The emission characteristics of methanol and compressed natural gas in light vehicles

Conference · Fri Jan 01 04:00:00 EST 1988

OSTI ID:6956142

Alson, J A

Research into non-petroleum fuels in the late 1960s was motivated by the realization that combustion of gasoline and diesel fuels was responsible for a large portion of urban air pollution. Alternative fuels became an energy policy issue in the 1970s for two reasons: the oil price fluctuations of that decade emphasized the need for the nation to reduce its dependence on imported petroleum, and emissions from new gasoline-fueled vehicles were substantially reduced through the application of progressively more sophisticated control systems. Today, air quality concerns have renewed interest in alternative fuels, with the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and State regulator agencies alike examining every opportunity to reduce emissions. The purpose of this paper is to identify the emissions reductions available through the use of methanol and compressed natural gas (CNG) in light-duty vehicles (i.e., passenger cars and light trucks), by projecting realistic emission factors for these fuels and comparing these to emission factors for gasoline vehicles. Since publication of the most recent EPA report on this subject, the authors have performed additional testing, particularly with CNG vehicles. This paper outlines some of the non-emissions issues that are relevant in any overall evaluation of the potential of methanol and/or CNG to become primary motor vehicle fuels.

• OSTI ID: 6956142
• Report Number(s): CONF-880679--
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

03 NATURAL GAS
034000 -- Natural Gas-- Combustion
09 BIOMASS FUELS
093000 -- Biomass Fuels-- Economic
Industrial
& Business Aspects-- (1990-)
095000 -- Biomass Fuels-- Environmental Aspects-- (1990-)
33 ADVANCED PROPULSION SYSTEMS
330800* -- Emission Control-- Alternative Fuels
AIR POLLUTION CONTROL
AIR QUALITY
ALCOHOL FUELS
AUTOMOTIVE FUELS
CHEMICAL REACTIONS
COMBUSTION
CONTROL
DIESEL FUELS
EMISSION
ENERGY SOURCES
ENVIRONMENTAL POLICY
ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY
FLUIDS
FORECASTING
FOSSIL FUELS
FUEL GAS
FUEL SUBSTITUTION
FUELS
GAS FUELS
GASES
GASOLINE
GOVERNMENT POLICIES
LIQUID FUELS
METHANOL FUELS
NATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS
NATURAL GAS
OXIDATION
PETROLEUM
PETROLEUM PRODUCTS
POLLUTION CONTROL
PRICES
REGULATIONS
STANDARDS
SYNTHETIC FUELS
THERMOCHEMICAL PROCESSES
US EPA
US ORGANIZATIONS