Synthetic Methanol as a Sustainable Transport Fuel

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Synthetic Methanol as a Sustainable Transport
Fuel
R.J. Pearson and J.W.G. Turner Lotus
Engineering, UK Gordon Taylor GT Systems
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Motivating Factors Depletion of Resources

• Fossil fuels are a finite resource
• they are renewable but not on a usable human
  timescale.
• we are using in a few decades a resource which
  took millions of years to create.
• they are effectively depletables.
• Population and energy consumption per capita are
  rising

4 times as many
Only twice as much
Source The Sustainable Mobility Project 2004.
WBCSD
Source The Sustainable Mobility Project 2004.
WBCSD
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Motivating Factors - Depletion of Resources
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Motivating Factors Energy Security
Oil
Gas
Coal
Source www.worldenergy.org
Source Based on data from BP Statistical Review
of Energy 2006
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Motivating Factors Energy Security
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The Price of Oil
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Motivating Factors Climate Change

• Proposal to put a cost on CO2 of 100 per tonne
  for all OECD markets by 2015.
• Climate change is on the transport agenda now.
• Transport is one of the fastest growing sectors.
• The EU are about to enact fiscal measures which
  will be severe at a time when the vehicle
  industry is struggling to be profitable.
• up to 95x106 per tonne of CO2 by 2015.
• Similar legislation is being considered
  world-wide.
• Fiscal measures are good instruments to achieve
  change but they must be targetted equitably and
  effectively

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What are the Options?

• Reduce Energy Consumption
• Reducing CO2 emissions is harder than reducing
  primary pollutants (HC,CO,NOx)
• Engine / transmission technology (including
  hybridisation).
• Vehicle technology (low mass, low rolling
  resistance/drag).
• Changes in vehicle usage patterns, including
  adaptive driving.
• Use of vehicles optimized for local mobility
  not family vacations.
• Improvements in efficiency will not off-set
  growth in demand.
• Change the Fuel
• This is complementary to changes in engine /
  transmission technology.

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Changing the Fuel

• The ideal energy carrier should
• be easy to manufacture from abundant resources
• provide high energy density
• be capable of being handled, stored , and
  distributed cheaply and safely
• be compatible with a wide variety of
  applications.
• Gasoline and diesel are excellent examples
  because of their physical properties.

• Unfortunately their continued use will impact the
  climate heavily.

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Hydrogen and Electricity

• The options thought of as providing all or part
  of the solution to de-carbonizing transport are
• Conversion to a Hydrogen Economy
• Electrification of the vehicle fleet.
• BioFuels
• All truly sustainable options ultimately require
  large amounts of renewable upstream energy
• and therefore large amounts of investment
• NOW!

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BEVs

• This option would require the smallest investment
  in upstream energy
• because of the high tank-to-wheel (TTW)
  efficiency of electric vehicles.
• But
• Current batteries required to give a range which
  does not imply dedicated vehicles are very
  expensive
• 25,000 (40,000)
• This makes BEVs very expensive for mass take up.
• Gravimetric and volumetric energy densities are
  very low.
• 50 kWh Li-Ion battery may weigh 450 kg and is
  very large.
• Contains same energy as 5.7 litres of gasoline
  which weighs 4.2 kg.
• Even with 4-5 times greater TTW efficiency for an
  EV this increases the gasoline equivalent mass to
  only about 20 kg.
• EVs will never re-charge in minutes without
  swapping batteries energy flux through a
  gasoline nozzle is over 10 MW.
• More potential from plug-in hybrids with ICE
  range extenders
• but Chevy Volt now projected to cost 35,000
  (AutoCar 24/09/08)

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Hydrogen?

• Molecular hydrogen proposed as the basis of the
  future global energy economy
• its combustion generates no CO2 if it is
  produced renewably.
• It can be burned in internal combustion engines
  and gas turbines -
• with high thermal efficiency - requires
  relatively small engine modifications
• also required for fuel cells (seen as long-term
  powertrain replacement).
• But ...
• Must consider well-to-wheel GHG analysis.
• Needs to be extracted from hydrogenated
  compounds
• via steam reforming from natural gas - generates
  5.5 kg CO2 / kg H2
• water via electrolysis - needs renewable source
  of electricity.
• If H2 is produced from NG (largest current
  source) WTW GHG impact is worse when NG burned in
  an IC engine
• savings are only possible if used in a fuel cell.
• Incompatibility with gasoline requires two
  separate fuel systems on a vehicle during the
  transition period - and dual infrastructure.

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Hydrogen?

• Hydrogen is an inconvenient energy storage
  medium
• The least dense element at NTP methane is 10 x
  more dense!
• At 700bar energy density gasoline / hydrogen
  4.7
• Compression to 800 bar (for 700 bar system)
  requires 10 of fuel energy.
• Can also store as a liquid in a cryogenic tank
• Stored at -253oC density is still only 70 kg/m3
• Liquefaction requires 25-35 of fuel energy.
• Boil-off losses can be high.
• Fuel tanks are heavy and expensive.
• Cryogenic tank to store lt10kg fuel (energy of
  38l gasoline) is 170 kg.
• High-pressure tanks and hydride storage systems
  similar.
• For transport applications on-board reformers
  have been considered but have efficiency impact
• give no WTW benefit cf. advanced IC engines /
  hybrids at high cost.
• Distribution losses / energy inputs are high.

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Distribution Losses

• Bossel et al. estimate that over 4 times as many
  trucks would be needed to distribute liquid
  hydrogen.
• This factor rises to 22 for pressurized hydrogen!

Bossel et al. (2003), The Future of the Hydrogen
Economy Bright or Bleak?
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On-board Storage Density
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Fuel System and Powertrain Costs

• Low-temperature fuel cells use a lot of platinum.
• At current use levels only enough for 200,000
  vehicles per annum.
• 70 million vehicles per annum are produced
  worldwide.
• Using scarce / expensive materials does not give
  volume benefits.

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Infrastructure Costs

• Change to gaseous fuels requires huge
  infrastructure changes and costs
• distribution, transportation, storage
• Dual infrastructure required during transition
  period.
• New infrastructure is estimated to be very
  expensive (est. 1x1012)

James Woolsey, Chairman of the Advisory Board of
the US Clean Fuels Foundation, 27th November 2007
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Projected Growth in Transport

• The number of vehicles on the road is expected to
  increase by a factor of 4 by 2050.
• The increase will be driven by increasing
  prosperity in the developing world and by the
  production of ultra-cheap cars such as the 2500
  Tata Nano
• These cars will use cheap powertrains and cheap
  fuel systems

Tata Nano
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Affordable Vehicles
Low carbon vehicles that are not affordable wont
save any CO2
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Keep IC Engines

• They are cheap to produce and therefore
  affordable
• are easy to manufacture
• contain few scarce materials
• have low embedded energy cost.
• They are capable of burning a vast array of fuels
  from a wide variety of sources with simple
  modifications.
• so using other fuels wont leave stranded assets
  in expensive production facilities.
• They have high power densities and considerable
  potential for further efficiency improvements
• especially using alcohol fuels in down-sized
  engines

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High Efficiency on Alcohols

• Due their combustion properties, spark-ignited
  alcohols can give higher thermal efficiency than
  diesel engines

Brusstar et al., SAE 2002-01-2743
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Comparison of Performance E85 v 95 RON ULG
10-15 improvement in full-load thermal efficiency
30 PCI operation
On E85 this engine gave 197.1 kW (264 bhp) at
8000 rpm (14) and 246 Nm at 5500 rpm (10)
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Operation on Alcohol Green and Mean
Bergstrom et al., Vienna Motor Symposium 2007
Power on E85 10 Torque on E85 15
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Green and Mean Flex-Fuel Lotus Exige 265E
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Keep Liquid Fuels

• They can be provided renewably as CHO liquids,
  i.e. carbohydrates
• In the form of low carbon number alcohols
  (methanol and ethanol)
• they are easily produced from a wide variety of
  biomass feedstocks
• they can be synthesized.
• They are liquids which provide the engine with
  cheap fuel systems.
• They have high on-board energy densities and are
  easily packaged.
• In the form of alcohols they are miscible with
  gasoline.
• The vehicles can be provided by cheap
  distribution infrastructure with low energy /
  mass losses
• can be dispensed with self-service
• essentially similar to what we have now
• enable evolution rather than revolution.

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A Complete Solution

• Carbohydrate liquid fuels and their derivatives
  can supply all types of vehicle.
• Surface transport using alcohol fuels in SI and
  diesel engines
• cars / vans trucks / buses
• trains
• Air transport (gas turbines) and long range
  surface applications (ships) using FT versions
• a further synthesis step can produce synthetic
  kerosene or diesel
• at a process energy / cost penalty.
• They can be supplied in full amounts beyond
  the BioMass Limit.

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Where Do We Get Them From?

• Up to the BioMass Limit (different for each
  country) from BioMass
• using carbon collected and re-cycled by the
  biosphere (plants)
• producing ethanol and methanol where properly
  sustainable.
• Beyond the Biomass Limit via synthesis using
  feedstocks from the atmosphere and the ocean
• using carbon collected and re-cycled artificially
  together with renewable hydrogen
• producing sustainable synthetic methanol
  CO23H2?CH3OHH2O
• this can be thought of as chemically liquefying
  hydrogen using CO2
• the pragmatic implementation of the hydrogen
  economy.

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Biofuels - GHG Savings
Source Gallagher Review
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Biofuels Carbon Payback Time
Source Gallagher Review
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Biofuels and Land Area
Source Bossel
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Biofuels and Land Area
Percentage of UK arable land needed to supply 5
of transport energy demand (in 2001) on an energy
content basis. Source Royal Society (based on
Woods and Bauen 2003)
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In most countries biofuels cannot guarantee fuel
security - there isnt enough land
Bio-Fuels and Land Area
Source OECD Report AGRICULTURAL MARKET IMPACTS
OF FUTURE GROWTH IN THE PRODUCTION OF
BIOFUELS Working Party on Agricultural Policies
and Markets, AGR/CA/APM(2005)24/FINAL 01-Feb-2006
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Beyond the Biomass Limit Sustainable Methanol
Adapted from Olah et al., The Methanol Economy
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Alcohol Flex-Fuel Vehicles A Mature Technology

• Many forms of internal combustion engine have
  been produced which are capable of burning
  alcohol fuels since the early 1900s
• The Model-T Ford was originally intended to run
  on ethanol.
• A kit was available to modify it.
• Ethanol was considered as an octane enhancer in
  the 1920s.
• Methanol was first used as a vehicle fuel in the
  1930s.
• Motorsport in the US adopted methanol in the
  1960s as a safety measure
• only recently replaced by ethanol in Indy Car to
  mirror automotive.
• In the 1980s/1990s 15,000 of methanol/gasoline
  Flex-Fuel vehicles were manufactured and used in
  trials over a 15 year period in California
• supported by an extensive re-fuelling network.
• Hundreds of heavy-duty dedicated methanol
  vehicles were in service.
• There are 6 million of E85/gasoline Flex-Fuel
  vehicles on the road today.

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1980s/90s Vehicle Fleets
From Dolan, G., Methanol transportation fuels a
look back and look forward. Int. Symp. On Alcohol
Fuels, San Diego, 2005.

• Automotive M85 FFVs made by GM, Ford, Chrysler,
  Mercedes, VW, Saab, Volvo, Toyota, Honda, Mazda,
  Mitsubishi, Subaru, Hyundai
• 93 MY Taurus sold 2800 units in CA - sold for
  345 less than gasoline car.
• Incremental costs 150-300 car

• Dedicated Heavy Duty engines running on methanol
  made by MAN, Ford, Navistar, Caterpillar,
  Cummins, Detroit Diesel, Mitsubishi
• In a wide variety of applications.
• Over 100 fuelling stations in CA

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Vehicle Transition
Source Jones, C., SAE BioFuels Symposium, Paris,
July 7-9, 2008.
GM have pledged that half their model range will
be Flex-Fuel capable by 2012.
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Vehicle Transition Tri-Flex-Fuel Vehicle
Development
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Vehicle Transition Tri-Flex-Fuel Vehicle
Development

• Lotus Tri-Flex-Fuel vehicle was developed from an
  existing ethanol FFV, the Exige 265E
• Small step to Tri-Flex Fuel technology
• Essentially software changes.
• Alcohol sensor was a input to the control system
• it has a different response to methanol and
  ethanol
• Wide-range lambda sensor used as secondary input
• New algorithms developed to allow operation on
  any mixture of gasoline, ethanol and methanol

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Lotus Exige 270E Tri-Flex-Fuel Development CO2
E11/M31
E0/M0
E25/M29
M28
E43/M21
E70
M53
M70
M88
Met primary pollutant targets with minimal
adjustment.
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Fuel Transition - CO2 Capture

• Some form of CO2 capture will be required to
  off-set increasing emissions levels especially
  with growth of coal usage for power generation.
• On-site capture is the most sensible approach for
  large concentrated sources of CO2 .
• On-board storage is not feasible for dispersed,
  mobile sources, such as vehicles
• 1 litre (0.75 kg) gasoline gives 2.3 kg CO2 60
  litre tank makes 138 kg CO2, or 78 m3 of gas at
  NTP
• Mass of substrate / absorber would at least
  double mass of stored material.
• Its happening now
• Statoil sequestration
• Exxon-Mobil enhanced oil recovery.
• But why lock the carbon away when we can use it
  as a feedstock?

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CO2 from the Atmosphere Theoretical Energy
Based on Lackner
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Lackner / Zeman Columbia University / GRT

• Mixing times are fast
• weeks to months, homogenising feedstock
  distribution.
• 60m x 50m collector
• 3 kg CO2 / sec.
• 80,000 tonnes / year
• equivalent to the fossil CO2 produced by 4000
  people or 15,000 cars
• 250,000 units would process all anthropogenic CO2
  emissions

Source Broecker, W.S.,Global warming take
action or wait?. Chinese Science Bulletin, 2006,
vol. 51, no. 9, 1018-1029.
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Upstream Energy Analysis
80 electrolyser effy. 250 kJ/kmol CO2 extraction
HHV WTT46 Using technologies that can be
delivered now.
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Fuel and Vehicle Transitions
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Fuel Transition
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Sustainable Alcohols for Mobility

• A future transport fuel economy based on
  synthetic alcohols is a realistic prospect
• due to the possibility of a soft-start
  afforded by the miscibility of gasoline, ethanol,
  and methanol,
• and the relatively low cost of vehicles with
  compatible fuel systems.
• Can be expedited by legislation requiring all
  vehicles to by gasoline/ethanol flex-fuel
  compliant by 2012
• this will give significant market incentives to
  renewable fuels and the development of 2nd
  generation biofuels ethanol and methanol.
• Methanol usage could be supported by software
  changes.
• High efficiency alcohol engines using Otto and
  Diesel cycles are easily made.
• Atmospheric CO2 extraction could lead ramp-up in
  renewable power generation.
• This allows us to carry on exploiting fossil fuel
  resources whilst we develop sustainable energy
  sources.

2012 Ethanol/Gasoline Flex-fuel mandatory
2030 Closed-cycle Methanol production
2060 Phase out fossil fuels for transport
2015 Methanol 2nd Generation Ethanol available
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Leveraging the Stakeholder Capital

• Put the burden of producing affordable efficient
  vehicles on the vehicle manufacturers.
• Put the burden of de-carbonizing transport fuel
  on the upstream production and supply companies
• this will always be profitable as demand is
  ever-present and growing
• 2.25 trillion spent on oil world-wide in 2007.
• if the average oil price over 2008 is 100, the
  additional annual cost of oil world wide in one
  year will be about 0.86 trillion.
• Cars are used 5 of their lifetime.
• Customers can defer new vehicle purchase.
• They cannot defer the purchase of the fuel!

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Early Thoughts on Sustainability
A quotation from the first paragraph of a 1907
SAE paper Gasoline is the by-product of a
geographically limited monopolistically
controlled industry, and there are reasons to
believe that the available supply is more than
mortgaged by world-wide and growing
demand White, T.L., Alcohol as a fuel for the
automobile motor. SAE paper number 070002, 1907.
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Time to Re-Think the Treatment
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Thank You for Listening