Methanol Fuel Uses

Cars

• One benefit to using methanol is its positive effect on fuel mileage. This is also the case with motor vehicles that use a combination of gasoline and methanol in their fuel systems. Fuel systems of cars, specifically within the internal combustion engine, need to be adapted slightly to methanol compared to gasoline. This includes creating a bigger fuel injector and using sensors that can monitor the fuel composition in the vehicle.

Electrical Energy

• Like natural gas, methanol can be used to help in the creation of electricity to power energy grids. Electric fuel cells can be created that utilize methanol-based electricity to power small products like a cell phone. Known as direct-methanol fuel cells, or DMFC, the fuel cells take advantage of methanol's volatile reaction with oxidation, which produces electrical currents as a result. Although gasoline can produce much more electricity in similar fuel cells, the 6 kWh/kg that comes from a DMFC is enough to power small devices and may be utilized to help create new lines of vehicles powered by such fuel cells.

Chemical Production

• Methanol is useful in the production of chemical compounds that have a wide variety of uses. As a carbon product, methanol can be mixed with manufactured farming goods, creating a useful food for plants and feed for livestock. Methanol can also be mixed to create solvents and chemical inhibitors that are helpful in chemical processing, such as formaldehyde, cooling agents, sewage treatment and natural gas processing.

Future Energy Use

• Although methanol is difficult to manufacture and refine, it has some advantages over other alternative fuels. Specifically, when compared to a fuel product like hydrogen, methanol has the existing infrastructure to create and store the fuel. A fuel like hydrogen requires altering the entire energy infrastructure of a country over to hydrogen or similar alternative fuels. Methanol, since it is a gas or carbon-based fuel, can be harnessed relatively cheaper than creating or storing a new fuel like hydrogen. Hence, methanol can be created and then stored for future use in the existing fuel and energy grids in a country.