SOURCES OF ALCOHOL FUELS FOR VEHICLE FLEET TESTS

Twenty-five coal gasification projects were reviewed for the purpose of determining if they offered an opportunity to provide a source of methanol for a fleet vehicle test program. All were concerned with the gasification of coal to produce a low, medium, or high Btu gas or a liquid fuel. The analysis revealed that only four programs offered a reasonable opportunity for completion of a commercial scale gasification plant and full operation in the foreseeable future. Further, all four elected to use the Lurgi gasification technology together with the Lurgi Rectisol gas cleanup process incorporating methanol as the absorbing medium. Consequently all four projects are candidates for supplying the 150 tons needed for a fleet vehicle test program. The American Natural Gas--People Gas Companies program at Beulah, North Dakota, is particularly of interest as a source since they have already made the decision to produce their own methanol requirements on-site. All four projects are currently halted owing to the need for resolving the capital financing of the projects. If federal loan guarantees are forthcoming in amounts realistically tailored to today's construction costs, all four projects could proceed promptly and 1982-83 operational date would be a reality. (ERA citation 03:024621)

• Corporate Authors:

  American Energy Research Company

  McLean, VA  United States  22101

  Department of Energy

  1000 Independence Avenue, SW
  Washington, DC  United States  20585
• Authors:
  • Barr, W J
  • Parker, F A
• Publication Date: 1977-8-31

Media Info

• Pagination: 88 p.

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Alcohols; Coal gas; Coal gasification plants; Development; Economics; Ethanol; Financing; Fleet management; Fuels; Methanol; Motor fuels; Production; Research; Research projects
• Uncontrolled Terms: Fleets; Research and development; Research programs; Sources
• Old TRIS Terms: Lurgi process; Rectisol process; Uses
• Subject Areas: Economics; Energy; Geotechnology; Highways; Materials; Research;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00180470
• Record Type: Publication
• Source Agency: National Technical Information Service
• Contract Numbers: EG-77-X-01-2693
• Files: TRIS
• Created Date: Aug 19 1978 12:00AM