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Laying the technical foundation for the industrialization of methanol vehicles — A look at the key technical research projects carried out as part of the pilot program for methanol vehicles. Author/Source: Sinochem New Network. Date: June 24, 2022. Clicks: 6. Among the projects that won awards in Shaanxi Province’s science and technology awards in 2021, the project \"Key Technical Research Projects for the Pilot Program of Methanol Vehicles\", carried out jointly by Chang’an University, the Xi’an Municipal Bureau of Industry and Information Technology, and other organizations, received the first prize for scientific and technological progress. This achievement overcame multiple technical challenges and established a standard system for methanol-powered vehicles. Through several years of operation and testing, the project team has evaluated the adaptability, reliability, cost-effectiveness, safety, and environmental friendliness of methanol-powered vehicles and fuel, making Shaanxi the province in China with the largest number of methanol vehicle pilots, the widest range of vehicle types involved in these trials, and the most research outcomes. Significant achievements have been made in technological innovation. In accordance with the unified plans set by the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology and the **National Development and Reform Commission, pilot programs for methanol-powered vehicles were launched in Shaanxi Province, Shanxi Province, and Shanghai Municipality starting in January 2012. Liu Shengquan, the lead researcher of the methanol vehicle pilot project, head of the expert group for methanol vehicle operation in Shaanxi Province, and professor at Chang’an University, told reporters that by leveraging their years of research experience in automobile engines and methanol fuels, they have achieved a series of innovative results in areas such as methanol fuel (gasoline) identification technology, cold-start technology for methanol vehicles, protection of metal components in methanol vehicles, and formaldehyde emission testing technology. Six invention patents have been developed, and three sets of standards for methanol fuel have been formulated or revised. These achievements provide a solid theoretical and practical foundation for comprehensively and scientifically assessing the current state of methanol fuel vehicle technology, accumulating experience in the operation and management of such vehicles, and promoting their adoption. Shaanxi has also become the province in China with the most research results on methanol-powered vehicles as part of national pilot projects. To address the bottleneck in the starting of methanol-powered vehicles under low-temperature conditions, the project team innovatively proposed two starting technologies for such vehicles: \"electric-air preheating + methanol fuel additive\" and \"fully enclosed engine circulation starting technology\". The developed methanol fuel (gasoline) identification system can detect in real time the mixing ratio of methanol to gasoline in the fuel. Fuel standards for methanol vehicle pilots need to be established first. In December 2020, the project team, together with the Shaanxi Petroleum and Chemical Industry Federation and 15 research institutions and enterprises in the province, developed China’s first group standard for \"Methanol Fuel for Vehicles (M100)\". In February 2018, the methanol vehicle pilot project in Shaanxi Province passed the inspection by a joint expert team from the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, the **National Development and Reform Commission, and the Ministry of Science and Technology. In November 2020, according to the scientific and technical evaluation conducted by the Shaanxi Technology Transfer Center, this technological achievement was rated as being at the international leading level. Pilot projects set multiple records: In August 2013, Shaanxi deployed 15 microbuses to launch pilot programs for methanol-powered vehicles. In November 2014, Shaanxi began operating more than 200 taxis in phases, and by 2018 large-scale deployment was underway, covering the cities of Xi’an, Baoji, Hanzhong, and Yulin. A total of 260 methanol-powered vehicles were used in these trials, making it the region with the largest number of such vehicles and the widest range of vehicle types under trial in China. Among them, there are 20 methanol taxis in Xi’an, 200 taxis and 15 microbuses in Baoji, 20 taxis in Hanzhong, and 5 methanol trucks in Yulin. During the pilot operation of methanol-powered vehicles, the project team collected data on the vehicles’ driving mileage, fuel consumption, number of mechanical failures, both normal and abnormal emissions from the vehicles, the concentration of methanol in the air, as well as health examination results for personnel working with methanol. There were over 200 different experimental tests and parameters monitored, making this the most comprehensive data collection effort of its kind in China. Operational and testing data show that Geely methanol taxis consume an average of 15.4 liters of methanol fuel per 100 kilometers, with the maximum operating distance for each vehicle exceeding 330,000 kilometers; Tongjia methanol minivans consume an average of 16.84 liters of methanol per 100 kilometers, and the maximum operating distance for each vehicle exceeds 70,000 kilometers. The entire vehicle as well as the engine were tested by a third-party testing institution, the **Automobile Quality Supervision and Inspection Center (Xiangyang). The routine emission tests and cold-start tests all met the relevant standards. During this period, Shaanxi built a total of 11 methanol fuel blending centers, with a blending capacity of 2.1 million tons. The safety and environmental performance has been verified; during the operation of methanol-powered vehicles, the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology requires that the concentration of formaldehyde in their emissions be measured. However, the existing formaldehyde detection methods, instruments, and limit standards cannot be used for testing formaldehyde emissions from vehicles with high exhaust temperatures and high formaldehyde concentrations. According to Mr. Liu Shengquan, his team has conducted research on technologies for testing automobile formaldehyde emissions, proposing electrochemical and phenol reagent methods suitable for detecting formaldehyde emissions from vehicles. The instruments and equipment they developed not only offer fast detection speeds but also enable the identification of the key factors that affect automobile formaldehyde emissions for the first time. The methanol vehicle data collection center, established by Chang’an University, monitored throughout the process the conventional emission pollutants of the pilot vehicles – carbon monoxide, hydrocarbons, and nitrogen oxides – as well as the PM2.5 and formaldehyde emissions from these vehicles; these levels also met the technical requirements, further verifying the cleanliness of methanol vehicles. In addition, Shaanxi established a database during the operation of methanol-powered vehicles, collecting comprehensive data on pilot vehicles, fuel refueling, and human health. It also recorded the health check-ups of those involved with methanol, including over 300 individuals such as vehicle drivers, maintenance staff, and fuel refuelers. “The examination regarding the effects of methanol on human health is also a first in China. ”Liu Shengquan explained that during the pilot period, health monitoring and physical examinations of the people involved showed no abnormalities, and no safety incidents or mass cases occurred, thereby confirming the safety of methanol fuel. Currently, the price of gasoline for vehicles remains high; the economic advantages of methanol fuel are evident. It can yield significant benefits across various sectors, including vehicles, blending centers, refueling stations, and taxis. “Not only that, but methanol vehicles are also more environmentally friendly. As a one-carbon oxide, methanol accounts for over 99.9% of M100 methanol fuel, which is the main reason for the low emissions of methanol-powered vehicles. ”Liu Shengquan said that data on the operation of methanol-powered vehicles show that, compared to gasoline-powered vehicles, carbon monoxide emissions are reduced by 35%~45%, hydrocarbons by 30%~40%, nitrogen oxides by 15%~20%, sulfur dioxide by over 95%, and PM2.5 by 75%~85%.