Analysis of the disadvantages of methanol energy storage

What are the disadvantages of methanol?

Like any other source of energy (clean or fossil), methanol also has a few disadvantages. Methanol has the potential to reduce greenhouse gas emissions when produced from renewable sources, image source: Unsplash 1. Toxicity Methanol is highly toxic to humans when ingested, inhaled, or absorbed through the skin.

What are the advantages of methanol?

In addition, methanol has the additional advantage of being a universal chemical and fuel feedstock, thus representing the ideal candidate for not only chemical energy storage, but also for substituting fossil raw materials.

What are the disadvantages of methanol fuel cells?

Likewise, its toxicity and corrosiveness are the main disadvantages of methanol [107, 108]. The overall efficiency of a direct methanol fuel cell (DMFC) is 35-60% . This mini review discusses the sustainability aspects of various fuels for proton exchange membrane fuel cells (PEMFCs).

What is methanol used for in a fuel cell?

Methanol can be used as an energy storage medium in fuel cells. When methanol reacts with oxygen in a fuel cell, it releases energy in the form of electricity, making it useful for applications that require energy on demand, such as backup power systems.

Can methanol be used as a fuel in the transport sector?

The use of methanol as a fuel in the transport sector can solve some of the issues faced by other alternative fuels, among them storage and distribution constraints, where it can use the existing petrol infrastructure with minor modifications .

How does methanol affect the environment?

While methanol burns more cleanly than some fossil fuels, its production can have negative environmental impacts. This includes the release of greenhouse gases, as well as potential contamination of water and soil during production. Methanol is corrosive to certain metals and materials.