventures, and led by fuel cell pioneer Sanjiv Malhotra, Oorja has been operating in stealth mode since 2005 and has been engaged in commercial testing and deployments of its technology through pilot programs with leading Fortune 50 customers.
A type of proton exchange membrane fuel cell, the direct methanol fuel cell (DMFC) uses liquid methanol rather than hydrogen (either stored on-board or reformed on-board from a different fuel) as the feed. Methanol (CH3OH) is mixed with water and fed directly to the fuel cell anode, where it is oxidized on a catalyst layer to form carbon dioxide, hydrogen ions (H+) and the electrons that travel through the external circuit as the electric output of the fuel cell.
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ACAL Energy Announces Successful Operation of Novel Fuel Cell With Recirculating Liquid Cathode Technology
March 13, 2008
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| ACAL replaces the cathode in a conventional PEM fuel cell (left) with a liquid, non-precious metal catalyst system (right). Click to enlarge. |
UK-based ACAL Energy Ltd. has announced the successful operation of a new type of fuel cell system based on its proprietary recirculating liquid cathode technology, known as FlowCath. A 50W fully integrated multi-cell system incorporating the Flowcath technology was operated for the first time last week and produced higher power levels than expected, according to the company.
The FlowCath system replaces the standard—and expensive—platinum cathode found in conventional fuel cells with a liquid, non-precious metal catalyst system. This not only reduces the cost of the cell, but also humidifies the membrane naturally, eliminating the need for additional hydration systems, and better manages the heat which is generated.
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EPSRC Funds CO2 to Methane and Methanol Project
March 11, 2008
The UK’s Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) is providing £167,530 (US$336,000) in funding for an 18-month research project that aims to develop an efficient, inexpensive aerogel photocatalytic diode that will reduce carbon dioxide and generate methane and methanol for use as fuels. The project begins 1 April 2008.
The project, left by Professor Andrew Mills at the University of Strathclyde, is in partnership with Johnson Matthey, a specialty chemical company with skills in catalysts, precious metals, fine chemicals and process technology.
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Lotus Engineering Shows Exige 270E Tri-fuel at Geneva; Researching Synthetic Methanol from CO2 as Future Fuel
March 09, 2008
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| The Exige 270E Tri-fuel is intended to give Lotus insight into flex-fuel combustion that may include methanol. |
At the Geneva Motor Show, Lotus Engineering unveiled the Lotus Exige 270E Tri-fuel, the most powerful road version yet of the Exige and one that runs on any mixture of gasoline, bioethanol or methanol.
Lotus Engineering also said that it is researching the use of sustainable synthetic alcohols—specifically methanol—as potential future fuels, with technology available from Lotus for introduction in four to five years. The Exige 270E Tri-fuel is part of Lotus’ research to understand the combustion process involved in running on mixtures of alcohol fuels and gasoline.
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UOP and USC to Partner on Converting CO2 to Methanol or DME for Fuel
December 11, 2007
UOP LLC, a Honeywell company, and the University of Southern California’s (USC) Loker Hydrocarbon Research Institute will partner to develop and commercialize new technology to transform carbon dioxide into cleaner-burning alternative fuels.
USC has developed fundamental chemistry to transform carbon dioxide to methanol or dimethyl ether. The agreement grants UOP exclusive access rights for commercialization of technology and intellectual property developed by USC researchers for production of methanol, dimethyl ether and other chemicals from carbon dioxide. UOP and USC will jointly work on development for a commercially viable process.
