Methanol myths and opportunities 20 mars 2007

1. Methanol: myths and
opportunities
Selim Stahl
March the 20th
, 2007

2. © Det Norske Veritas AS. All rights reserved Slide 29 augusti 2018
Myth #1: MeOH as a fuel is “so yesterday”
 Fuels Indycars, karting and
modeling motors

3. © Det Norske Veritas AS. All rights reserved Slide 39 augusti 2018
Myth #2: Methanol is too toxic
Not more toxic than diesel… dangerous if more
than 4000 diet coke cans consummed daily

4. © Det Norske Veritas AS. All rights reserved Slide 49 augusti 2018
Myth #3: Methanol is too corrosive

5. © Det Norske Veritas AS. All rights reserved Slide 59 augusti 2018
Myth #4: MeOH is not a renewable fuel
 Methanol = wood alcohol (first synthesized by distillation of wood)

6. © Det Norske Veritas AS. All rights reserved Slide 69 augusti 2018
Myth #5: Methanol and ethanol were
competing…ethanol won; end of story
 Same FFV technology
 Same fossil fuel based possibility: CH4 => CH3OH & C2H6 => C2H5OH
 Same lignocellulosic challenge: Wood => EtOH

7. © Det Norske Veritas AS. All rights reserved Slide 79 augusti 2018
Myth #8: Methanol is too expensive
 MeOH from natural gas: 77-94 ¢ per gallon gasoline equivalent, at the
pump
 BioMeOH COP < BioEtOH COP from wood

8. © Det Norske Veritas AS. All rights reserved Slide 89 augusti 2018
Methanol opportunities (other than China
growth and classic markets)

9. © Det Norske Veritas AS. All rights reserved Slide 99 augusti 2018
Opportunity #1: branding for come-back
 Changing name: methanol => wood alcohol, hydrated DME or via DME
 Urea => Carbamide

10. © Det Norske Veritas AS. All rights reserved Slide 109 augusti 2018
Opportunity #2: MTBE phase out and COP
drop
 Market segment free (EtOH substitute): US market i 34 % and MTBE
represent about 39 % of the market
 COP drops with megascale projects… market price still high…

11. © Det Norske Veritas AS. All rights reserved Slide 119 augusti 2018
Opportunity #1: alternative plastics
 MTO, MTP, DTP concepts (alternative)
 BTO, BTP, PTP concepts (renewable)
Oligomerization (10-100)

12. © Det Norske Veritas AS. All rights reserved Slide 129 augusti 2018
Opportunity #2: transportation fuel
 Direct fuel: Otto engine, EtOH blend (gasoline substitute)…
…fuel cells (via H2)?
 After:
- dehydration: DME (synthetic LPG) for diesel engine, fuel cells?
- + fat via transesterification: biodiesel
- Methanol to Gasoline (MTG) 570,000 MTA
- Methanol to diesel (MTsynfuel®)

13. © Det Norske Veritas AS. All rights reserved Slide 139 augusti 2018
Opportunity #3: energy fuel
 Turbines: MeOH, DME
 Fuel cells (army mobile devices fueling)

14. © Det Norske Veritas AS. All rights reserved Slide 149 augusti 2018
Opportunity #4: CCS
 CO2 from flue gas to MeOH production (Saudi Methanol Co.)
 CO2 from flue gas + H2 => MeOH
CO2 + 3 H2
CH3OH + H2O

15. © Det Norske Veritas AS. All rights reserved Slide 159 augusti 2018
Conclusions
 Marketing vs. Technology (see Tesla vs. Edison)… at the end best
technology wins
 High integration with all industry sectors
 DNV experienced with methanol (maritime via tankers and infrastructure)
and previous work: study “Relative Hazard of Risk assessment methanol
vs. gasoline” (DNV results to Society of automotive engineers, CA fuel
cell partnership)
 Assessment – Methanol vs. Gasoline”
 Many opportunities for DNV:
- Biofuel standards (bio?)
- Risk analysis
- TQ

16. © Det Norske Veritas AS. All rights reserved Slide 169 augusti 2018
MERCI…questions?

17. © Det Norske Veritas AS. All rights reserved Slide 179 augusti 2018
Backup slides

18. © Det Norske Veritas AS. All rights reserved Slide 189 augusti 2018
Backup slides: knocking/octane Otto cycle
Resp
106 from Saab ?
1. Air and vaporised fuel are drawn in
2. Fuel vapour and air are compressed and ignited
3. Fuel combusts and piston is pushed downwards
4. Exhaust is driven out
=> when air/fuel mixture in the cylinder has been ignited by the spark
plug and the smooth burning is interrupted by the unburned mixture
in the combustion chamber exploding before the flame front can
reach it (Engine knocking).
Source: wikipedia

19. © Det Norske Veritas AS. All rights reserved Slide 199 augusti 2018
Backup slides

20. © Det Norske Veritas AS. All rights reserved Slide 209 augusti 2018
Brandy 0.1 % vol
Red Wine up to 0.16 % vol
Rum 0.0082 % vol
Bourbon 0.0068 % vol
White Wine 0.004 % vol
Gin < 0.004 % vol
Vodka 0.00000114 % vol
Drinks vs. Methanol
”Smoother-
hangover”
drinks
Methanol
content
Backup slides

21. © Det Norske Veritas AS. All rights reserved Slide 219 augusti 2018
Backup slides
Choren 15.000 MTA autumn 2007

22. © Det Norske Veritas AS. All rights reserved Slide 229 augusti 2018
Backup slides: Cetane number
Cetane number is a measure of a fuel's ignition delay; the time period between
the start of injection and start of combustion (ignition) of the fuel. In a particular
diesel engine, higher cetane fuels will have shorter ignition delay periods than
lower cetane fuels. There is no performance or emission advantage when the
CN is raised past approximately 55; after this point, the fuel's performance hits a
plateau.
Source: wikipedia

23. © Det Norske Veritas AS. All rights reserved Slide 239 augusti 2018
Backup slides: DME turbines
DME, Natural gas and Naphtha estimation using GE turbine (ref)

24. © Det Norske Veritas AS. All rights reserved Slide 249 augusti 2018
Methanol
engine
Methanol
fuel cell
Intrepid ESX series hybrid Chrisler corporation adapted
Backup slides: Fuel cell Hybrid

25. © Det Norske Veritas AS. All rights reserved Slide 259 augusti 2018
DME fueled
SOFC DME fuel
cell
Intrepid ESX series hybrid Chrisler corporation adapted
Backup slides: Fuel cell Hybrid

26. © Det Norske Veritas AS. All rights reserved Slide 269 augusti 2018
Backup slides: MtSynfuels

27. © Det Norske Veritas AS. All rights reserved Slide 279 augusti 2018
Gasifier Reactor MTO
Biomass
5.5 kg
Polymers
(PE,PP)
1 kg
Syngas
Black liquor
Coal
plastic waste
3.7 kg
Olefins
Polyolefin
unit
Methanol
Pre-treatment
Backup slides: BTP