Methanol Economy Versus Hydrogen Economy
01 Jan 2018-pp 661-674
TL;DR: In this article, the potential of methanol as a future fuel was discussed and the benefits of using it as a carrier-fuel for hydrogen as compared to pure cryogenically stored hydrogen.
Abstract: Envisioning the role of an alternative to oil and gas is an important and critical issue, bearing in mind the possibility that the current oil and gas reserves may not last much past the 21st century. There is growing concern about environmental issues like global warming and the quest for alternate fuels is complicated because a minimal investment should be made in the infrastructure for dispensing the fuel. Hydrogen has been regarded as a clean fuel due to its zero nontoxic emissions but there are serious issues related to its production, storage, and safety. On the other hand, methanol happens to be a safe carrier-fuel for hydrogen as a liter of liquid methanol has more hydrogen as compared to a liter of pure cryogenically stored hydrogen. Ample feedstock of natural gas and coal is available to empower the “Methanol Economy” unlike biomass which can attract a fuel-food crisis. Methanol’s higher flame speed, competitive prices to oil, cleaner emissions, and ability to utilize the released CO2 as a raw material for its production makes it a holistic, and a potential alternative to fossil fuels. This chapter discusses the potential of methanol as a future fuel.
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TL;DR: A comprehensive review of hydrogen production from methanol is presented in this paper, which is conducive to the prospective development of a hydrogen-methanol economy, including catalysts, catalysts with spinel structures, and catalysts that have high selectivity towards H2 and CO2.
127 citations
TL;DR: In this article, the authors examine the full range of industries and industrial processes for which hydrogen can support decarbonization and the technical, economic, social and political factors that will impact hydrogen adoption.
Abstract: Industrial decarbonization is a daunting challenge given the relative lack of low-carbon options available for “hard to decarbonize” industries such as iron and steel, cement, and chemicals. Hydrogen, however, offers one potential solution to this dilemma given that is an abundant and energy dense fuel capable of not just meeting industrial energy requirements, but also providing long-duration energy storage. Despite the abundance and potential of hydrogen, isolating it and utilizing it for industrial decarbonization remains logistically challenging and is, in many cases, expensive. Industrial utilization of hydrogen is currently dominated by oil refining and chemical production with nearly all of the hydrogen used in these applications coming from fossil fuels. The generation of low-carbon or zero-carbon hydrogen for industrial applications requires new modes of hydrogen production that either intrinsically produce no carbon emissions or are combined with carbon capture technologies. This review takes a sociotechnical perspective to examine the full range of industries and industrial processes for which hydrogen can support decarbonization and the technical, economic, social and political factors that will impact hydrogen adoption.
120 citations
TL;DR: In this article, the feasibility of hydrogen economy is discussed by reviewing viewpoints from the literature, and the challenges of China's transition to hydrogen economy are detailed summarized and discussed, and strategies for China to develop hydrogen economy were compared with that of Japan and Australia.
115 citations
18 Oct 2018
TL;DR: The aim of this work is to propose an overview on the commonly used feedstocks and methanol production processes, as well as on membrane reactor technology utilization for generating high grade hydrogen from the catalytic conversion of meethanol, reviewing the most updated state of the art in this field.
Abstract: Methanol is currently considered one of the most useful chemical products and is a promising building block for obtaining more complex chemical compounds, such as acetic acid, methyl tertiary butyl ether, dimethyl ether, methylamine, etc. Methanol is the simplest alcohol, appearing as a colorless liquid and with a distinctive smell, and can be produced by converting CO2 and H2, with the further benefit of significantly reducing CO2 emissions in the atmosphere. Indeed, methanol synthesis currently represents the second largest source of hydrogen consumption after ammonia production. Furthermore, a wide range of literature is focused on methanol utilization as a convenient energy carrier for hydrogen production via steam and autothermal reforming, partial oxidation, methanol decomposition, or methanol–water electrolysis reactions. Last but not least, methanol supply for direct methanol fuel cells is a well-established technology for power production. The aim of this work is to propose an overview on the commonly used feedstocks (natural gas, CO2, or char/biomass) and methanol production processes (from BASF—Badische Anilin und Soda Fabrik, to ICI—Imperial Chemical Industries process), as well as on membrane reactor technology utilization for generating high grade hydrogen from the catalytic conversion of methanol, reviewing the most updated state of the art in this field.
74 citations
TL;DR: In this article, the role of the copper surface and interface sites between copper and ceria for the hydrogenation of CO2 and CO 2 was investigated in detail for methanol synthesis.
Abstract: CO2 hydrogenation to methanol can play an important role in meeting sustainability goals of the chemical industry. Herein, we investigated in detail the role of the Cu-CeO2 interactions for methanol synthesis, emphasizing the role of the copper surface and interface sites between copper and ceria for the hydrogenation of CO2 and CO. A combined CO2-N2O titration approach was developed to quantify the exposed metallic copper sites and ceria oxygen vacancies in reduced Cu/CeO2 catalysts. Extensive characterization shows that copper dispersion is strongly enhanced by strong Cu-CeO2 interactions in comparison to Cu/SiO2. CO2 hydrogenation activity data show that the Cu/CeO2 catalysts displayed higher methanol selectivity compared to a reference Cu/SiO2 catalyst. The improved methanol selectivity stems from inhibition of the reverse water-gas-shift activity. The role of CO in CO2-to-methanol conversion was studied by steady-state and transient co-feeding activity measurements together with (quasi) in situ characterization (TPH, XPS, SSITKA and IR spectroscopy). The Cu-CeO2 interface provides active sites for the direct hydrogenation of CO to methanol via a formyl intermediate. Co-feeding of small amounts of CO2 to a CO/H2 mixture poisons these interfacial sites due to the formation of carbonate-like species. Methanol synthesis proceeds mainly via CO2 hydrogenation in which the metallic Cu surface provides the active sites.
70 citations
References
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Book•
01 Jan 1973TL;DR: CRC handbook of chemistry and physics, CRC Handbook of Chemistry and Physics, CRC handbook as discussed by the authors, CRC Handbook for Chemistry and Physiology, CRC Handbook for Physics,
Abstract: CRC handbook of chemistry and physics , CRC handbook of chemistry and physics , کتابخانه مرکزی دانشگاه علوم پزشکی تهران
52,268 citations
TL;DR: A review of metal hydrides on properties including hydrogen-storage capacity, kinetics, cyclic behavior, toxicity, pressure and thermal response is presented in this article, where a group of Mg-based hydride stand as promising candidate for competitive hydrogen storage with reversible hydrogen capacity up to 7.6 W% for on-board applications.
2,890 citations
11 Oct 2011
TL;DR: This book discusses the history and present uses of Methanol, the discovery and properties of Hydrogen, and the production and Uses ofhydrogen from Fossil Fuels, as well as the challenges and opportunities facing the industry.
1,633 citations
Book•
23 Mar 2006TL;DR: In this paper, the authors present a history of the development and use of hydrogen in the past, present, and future of the hydrogen-powered vehicles and their use in the future.
Abstract: Chapter 1: Introduction. Chapter 2: Coal in the Industrial Revolution, and Beyond. Chapter 3: History of Oil and Natural Gas. Oil Extraction and Exploration. Natural Gas. Chapter 4: Fossil Fuel Resources and Uses. Coal. Oil. Tar Sands. Oil Shale. Natural Gas. Coalbed Methane. Tight Sands and Shales. Methane Hydrates. Outlook. Chapter 5: Diminishing Oil and Gas Reserves. Chapter 6: The Continuing Need for Hydrocarbons and their Products. Fractional Distillation. Thermal Cracking. Chapter 7: Fossil Fuels and Climate Change. Mitigation. Chapter 8: Renewable Energy Sources and Atomic Energy. Hydropower. Geothermal Energy. Wind Energy. Solar Energy: Photovoltaic and Thermal. Electricity from Photovoltaic Conversion. Solar Thermal Power for Electricity Production. Electric Power from Saline Solar Ponds. Solar Thermal Energy for Heating. Economic Limitations of Solar Energy. Biomass Energy. Electricity from Biomass. Liquid Biofuels. Ocean Energy: Thermal, Tidal, and Wave Power. Tidal Energy. Waves. Ocean Thermal Energy. Nuclear Energy. Energy from Nuclear Fission Reactions. Breeder Reactors. The Need for Nuclear Power. Economics. Safety. Radiation Hazards. Nuclear Byproducts and Waste. Emissions. Nuclear Power: An Energy Source for the Future. Nuclear Fusion. Future Outlook. Chapter 9: The Hydrogen Economy and its Limitations. The Discovery and Properties of Hydrogen. The Development of Hydrogen Energy. The Production and Uses of Hydrogen. Hydrogen from Fossil Fuels. Hydrogen from Biomass. Photobiological Water Cleavage. Water Electrolysis. Hydrogen Production Using Nuclear Energy. The Challenge of Hydrogen Storage. Liquid Hydrogen. Compressed Hydrogen. Metal Hydrides and Solid Absorbents. Other Means of Hydrogen Storage. Hydrogen: Centralized or Decentralized Distribution? Safety of Hydrogen. Hydrogen in Transportation. Fuel Cells. History. Fuel Cell Efficiency. Hydrogen-Based Fuel Cells. PEM Fuel Cells for Transportation. Regenerative Fuel Cells. Outlook. Chapter 10: The "Methanol Economy": General Aspects. Chapter 11: Methanol as a Fuel and Energy Carrier. Properties and Historical Background. Present Uses of Methanol. Use of Methanol and Dimethyl Ether as Transportation Fuels. Alcohol as a Transportation Fuel in the Past. Methanol as Fuel in Internal Combustion Engines (ICE). Methanol and Dimethyl Ether as Diesel Fuels Substitute in Compression Ignition Engines. Biodiesel Fuel. Advanced Methanol-Powered Vehicles. Hydrogen for Fuel Cells from Methanol Reforming. Direct Methanol Fuel Cell (DMFC). Fuel Cells Based on Other Fuels and Biofuel Cells. Regenerative Fuel Cell. Methanol for Static Power and Heat Generation. Methanol Storage and Distribution. Methanol Price. Methanol Safety. Emissions from Methanol-Powered Vehicles. Methanol and the Environment. Methanol and Issues of Climate Change. Chapter 12: Production of Methanol from Syn-Gas to Carbon Dioxide. Methanol from Fossil Fuels. Production via Syn-Gas. Syn-Gas from Natural Gas. Methane Steam Reforming. Partial Oxidation of Methane. Autothermal Reforming and Combination of Steam Reforming and Partial Oxidation. Syn-Gas from CO2 Reforming. Syn-Gas from Petroleum and Higher Hydrocarbons. Syn-Gas from Coal. Economics of Syn-Gas Generation. Methanol through Methyl Formate. Methanol from Methane Without Syn-Gas. Selective Oxidation of Methane to Methanol. Catalytic Gas-Phase Oxidation of Methane. Liquid-Phase Oxidation of Methane to Methanol. Methanol Production through Mono-Halogenated Methanes. Microbial or Photochemical Conversion of Methane to Methanol. Methanol from Biomass. Methanol from Biogas. Aquaculture. Water Plants. Algae. Methanol from Carbon Dioxide. Carbon Dioxide from Industrial Flue Gases. Carbon Dioxide from the Atmosphere. Chapter 13: Methanol-Based Chemicals, Synthetic Hydrocarbons and Materials. Methanol-Based Chemical Products and Materials. Methanol Conversion to Olefins and Synthetic Hydrocarbons. Methanol to Olefin (MTO) Process. Methanol to Gasoline (MTG) Process. Methanol-Based Proteins. Outlook. Chapter 14: Future Perspectives. The "Methanol Economy" and its Advantages. Further Reading and Information. References. Index.
1,026 citations
TL;DR: In this article, a description of the potential paths that may make it possible to change from the current energy sources to a cleaner energy production system is provided, the main focus being placed on how the so-called hydrogen economy might eventually be implemented, taking into account the issues of hydrogen production, distribution, storage and use.
747 citations