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Technology Stocks : Energy Conversion Devices
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To: Ray who wrote (3809)7/10/1999 3:56:00 PM
From: Sid Turtlman  Read Replies (2) of 8393
 
Ray:" a ten gallon methanol tank would likely be sufficient for methanol-reformer/fuel-cell autos."

I think you might need a much bigger tank for a fuel cell car to have comparable range as an i.c.e. car. Methanol has about half the energy per gallon as gasoline. FC engines in theory should be more efficient than an i.c.e, but when you consider the energy cost of operating the reformer, and to a lesser extent the extra weight of the water tank needed to provide steam for reforming and to keep the fc membrane moist, I doubt whether the net efficiency will be even twice that of an i.c.e. car. If it does make it to twice, then you would need a 15-18 gallon methanol tank, same size as a conventional car, to get the same range, as the low energy content of the fuel counteracts the high efficiency of the fc engine.
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