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Politics : View from the Center and Left
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To: Bread Upon The Water who wrote (200094)9/5/2012 2:35:51 PM
From: Win Smith  Read Replies (1) of 541740
 
Ok, this sent me off to consult my friend google. Methanol is sometimes called wood alchohol, but it apparently can be made many ways. See methanol.org . I'm not sure about the energetics of these processes, though, e.g. how much energy input is needed to produce methanol from whatever. I know that the net energy out from producing ethanol is marginal, e.g. the energy in is the same or greater than the energy in the ethanol produce.

One problem with methanol is the volume energy density of methanol is only 57% of that of gasoline, e.g. you'd need almost twice as much methanol compared to gasoline to get the same range. Ethanol is better at 70% of gasoline. Another problem compared to ethanol is that some reengineering of the fuel system is needed; methanol can be corrosive and is incompatible with some gasket and seal material currently used.
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