This section is about methanol fuel cells for our future. Since I have done thisresearch I have never realized how important future fuels are. Methanol is aliquid fuel made form natural gas or renewable biomass resources.
Methanol isthe leading candidate to provide the hydrogen necessary to power fuel cellvehicles. The commercialization of methanol-powered fuel cells will offerpractical, affordable, long-range electric vehicles with zero or near zeroemissions while retaining the convenience of a liquid fuel. By 2004 they say oreven sooner, fuel cells operating on methanol will power a variety of cars andbuses in the U. S and worldwide. ( www. mehanol.
org) Methanol is predoninantlyproduced by steam reforming of natural gas to dcreate a sythesis gas, which isthen dfed into a reactor vessel in the presence of a catalyst to producemethanol and water vapor. Although a variety of feedstock’s other than naturalgas can and have been used, today’s economics favor natural gas. Synthesis gasrefers to combination of carbon monoxide and hydrogen while a large amount ofsynthesis gas us used to make methanol, most synthesis gas is used to makeammonia. As a result, most methanol plants are adjacent o or are part of ammoniaplants. The gas fed into another reactor vessel under high temperatures andpressures, where monoxide and hydrogen are came in the presence of a catalyst toproduce methanol.
Finally, the reactor product is distilled to purify andseparate the methanol from the reactor effluent. (wwwadfc. nrel. gov.
)”(Washington, D. C. , January 28) A study by the environmental engineering firmMalcolm Pirnie, Inc. finds far fewer environmental threats from using methanolin fuel cell vehicles, compared to gasoline’s use for internal combustionengines. In addition, a video presentation on methanol and the environmentproduced by the Public Interest Video Network will be premiered at “TheRoad to Fuel Cell Vehicles: A National Forum” being held on February 4thand 5th at the Hotel Washington in Washington, D.
C” (www. methanol. org)Methanol will probably be transferred from import terminals or productionfacilities by barge, rail, or truck to eventually reach retail outlets. Whilethe alcohol fuel is a liquid at ambient temperatures and atmospheric pressures,the cannot be moved easily through the existing petroleum product marketnetwork.
“The world’s major automakers have all announced plans for themarket introduction of fuel cell vehicles by 2003/2004. These fuel cell vehicleswill require a source of hydrogen fuel. As a liquid fuel rich in hydrogen,methanol is the leading candidate to power tomorrow’s fuel cell cars andbuses. A comprehensive needs assessment should be performed to determine howbest to provide methanol fuel to an emerging market for fuel cell vehicles. “(www.
The American Methanol Foundation” From the information gathered it seemsthat methanol is the number one candidate for future fuels for leading carmanufactures. It is also nice to know that the government has plans to figure Inaddition, this assessment will attempt to forecast methanol fuel direction andtools for consumer education efforts regarding the use of methanol in fuel cellvehicles.
