Title: Study of the methanol-reformed gas engine
Authors: T. Hirota
Addresses: Research Engineer Central Engineering Laboratories, Nissan Motor Co., Ltd. Yokosuka-shi, Japan
Abstract: Methanol reacts in the presence of a catalyst and decomposes into a gas made up of hydrogen, carbon monoxide, etc. This is an endothermic reaction, hence the calorific value of the fuel increases. An experiment was conducted on the characteristics of an Otto cycle engine using reformed gas and methanol as fuels. As a result, it was confirmed that the engine provided high thermal efficiency and clean exhaust characteristics at a compression ratio of 14.0 and an excess air ratio of 1.7.
Keywords: alternative fuels; methanol reformed gas; hydrogen gas flammability; anti-knock properties; thermal efficiency; vehicle emissions.
International Journal of Vehicle Design, 1982 Vol.3 No.3, pp.286 - 296
Published online: 25 May 2014 *
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