Methanol: A Sustainable Transport Fuel for SI Engines (Energy, Environment, and Sustainability)

This monograph focuses on methanol and its utilization in transportation sector, namely in spark ignition (SI) engines. The contents focus on methanol production and presents a variety of production technologies from different feedstocks. The potential of methanol utilization in transportation in SI engines is discussed, its challenges, limitations, aspects related to its utilization and current global use of methanol are also presented. The book also contains chapters related to pollutant formation and exhaust emissions from methanol fuelled SI engines, one chapter is focused specifically on formaldehyde emissions, which possesses one of the greatest challenges of methanol use in IC engines. Readers will learn about the production aspects of methanol, its potential as a sustainable fuel, its utilization in SI engine and the effect of methanol and its utilization techniques on engine performance, combustion, exhaust emissions, efficiency and other important parameters. This volume will be a useful guide for professionals, post-graduate students involved in alternative fuels, spark ignition engines, and environmental research. Preface Contents Editors and Contributors General Introduction of Methanol: A Sustainable Transport Fuel for SI Engines 1 Introduction References Production Aspects Methanol as an Alternative Fuel in Internal Combustion Engine: Scope, Production, and Limitations 1 Introduction 2 Scope of Methanol to Be Used in IC Engine 3 Comparisons of Properties of Methanol with Other Fuels 3.1 Physical Properties 3.2 Chemical Properties 3.3 Mixture Properties 4 Merits and Demerits of Methanol as a Fuel 4.1 Merits 4.2 Demerits 5 Methanol Production Methods 5.1 Production of Synthetic Gas from Organic Feedstock 5.2 Methanol Synthesis from Syngas 5.3 Methanol from Coal Gasification 5.4 Methanol from Natural Gas 5.5 Methanol from Dry Milled Corn 5.6 Methanol from Wood 5.7 Methanol from Coal Power Plant 5.8 Methanol from Power plant’s Flue Gases 6 Use of Methanol in IC Engine 6.1 Direct Methanol Fuel Cell Used in IC Engine 6.2 Methanol Used with Binary Blending 6.3 Methanol Used with Ternary Blending 6.4 Use of Methanol in SI Engine 6.5 Use of Methanol in CI Engine 7 Engine Performance and Emission 7.1 Engine Performance and Emission with Pure Fuels 7.2 Engine Performance and Emission with Blending of Fuels 8 Impact of Methanol on Various Concerns 8.1 Impact of Methanol on Health 8.2 Impact of Methanol on Environment 8.3 Impact of Methanol on Fuel Handling 8.4 Impact of Methanol on Safety 8.5 Impact of Methanol on Engine Material 9 Conclusion References Methanol as a Low-Cost Alternative Fuel for the Reduction of Emissions 1 Introduction 2 Technological Background 3 Methodology of Combustion Process Prediction 3.1 Gas Turbines 3.2 Boiler 4 Experience of Methanol Burning in Gas Turbines 4.1 Gas Turbines Short-Term Operation 4.2 Gas Turbines Long-Term Methanol Conversion 4.3 Methanol and Diesel Oil Mixture Burning in Gas Turbine 4.4 Evaluation of CO and Formaldehyde Reduction in Gas Turbine 5 Experience of Methanol Burning at Utility Boilers 5.1 Large Utility Boilers 5.2 Small Industrial Boilers 6 Methanol as a Renewable Fuel for Energy Storage 6.1 Performance Evaluation 6.2 Cost Estimation 7 Conclusion References Energy Analysis of Methanol Synthesis via Reverse Water-Gas Shift Reactor 1 Introduction 2 System Description 2.1 CH4–CO2 Separator 2.2 Steam-Methane Reformer 2.3 Heat Recovery Steam Generator (HRSG) 2.4 Reverse Water-Gas Shift Reactor (r-WGSR) 2.5 Methanol Synthesis Reactor 2.6 High-Pressure (HP) Flash 2.7 Low-Pressure (LP) Flash 3 Thermodynamic Analysis 3.1 Methane Reformer 3.2 Reverse Water-Gas Shift Reactor (rWGSR) 3.3 Methanol Synthesis 3.4 Purification 4 Results and Discussion 5 Conclusion References Methanol as a Fuel Methanol—A Sustainable Fuel for SI Engine 1 Introduction 2 History of Methanol Usage as SI Engine Fuel 3 Current Status of Methanol in SI Engines 3.1 Status of Methanol as Fuel in SI Engines-World Scenario 3.2 Methanol as Fuel in SI Engines—India Scenario 4 Methanol in SI Engines 4.1 Attributes of Methanol as Cleaner SI Engine Fuel 4.2 Issues in Utilizing Methanol as Fuel for SI Engines 4.3 Strategies for Using Methanol and Its Blends in SI Engines 5 Methanol and Its Blends (Liquid and Gas) in SI Engines 5.1 Effect on Performance 5.2 Effect on Emissions 5.3 Effect on Combustion 5.4 Effect of High Compression and Knock 6 Catalytic Converters for Methanol-Fueled SI Engines 7 Conclusions References A Brief Review on Methanol-Fuelled Vehicles (MFV) in China and Implementation Policy 1 Introduction 1.1 Current Status 1.2 Rationale for China to Develop MFV 2 Development of Methanol-Fuelled Vehicles in China: A Brief History 2.1 Research and Pilots in 1980s–2000s, Mainly in Shanxi Province 2.2 MIIT Methanol-Fuelled Vehicle Pilot 2010–2018 3 Current Development and MFV Policy in 2019 3.1 Current Chinese Methanol Vehicle Development: Scaling, Technology Pathways, Model Specification Information 3.2 Joint Ministerial Government Policy in 2019 3.3 Future Consideration of MFV in “Dual Credit Policy” 3.4 Other Policy Influences 4 Other Factors for Chinese MFV’s Taking up in China 4.1 Chinese Methanol Industry and Methanol Supply 4.2 Infrastructure 4.3 Standardization 5 Conclusion References Regulated and Unregulated Emissions from Methanol Fuelled Engines 1 Introduction 1.1 Air Quality Issues 1.2 Energy Supply and Global Renewable Fuels Scenario 1.3 Indian Strategy for Methanol Adaptation 2 Regulated Emissions 3 Unregulated Emissions 4 Regulated and Unregulated Emissions from Methanol Fuelled Compression Ignition Engines 5 Regulated and Unregulated Emissions from Methanol Fuelled Spark Ignition Engines 6 Conclusions References Utilization Aspects Low-Temperature Combustion Kinetics of Methanol-Blended Gasoline and Methanol Synthesized Dimethyl Ether 1 Introduction 2 Computational Methodology 3 Results and Discussion 3.1 Methanol-Blended Gasoline Operation 3.2 DME Kinetics and Its Coupling with Low-Temperature Plasmas 4 Conclusions References Ignition and Extinction of Hydrogen and Gasoline Blended Methanol Flames 1 Introduction 2 Computational Methodology 3 Results and Discussion 3.1 Flame Speed and Flame Thickness 3.2 Minimum Ignition Energy 3.3 Ignition and Extinction Strain Rates 3.4 Thermal and Chemical Flame Structure 3.5 Reaction Sensitivity Analysis 4 Conclusions References Measurement, Mechanism and Characteristics of Formaldehyde Emission from Methanol/Gasoline Blends Fueled Engine 1 Introduction 2 Measurement of Formaldehyde 2.1 Spectrophotography 2.2 Spectroscopy 2.3 Fluorescence Method 2.4 Electrochemical Method 2.5 Chemiluminescence Method 2.6 Formaldehyde Sensors 2.7 Chromatography 2.8 Problems for Engine-Out Formaldehyde 2.9 Gas Chromatographical Detection 3 Emission Mechanism of Engine-Out Formaldehyde 3.1 Formation Pathway 3.2 Formation of Engine-Out Formaldehyde 4 Emission Characteristics of Methanol/Gasoline Blends Fuelled Engine 4.1 Effects of Methanol Fraction 4.2 Conversion of Formaldehyde in the Three-Way Catalyst 5 Conclusions References Application of Methanol as a Clean and Efficient Alternative Fuel for Passenger Cars 1 Introduction 2 Thermal Efficiency Benefit of Methanol Over Gasoline Fuel 3 Technical Challenges to Meet Emission Regulations 4 Production Viable Solutions to Address Cold Start Related Technical Challenge 5 Summaries References