Waubonsee Community College

Beyond oil and gas, the methanol economy, George A. Olah, Alain Goeppert and G.K. Surya Prakash

eng

Includes bibliographical references and index

illustrations

index present

non fiction

Beyond oil and gas

bibliography

65202473

George A. Olah, Alain Goeppert and G.K. Surya Prakash

the methanol economy

In this masterpiece, the renowned chemistry Nobel laureate, George A. Olah, discusses in a clear and readily accessible manner the use of methanol as a viable alternative to dangerous and dwindling energy resources. He looks at the pros and cons of our current main energy sources, namely atomic energy, oil and natural gas, hydrogen and alternate energies, and provides ways to overcome certain obstacles. Following an introduction Olah looks at the interrelation of fuels and energy, and at the extent of our non-renewable fossil fuel resources. Despite the diminishing resources and global warming, the author covers the continuing need for hydrocarbons and their products, while balancing the envisioned hydrogen economy against its shortcomings. The main section then focuses on the methanol economy, including converting atmospheric carbon dioxide into safe liquid methanol to for fuel (and fuel cells) and as a raw material for hydrocarbons. The whole is rounded off with a glimpse into the future. A forward-looking and inspiring work regarding the major challenges of future energy and environmental problems

1. Introduction -- 2. Coal in the industrial revolution, and beyond -- 3. History of oil and natural gas -- Oil extraction and exploration -- Natural gas -- 4. Fossil fuel resources and uses -- Coal -- Oil -- Tar sands -- Oil shale -- Natural gas -- Coalbed methane -- Tight sands and shales -- Methane hydrates -- Outlook -- 5. Diminishing oil and gas reserves -- 6. The continuing need for hydrocarbons and their products -- Fractional distillation -- Thermal cracking -- 7. Fossil fuels and climate change -- Mitigation -- 8. Renewable energy sources and atomic energy -- Hydropower -- Geothermal energy -- Wind energy -- Solar energy : photovoltaic and thermal -- Electricity from photovoltaic conversion -- Solar thermal power for electricity production -- Electric power from saline solar ponds -- Solar thermal energy for heating -- Economic limitations of solar energy -- Biomass energy -- Electricity from biomass -- Liquid biofuels -- Ocean energy : thermal, tidal, and wave power -- Tidal energy -- Waves -- Ocean thermal energy -- Nuclear energy -- Energy from nuclear fission reactions -- Breeder reactors -- The need for nuclear power -- Economics -- Safety -- Radiation hazards -- Nuclear byproducts and waste -- Emissions -- Nuclear power : an energy source for the future -- Nuclear fusion -- Future outlook -- 9. The hydrogen economy and its limitations -- The discovery and properties of hydrogen -- The development of hydrogen energy -- The production and uses of hydrogen -- Hydrogen from fossil fuels -- Hydrogen from biomass -- Photobiological water cleavage -- Water electrolysis -- Hydrogen production using nuclear energy -- The challenge of hydrogen storage -- Liquid hydrogen -- Compressed hydrogen -- Metal hydrides and solid absorbents -- Other means of hydrogen storage -- Hydrogen : centralized or decentralized distribution? -- Safety of hydrogen -- Hydrogen in transportation -- Fuel cells -- History -- Fuel cell efficiency -- Hydrogen-based fuel cells -- PEM fuel cells for transportation -- Regenerative fuel cells -- Outlook -- 10. The "methanol economy" : general aspects -- 11. Methanol as a fuel and energy carrier -- Properties and historical background -- Present uses of methanol -- Use of methanol and dimethyl ether as transportation fuels -- Alcohol as a transportation fuel in the past -- Methanol as fuel in internal combustion engines (ICE) -- Methanol and dimethyl ether as diesel fuels substitute in compression ignition engines -- Biodiesel fuel -- Advanced methanol-powered vehicles -- Hydrogen for fuel cells from methanol reforming -- Direct methanol fuel cell (DMFC) -- Fuel cells based on other fuels and biofuel cells -- Regenerative fuel cell -- Methanol for static power and heat generation -- Methanol storage and distribution -- Methanol price -- Methanol safety -- Emissions from methanol-powered vehicles -- Methanol and the environment -- Methanol and issues of climate change -- 12. Production of methanol from syn-gas to carbon dioxide -- Methanol from fossil fuels -- Production via syn-gas -- Syn-gas from natural gas -- Methane steam reforming -- Partial oxidation of methane -- Autothermal reforming and combination of steam reforming and partial oxidation -- Syn-gas from CO₂ reforming -- Syn-gas from petroleum and higher hydrocarbons -- Syn-gas from coal -- Economics of syn-gas generation -- Methanol through methyl formate -- Methanol from methane without syn-gas -- Selective oxidation of methane to methanol -- Catalytic gas-phase oxidation of methane -- Liquid-phase oxidation of methane to methanol -- Methanol production through mono-halogenated methanes -- Microbial or photochemical conversion of methane to methanol -- Methanol from biomass -- Methanol from biogas -- Aquaculture -- Water plants -- Algae -- Methanol from carbon dioxide -- Carbon dioxide from industrial flue gases -- Carbon dioxide from the atmosphere -- 13. Methanol-based chemicals, synthetic hydrocarbons and materials -- Methanol-based chemical products and materials -- Methanol conversion to olefins and synthetic hydrocarbons -- Methanol to olefin (MTO) process -- Methanol to gasoline (MTG) process -- Methanol-based proteins -- Outlook -- 14. Future perspectives -- The "methanol economy" and its advantages