why SHOULD we replace fuel for methanol?

Question

any good points in changing fuel for methanol

thanks

Answer 1

Why methanol, specifically? There are good points that can be made for switching to biofuels of some sort, but there are also downsides. I assume by fuel, you mean fossil fuels. Remember... methanol is a fuel, too!

Methanol, ethanol, biodiesel... whatever... the main argument for biofuels is that they're renewable. We're going to run out of fossil fuels before very long, and we need to switch to something sustainable. Nothing we can do about that... it takes millions of years to make a barrel of oil, and we're using the stuff at millions of barrels a day. Biofuels can be created much more rapidly.

The big issue for biomass-based fuels is whether we can grow enough fuel crops to keep up with global energy demand. Probably not, but at least for automotive needs, they're probably our best energy option at present. If we can switch electricity generation, heating, etc. to other sources like solar or geothermal, then we should be able to make enough liquid fuel for our mobility needs.

Answer 2

most respondents are giving you the right info on this one. Its not methanol per se that is good, but bio fuels in general. (sugar fermentation make more ethanol than methanol by the way. )

Problem with methanol though is while it is easy to make (relatively) it is far more toxic than ethanol (15ml is enough to kill you-50/50 chance) and is extremely flammable, far more than petrol for instance. Has a low boiling point and a low flash point. Ethanol on the other hand has a higher boiling and flash point,(more like that of petrol) is far less toxic (1000ml) and is not much harder to make from many renewable sources. It also works in many currently available car engines with only minimal conversion required.

And when mixed with water ethanol taken in moderation will take your mind off the cost of fuels! Methanol will make you blind and dead!

By the way, using fermentation as a route to ethanol production has the potential to reduce green house gasses, not just break even. As a by product of fermentation is almost pure CO2, it is easy to capture and sequester (by your favorite means). this results in net carbon reduction every cycle, none of the other bio fuels offer that one.

Answer 3

You can produce methanol from carbon materials that is on the surface of our planet.
The philosophy is like this: The carbon atoms in the ecosystem are there, in the trees and other organism. They die and rotten and make carbondioxyd anyhow. Why not catch them and use them in your car.

The oil and coal atoms from the mines and oil fields bring new atoms into the system and increase the amount of carbondioxyd in the system.

Answer 4

Unlike fosil fuels,methanol is renewable and can be made from fermenting sugar.