[Bioconversion] Methanol synthesis routes...

[Thomas Reed]

Dear All:

I hear a lot of dreaming about methanol here.  In 1972 I ran a number of 
cars on 10% methanol gasoline blends with increased mileage (because it 
leaned the mixture) and reduced emissions (same reason).  My vision in 
1973 was that we should begin making methanol from MSW and biomass in 
order to keep oil prices in line and be ready when the Hubbert Peak 
arrived.  See

http://www.woodgas.com/MeOH%20at%20MIT.pdf

to find out how big oil and motor killed it.  If this sounds like sour 
grapes, I can still taste them.

I have continued to have the same vision for another 33 years, so have a 
accumulated a LOT of information about methanol manufacture from Syn-Gas 
and built an oxygen gasifier and made a gallon at NREL/SERI.  Read about 
it in...

*/BIOMASS TO METHANOL SPECIALISTS' WORKSHOP:/* Ed. T. Reed and M. 
Graboski, 1982  Expert articles on the conversion of biomass to methanol 
from a conference in 1982 when we were still worried about oil...
ISBN 1-890607-10-X                                             
331pp                          $30

and

*/FUNDAMENTALS, DEVELOPMENT, AND SCALE UP OF THE AIR-OXYGEN STRATIFIED 
DOWNDRAFT GASIFIER:/* T. Reed, M. Graboski and B. Levie (SERI 1988). In 
1980 the Solar Energy Research Institute initiated a program to develop 
an oxygen gasifier to make methanol from biomass. A novel air/oxygen low 
tar gasifier was designed and studied for five years at SERI at 1 ton/d 
and for 4 years at Syn-Gas Inc. in a 25 ton/day gasifier. This book 
describes the theory and operation of the two gasifiers in detail and 
also discusses the principles and application of gasification as learned 
over eight years by the author-gasifier team.
ISBN 1-890607-03-7                                  
290pp                                     $30

at our website (www.woodgas.com).  If anyone is then interested in 
proceeding toward methanol, I'd be happy to help. 
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Incidentally, how does the bioconversion site distinguish itself from 
the gasification and biogas sites?

Yours truly,

TOM REED        BEF
Harmon Seaver wrote:

>   Making the charcoal in the steel barrels is easy enough, a least if
>they have removable tops, but methanol I don't know. I thought from
>previous discussions that methanol was a rather difficult process not
>easily done without a big refinery setup, but I could be wrong. Have
>you seen the portable charcoal kiln that Dr. Karve designed? It uses a
>number of steel drums surrounded by a light steel wall with a
>removable steel top, you fill the drums and then pile some other
>burnables around the drums and light it. Very little smoke.
>
>
>On 4/24/06, Carefreeland at aol.com <Carefreeland at aol.com> wrote:
>  
>
>>Let's get this list up and working.  I am planning on making charcoal with
>>endless Hurricane Katrina waste wood.  I have my choice of wood type and a site
>>to experiment on. I have very few tools to work with.
>>       I am spending typically up to half of the money I earn each trip, on
>>fuel to drive 850- 950 miles each way.  If I could make even a small percentage
>>of Methanol to blend with gasoline to fuel my trucks and cars, I would have a
>>ready market. It takes 100 gallons of fuel to make the round trip either in
>>my station wagon or my 3/4 ton pickup. It takes 175 gallons of fuel to go the
>>long and flat route hauling my Bobcat with tree shear.
>>       If I could divise a way to distill off even a small percentage of the
>>offgas and seperate the methanol it would be worth it. Making methanol would
>>not even require a permit.
>>       Eventually, I'd like to buy a little diesel Volkswagon to commute
>>with. I can burn biodiesel. As it is, I have been subsidising my travel with a
>>little Mississippi hardwood for firewood. The quarenteen is limited to Lousianna.
>>
>>       On my last trip I didn't even have to cut some fresh healthy wind
>>damaged Live Oak. It was already being cut by a tree service and put out to the
>>curb for FEMA crews to haul off. They were working across the street from where
>>I was working in Gulfport. Just loaded up on my way out of town. If I had time
>>to wait they would have loaded me with a Bobcat.
>>        There is a place that advertizes steel barrels for sale.
>>        Anybody have ideas where to start?
>>
>>                Dan Dimiduk
>>_______________________________________________
>>Bioconversion mailing list
>>Bioconversion at listserv.repp.org
>>http://listserv.repp.org/mailman/listinfo/bioconversion
>>
>>    
>>
>
>
>--
>Harmon Seaver
>  
>
>------------------------------------------------------------------------
>
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>

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