MethanolinFuelingApplications:ProsandCons

ChrisF.EdwardsJacobAlvarez,JohnFyffe,MarkDonohue

DepartmentofMechanicalEngineeringStanfordUniversity

What’sa“FuelingApplication”?

• Usedasanenergycarrier,notamatterfeedstock• Mustbemakeable,transportable,andstorable

Make: Synthesizedfromnaturalgas.Traditionallycalledwoodalcohol.Transport: pipelines(corrosion?),railcars,tankers,drumsStore: tanks

• Mustbeaffordableandreadilyavailable(i.e.,areliable fuel)• Mustbethoughtofas“environmentallyfriendly”

Humans,Fauna,FloraAtmosphere,Hydrosphere,Lithosphere

• Single-componentfuel:CH3OH• 1:1oxygen-carbonratio:

AbouthalftheenergydensityofgasolineAboutascloseto“sootless”asyoucangetAboutidealasafeedstockforreforming

• Liquidwithreasonablevolatilityatambientconditions• Completelymisciblewithwater;doesn’tlikehydrocarbons• Highoctanenumber(lowcetanenumber)• Highlatentheatofvaporization(chargecooling,coldstarting)

What’ssospecialaboutmethanol?

Methane

(26µs)

Methanol

Wheredoesmethanolfitin?

(3.26TW)

PetroleumRefining

MethanolSynthesis ?

ExxonMobil2017OutlookforEnergy(World):Transportation

SI

CI

CIGTCI

ExxonMobil2017OutlookforEnergy(World):Industrial

Heat&

Work

Matter

ExxonMobil2017OutlookforEnergy(World):ResidentialandCommercial

HeatingCoolingCookingLighting

ExxonMobil2017OutlookforEnergy(World):ElectricityGeneration

GT,CIRankineGTCCWindSolarNuclear

Transportation:S.I.Engines• Forpassengercars—neatmethanol,relativetogasoline

Pros: moreefficient,morepowerful(highoctane,latentheat)reducedphotochemicalsmog(single-component,lowphotoreactivity)reducedairtoxics(single-component)

Cons: hardertocoldstart(volatility,latentheat)twicethetanksize(halftheenergydensity)formaldehydeasaproductofincompletecombustion

Competitioninthisapplication—inadditiontogasoline:CNG,LNG,LPG,ethanolblends,butanolblends,hydrogen

• Somedevelopments• GasolineS.I.,butfrommethanol—DavidDankworth(EM)• MethanolS.I.,withcarbonrecycling— Jin Xianyang (Geely)• HeavydutyS.I.,directinjection,dualfuel—DanielCohn(MIT)

PanelDiscussionfollowingthispresentation

Transportation:C.I.Engines• Fortrucking—neatmethanol,asopposedtoDiesel

Pros: “sootless”(oxygen-carbonratio),sameNOxcontrolmethodsreducedphotochemicalsmog(single-component,lowphotoreactivity)reducedairtoxics(single-component)

Cons: hardtoautoignite (verylowcetanenumber)twicethetanksize(halftheenergydensity)formaldehydeasaproductofincompletecombustion

Competitioninthisapplication—inadditiontoDieselCNG,LNG,LPG,ethanolblends,butanolblends,hydrogen

• Somedevelopments:• Otherwaystoignite:spark,surface,hot-residual• Dual-fuel:distillateinjectiontoignitemethanolspray(MAN)• High-temperaturemethanol“Diesels”—BJJohnson(CFE)

ElectricityGeneration:CI,GasTurbines,GTCC

• Forsmall(<1MW)tomedium-scale(~50MW)generation:CIenginesPros/Cons:largelythesameasfortrucking

• Forlarge-scale(>50MW)generationSimple: GTengines,heavy-frameoraero-derivativeEfficient: GT/STcombinedcycle(heavyframeGTfollowedbyHRSG/Rankine)Pros: Veryeasytoatomize/vaporize(lowsurfacetension)

“Sootless”,non-coking,sameNOxcontrolmethodsStorable(liquid)

Cons: Mustatomizeaswellasmix(liquid)Mightneedtousecatalystforformaldehyde(asdoneforCOwithNGCC)Muststockpileasupply—noon-demandpipeline(liquid)

WhataboutDirectMethanolFuelCells?

• Stillmovingforwardforsmall-scalepower• Lostimpetusduetobatteries/efficientcircuitsandhydrogen-fueledfuelcellsascompetitors• Technicalissuesincludecrossoverandanode/cathodekineticsaswellasprovingdurability• Considerthis:

IfwecouldprovidesufficientlifetimeandperformanceinaDMFCthatitbehaveslikeahydrogen-fueledPEMFC,youwouldhaveallofthebenefitsofelectricvehiclepropulsionbutwithouttheenergy-storageproblemsofeitherhydrogenorbatteries.

Whataboutuseinthedevelopingworld?

• Residential:cooking,heating,lighting,cooling• Presentationthisafternoonaboutcooking• Notethatoftenthecookstove isalsothehomeheater• “Sootless”notaproblem—usearadiativemantle(Colemanlantern)• Costandhealth/safetyoftheactualdevicesareparamount• Coolingisn’taboutcomfort:preservingmedicines,food,etc.

• Commercial:developing-world-specificopportunities• MethanoldeployedinsteadofbuildingNGinfrastructure(orusingDiesel)?• Couldmethanolfrombiomassfitsomeeconomies(likeethanolinBrazil)?

Deployingmethanolenablesotherfuelstobeusedeasilywithlocal transformations…

NaturalGas

Methanol

Gasoline Syngas(CO,H2)

DME

Hydrogen

• LPG-likevolatility• Highcetanenumber(CI)• 2:1carbon-oxygenratio

Thanksforlistening.

Happytotakeanyquestionsifthereistime.