Air Quality Implications of Methanol Fuel Utilization

Harris, Joel; Russell, Armistead G.; Milford, Jana B.

doi:10.4271/881198

Cited by 13 publications

(3 citation statements)

References 6 publications

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“…Thus, reductions in motor vehicle emissions are likely to be necessary to improve air quality in many urban areas. Reformulated gasolines and alcohol-based fuels that might reduce the “reactivity” as well as the mass of motor vehicle emissions are among the most promising near-term measures for addressing urban smog problems ( − ). In 1990, the California Air Resources Board (CARB) adopted new motor vehicle exhaust regulations that included a reactivity adjustment to allowable organic compound emissions levels ().…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Quantification of Uncertainty in Reactivity Adjustment Factors from Reformulated Gasolines and Methanol Fuels

Yang

Milford

1995

Environ. Sci. Technol.

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Speciated data for motor vehicle exhaust emissions of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) have been combined with estimates of uncertainty in the calculated photochemical reactivities of the VOCs to evaluate the resulting uncertainty in the overall reactivity of the exhaust. Mean reactivity adjustment factor (RAF) values for exhaust emissions from reformulated gasolines relative to conventional gasoline ranged from 0.85 to 0.93, with uncertainties of about 10% at the 1σ level. The mean RAF value for M85 (85% methanol, 15% gasoline) in variable/flexible-fueled vehicles relative to emissions from gasoline in conventional vehicles was 0.42, with an uncertainty of 17%. For the gasoline-based fuels, the variability of the exhaust composition data was a major contributor to the uncertainty in the RAFs. For M85, rate constant uncertainties in the reactivities of the VOCs in the exhaust contributed almost two-thirds of the total uncertainty in the RAF values.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Quantification of Uncertainty in Reactivity Adjustment Factors from Reformulated Gasolines and Methanol Fuels

Yang

Milford

1995

Environ. Sci. Technol.

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“…Most ambient formaldehyde is in fact secondary formaldehyde formed by photochemical reactions of hydrocarbons emitted from gasoline vehicles and other sources. The effects of slightly higher direct formaldehyde emissions from methanol cars are offset by reduced hydrocarbon emissions (68).…”

Section: Air Quality Benefits Of Alcohol Fuelsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The most comprehensive air quality study, supported by the California ARB and the South Coast Air Quality Management District (68), showed that if gasoline and methanol cars emitted the same amounts of carbon, an assumption that seemed reasonable based on emissions test data taken throughout the 1980s, and if methanol cars had formaldehyde emissions controlled to 9.3 mg/km (equal to the current California formaldehyde emissions standard for methanol automobiles), then substituting M85 for gasoline would produce a 9% reduction in the peak summer-day afternoon ozone level and a 19% reduction in exposure to ozone levels above the Federal standard of 0.12 ppm. These reductions constituted a substantial fraction of the reductions that would be obtained by eliminating all the emissions from vehicles.…”

Section: Air Quality Benefits Of Alcohol Fuelsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Alcohol Fuels

Jackson¹,

Moyer²

2000

Kirk-Othmer Encyclopedia of Chemical Technology

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A wide variety of countries have, at various times, explored the use of either methanol or ethanol alcohol fuels as alternatives to diesel and gasoline fuels. Recently the United States has demonstrated light and heavy‐duty vehicles using alcohols but has not yet passed beyond the use of limited amounts of alcohols as gasoline components. The potential benefits of alcohol fuels include increased energy diversification accompanied by some energy security and balance of payments benefits, and air quality improvements. The Clean Air Act of 1990, emission standards set out by the State of California, and the 1992 Comprehensive National Energy Policy Act may serve to encourage the substantial use of alcohol fuels, unless gasoline and diesel technologies offer comparable advantages. Both methanol and ethanol have high octane values and allow high compression ratios providing increased efficiency and improved power output per cylinder. The properties of methanol and ethanol result in different vehicle fuel storage considerations. Unlike gasoline or diesel fuel, the vapor of methanol or ethanol above the liquid fuel in a fuel tank is usually combustible at ambient temperatures. This poses the risk of an explosion should a spark or flame find its way to the tank such as during refueling. The 85% methanol–15% gasoline fuel in use in California and elsewhere is commonly called M85. If methanol is to compete with conventional gasoline and diesel fuel it must be readily available and inexpensively produced. Thus methanol production from a low‐cost feedstock such as natural gas or coal is essential. Ethanol is primarily produced from a variety of crops and crop by‐products, generically called renewable biomass. In general, the low cost estimates for alcohol fuels indicate that methanol produced on a large scale from low cost natural gas could compete with gasoline when oil prices are around 14¢/L ($27/bbl). The future market response to new forms of emissions regulation is unknown. It is possible that the new emissions standards will simply result in improved gasoline technologies, and that the market result of the new standards will simply be cleaner gasolines. However, in 1990 the U.S. Alternative Fuels Council agreed on a goal of a 25% share of nonpetroleum transportation fuels by 2005. Alcohol fuels could capture a large part of this 25% share of nonpetroleum fuels.

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Alternative Transportation Energy

Sperling

DeLuchi

1993

Studies in Industrial Organization

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Based on the Berkeley Campus, UCTC draws upon existing capabilities and resources of the Institutes of Transportation Studies at Berkeley, Davis, Irvine, and Los Angeles; the Institute of Urban and Regional Development at Berkeley; and severai academic departments at the Berkeley, Davis, Irvine, and Los Angeles campuses. Faculty and students on other University of California campuses may participate in Center activities. Researchers at other universities within the region also have opportunities to collaborate with UC faculty on selected studies.

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Air Quality Implications of Methanol Fuel Utilization

Cited by 13 publications

References 6 publications

Quantification of Uncertainty in Reactivity Adjustment Factors from Reformulated Gasolines and Methanol Fuels

Quantification of Uncertainty in Reactivity Adjustment Factors from Reformulated Gasolines and Methanol Fuels

Alcohol Fuels

Alternative Transportation Energy

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