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To: GonzoGOP
Turn it into methanol and make it easier to handle. NG you need a reinforced fuel tank so anything smaller than an SUV is going to take a performance penalty due to the weight of the tank. Convert the car to flex fuel (could be done for $100-$500 per car) and you can burn methanol, ethanol or good old fashioned gasoline. You have to burn twice as much methanol as gasoline, but if it is less than half the price it is still a good deal. You use whatever is cheaper. And you don't need any new infrastructure.

Do you know of a means to produce methanol as cheaply as natural gas? As far as the tanks go, you can get them in different sizes and different weights, it all depends on how much you are willing to spend. The Cheaper tanks are heavier, and the expensive tanks are lighter, but even the heavier tanks are not a significant burden for a normal automobile, and not a burden at all for heavier trucks or tractor trailer rigs.

Bear in mind, that CNG vehicles burn either CNG *OR* gasoline. At $1.00 per gallon, you can see that it is worthwhile to use CNG as often as possible, but being able to also use gasoline makes it less of a concern if CNG stations aren't as readily available.

9 posted on 04/12/2012 6:45:52 AM PDT by DiogenesLamp (Partus Sequitur Patrem)
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To: DiogenesLamp
Do you know of a means to produce methanol as cheaply as natural gas?

Since natural gas is the feed stock for methanol obviously no. But the current spot price for methanol is only 1.34 a gal.

The big economy is not in the fuel but in the cost of conversion. You need no new infrastructure for Methanol. The conversions are cheap, and even cheaper if put in at the factory. Current supply and delivery systems for gasoline will work just as well for methanol. Room temperature liquids are just easier to handle than a gas. Even an fairly easy to handle gas like methane.

If the price of natural gas does go up you can use ethanol or gasoline instead of methanol. The ability to rapidly and effortlessly switch between three fuels will force the price down to that of the cheapest alternative.

A flex fuel car can burn gas without having to lug around the extra fuel tank. For a methane burner to be able to switch between fuels you need both a gasoline and a methane tank. That just adds mass as one of the two tanks is always dead weight.

As a final advantage the ability to rapidly switch between fuels is a strategic advantage. For the prepper it is nice to know that in the case of a fuel disruption caused by Iran or Saudi Arabia, or just rioting here in the US, you can use whatever fuel you can get your hands on. Most high school chemistry students can brew up ethanol in a pinch. Methanol is a bit harder, but not beyond the ability of a garage mechanic.
18 posted on 04/12/2012 7:42:20 AM PDT by GonzoGOP (There are millions of paranoid people in the world and they are all out to get me.)
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