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Green methanol is a renewable fuel with great advantages when used in a spark ignition combustion process. Methanol has a comparatively high enthalpy of vaporization, leading to lower combustion temperatures as compared to gasoline combustion, and, hence, lower wall heat losses as well as a reduced tendency to pre‐ignition. Therefore, a brake efficiency of more than 40 % (this is comparable to diesel engines!) and furthermore minimal emissions, even at cold start, are possible. The serial combination with an electric powertrain provides a disconnection of the load demand of the powertrain and the operating point of the combustion engine. In this case, a high volumetric and gravimetric power density, easy energy storage and proven infrastructure of fuel distribution are combined with electric driving, high efficiencies, minimal emissions, and a closed carbon cycle for the energy provision. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Proton-conductor solid oxide fuel cells (PC–SOFCs) have demonstrated innovative capabilities in energy applications, particularly for the efficient transformation of biomass fuels into hydrogen for power generation. Methanol, a readily available and economical biomass fuel with a high hydrogen content, has shown significant potential for waste utilization and energy recovery. Consequently, this study employed methanol as a fuel for PC-SOFCs and investigated the optimal operating conditions through meticulously designed experiments. This study also enhanced the cell performance through the co-reforming of steam and methanol, demonstrating that the introduction of steam during the methanol-reforming process significantly improved cell efficiency. At a 30 % methanol fuel concentration and a 700 °C operating temperature, co-reforming increased the maximum power density (MPD) from 0.269 to 0.352 W cm−2. Additionally, integrating Ru-GDC nanofiber catalysts into the anodic dendritic microchannels enabled the creation of an in-situ catalytic cracking reactor, further boosting MPD to 0.412 W cm−2. The catalyst-equipped cell demonstrated stable operation for continuous 102 h at a current density of 0.6 A cm−2, with no performance decline, thereby confirming the exceptional long-term stability of the system. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Traditional internal combustion engines (ICEs) have garnered considerable attention due to their high emissions and low efficiency issues. In this study, a novel ICE–fuel cell hybrid power system based on a single‐methanol fuel is proposed to address these concerns. The system utilizes methanol as fuel, directly supplying it to the methanol engine, and generates hydrogen for the fuel cell through methanol reforming technology. The structural design of the system fully exploits engine exhaust, first using waste heat for methanol reforming to produce hydrogen and then utilizing exhaust inertial potential energy to drive a dual turbocharging structure for air compression entering the fuel cell, thereby achieving self‐thermal balance. Thermodynamic analysis and cost evaluation indicate that the thermal efficiency of this system is improved by 8.34% compared to traditional diesel engine setups. Compared to engine‐fuel cell hybrid systems that do not utilize waste heat, the thermal efficiency is increased by 5.81%. In terms of economics, the cost of the methanol engine system is ≈.1466$ kW h−1$\left(\text{kW h}\right)^{- 1}$, which is 44.05% lower than the 0.262 $ kW h−1$\left(\text{ kW h}\right)^{- 1}$ fuel cost of traditional diesel engine systems. This study presents an innovative solution that significantly enhances thermal efficiency and offers economic advantages, providing a viable approach to address the low efficiency and high emissions issues of traditional ICEs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As the country that emits the most carbon in the world, China needs significant and urgent changes in carbon emission control in the transportation sector in order to achieve the goals of reaching peak carbon emissions before 2030 and achieving carbon neutrality by 2060. Therefore, the promotion of new energy vehicles has become the key factor to achieve these two objectives. For the reason that the comprehensive transportation cost directly affects the end customer's choice of heavy truck models, this work compares the advantages, disadvantages, and economic feasibility of diesel, liquefied natural gas (LNG), electric, hydrogen, and methanol heavy trucks from a total life cycle cost and end-user perspective under various scenarios. The study results show that when the prices of diesel, LNG, electricity, and methanol fuels are at their highest, and the price of hydrogen is 35 CNY/kg, the total life cycle cost of the five types of heavy trucks from highest to lowest are hydrogen heavy trucks (HHT), methanol heavy trucks (MHT), diesel heavy trucks (DHT), electric heavy trucks (EHT), and LNG heavy trucks (LNGHT), ignoring the adverse effects of cold environments on car batteries. When the prices of diesel, LNG, electricity, and methanol fuels are at average or lowest levels, and the price of hydrogen is 30 CNY/kg or 25 CNY/kg, the life cycle cost of the five heavy trucks from highest to lowest are HHT, DHT, MHT, EHT, and LNGHT. When considering the impact of cold environments, even with lower electricity prices, EHT struggle to be economical when LNG prices are low. If the electricity price is above 1 CNY/kWh, regardless of the impact of cold environments, the economic viability of EHT is lower than that of HHT with a purchase cost of 500,000 CNY and a hydrogen price of 25 CNY/kg. Simultaneously, an exhaustive competitiveness analysis of heavy trucks powered by diverse energy sources highlights the specific categories of heavy trucks that ought to be prioritized for development during various periods and the challenges they confront. Finally, based on the analysis results and future development trends, the corresponding policy recommendations are proposed to facilitate high decarbonization in the transportation sector. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Methanol is favored for its excellent physicochemical properties, becoming an ideal alternative fuel for engines. Adopting a dual-fuel injection mode of methanol port injection and gasoline direct injection (MPI + GDI) allows for more flexible injection strategies, enhancing the engine's power, efficiency, and emission performance. However, observing the processes of fuel injection, atomization, mixing, flow, and combustion in real engine cylinders is challenging, and controlling the fuel–air distribution and turbulence before engine ignition is difficult. Therefore, after validating the simulation model through optical engine bench experiments, this study investigated the performance and emission characteristics of MPI + GDI engines under various injection strategies. The results indicate that delaying the GDI injection timing decreases the uniformity of the fuel–air mixture and reduces cylinder pressure, corresponding to a retarded crank angle. Increasing GDI injection pressure enhances the fuel–air mixing, especially when the injection timing is later. Employing secondary injection and increasing the proportion of the second injection lead to poorer fuel–air uniformity in the cylinder, a decrease in peak pressure value, reduced nitrogen oxides (NOx) emissions, and a gradual increase in carbon monoxide (CO) and total hydrocarbons (THC). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The current study aims to simulate the combustion process performance inside a diesel engine and then assess the environmental impact of variable methanol ratios on maximum and operational temperatures, as well as the emission performance of a diesel/methanol dual-fuel engine. The numerical simulation for combustion is conducted on a 3-D sector cylinder using Ansys Fluent to calculate the dynamic motion of air and combustion characteristics. Subsequently, diesel/methanol dual-fuel combustion is performed to evaluate the distribution of essential mass fraction, operational temperature, and pollution inside the combustion engine, such as nitrogen oxides (NOx), sulfur oxides (SOx), and soot emissions. The study illustrates that NOx emissions from diesel/methanol, including NO and N2O, are reduced by 57% and 65%, respectively, compared with pure diesel fuel. Additionally, there is a decrease in SOx and soot pollution by 52% and 53%, respectively. The mass fraction for oxygen, hydrogen, and carbon monoxide is reduced by increasing the methanol ratio. The convergence between the Computational Fluid Dynamics and experimental results indicates the feasibility of using numerical analysis in diesel engine design. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In internal combustion engines, operating conditions, engine design and fuel properties are closely related to efficiency. The alternative fuel used in diesel engines is expected to improve performance and emission values. Biodiesel is widely used to improve the fuel properties of alcohol and diesel. In this study, the effects of diesel, diesel-methanol, dieselbiodiesel, diesel-biodiesel-methanol mixtures are examined. Engine performance and exhaust emission tests were carried out on a three-cylinder, four-stroke diesel engine at a constant speed of 1500 rpm and five different loads: no load, 25%, 50%, 75% and 90%. Since constant speed and torque values could not be obtained in the no-load condition (T0) in the studies, the values at T0 were not used in the comparisons. As experimental data, thermal efficiency, CO, HC, CO2, NO emission values, in-cylinder pressure values and heat release rate values were examined. In experimental studies, the effects of adding different amounts of biodiesel and methanol on engine performance and emission values were compared with diesel. As a result of the comparison, positive results were obtained in the performance and gas emission values of alternative fuels compared to 100% diesel. In addition, fuel mixtures with biodiesel addition have better performance results than fuel mixtures with methanol addition. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Despite the increasing use of petroleum-based fuel as a result of ever-increasing energy demands, the search for alternative fuels remains important. In this study, in a Lombardini LGW 523 brand 2-cylinder 4-stroke water-cooled engine, different volumetric ratios of methanol and gasoline fuel mixtures (M10, M20, M30, M40) were used at 4 different torque values (5, 10, 15, 20 Nm) at a constant 3000 engine speed. It is discussed. As a result of the study, engine performance, emission and energy analysis examination was carried out experimentally. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The use of alternative fuels remains an important factor in solving the problem of reducing harmful substances caused by vehicles and decarbonising transport. It is also important to ensure the energy efficiency of vehicle power plants when using different fuels at a sufficient level. The article presents the results of theoretical and experimental studies of the conversion of diesel engine to alternative fuels with hydrogen admixtures. Methanol is considered as an alternative fuel which is a cheaper alternative to commercial diesel fuel. The chemical essence of improving the calorific value of alternative methanol fuel was investigated. Studies showed that the energy effect of burning an alternative mixture with hydrogen additives exceeds the effect of burning the same amount of methanol fuel. The increase in combustion energy and engine power is achieved as a result of heat from efficient use of the engine exhaust gases and chemical conversion of methanol. An experimental installation was created to study the work of a converted diesel engine on hydrogen–methanol mixtures and thermochemical regeneration processes. Experimental studies of the energy and environmental parameters of diesel engine converted to work on an alternative fuel with hydrogen admixtures have shown that engine power increases by 10–14% and emissions of harmful substances decrease. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Currently, conventional spark–ignition engines face challenges in meeting the ever-growing demands of customers and increasingly stringent regulations regarding pollutant emissions. A combination of innovative strategies and carbon-neutral fuels is deemed necessary in order to further reduce fuel consumption and minimize engine emissions. The present work aims to assess the performance of combustion strategies using low-carbon-content fuel, such as methanol M100, ignited by a plasma-assisted igniter (PAI) under ultra-lean conditions. The experimental campaign is conducted on a single-cylinder research engine at 1000 rpm and low loads, moving up to the engine lean stable limits. The specific purpose of this work is to determine the benefits brought by the proposed strategy, referred to as M100–PAI, which compared market gasoline E5 ignited by the PAI system and conventional spark. The synergy between M100 (methanol) and Plasma-Assisted Ignition (PAI) in internal combustion engines yielded notable benefits. This combination significantly improved combustion stability if compared to the other combinations tested, by extending the lean stable limit to λ = 2.0, reducing cycle-to-cycle variability, and facilitating faster flame front acceleration, resulting in enhanced homogeneity. These enhancements, obtained with the combination M100–PAI, contributed to higher fuel efficiency, showing a 10% efficiency gain over the combination E5–gasoline spark ignition. The findings highlight the potential of innovative combustion strategies using low-carbon fuels and advanced ignition systems to meet stringent emissions regulations while improving engine performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Passive direct methanol fuel cells (DMFC) are most suitable for charging of portable electronic devices. Fuel and oxidant are supplied through diffusion and natural convection processes on the anode and cathode sides of the passive DMFC, respectively. This paper presents the details of experimental studies on the use of different anodic fuels i.e., ethanol, 1-propanol, 2-propanol, methanol in an alcoholic fuel cell. And also, the effect of adding these alcohols as additives to the methanol fuel on the performance of a passive DMFC is presented. For each one of the alcoholic fuels, the concentration of the fuel was varied from 0.5 M to 5 M, and the impact of fuel concentration on the performance of the cell was studied. Similarly, with methanol along with the other alcohol additives as the fuel in the passive DMFC, the additives concentration was varied from 0.5 M to 2.5 M insteps of 0.5 M and the methanol concentration was varied from 1 M to 5 M in steps of 1 M. The experimental results showed that among the anodic alcoholic fuels, 2-propanol generated the peak power density of 4.416 mW cm−2 at 4 M concentration. Similarly, it was also observed that among all the additives, the 2-propanol at 2 M concentration along with methanol at 4 M concentration produced the maximum power density. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This research initially presents an internal structure optimization technique through numerical investigation with the intention of addressing the issues of unstable and poorly adjustable combustion flame of porous media methanol furnace. The entire premixed combustion technology and the flue gas waste heat evaporation technology are then combined in a combustion technology that is based on this stove structure. As a result, this resolves substantially the issues with methanol stove tempering, misfire, and uneven temperature. The fully premixed methanol cooker was eventually created and put into wide production. According to the findings, the flow rate was between 0.25 and 0.7 m/s before the cooker structural improvement and around 0.45 m/s after. More crucially, by eliminating the low temperature zone of approximately 300 °C and raising the temperature to about 500 °C, the temperature field at the cooker's exit porous medium was much improved. Additionally, the methanol cooker in the typical diffusion combustion mode was outperformed by the full premixed combustion technology and flue gas waste heat evaporation technology in this trial in terms of complete fuel combustion with no pollutant emissions. The study's findings indicate that the cooker's overall thermal efficiency is 68.2%, which has clear financial benefits.

As the country that emits the most carbon in the world, China needs significant and urgent changes in carbon emission control in the transportation sector in order to achieve the goals of reaching peak carbon emissions before 2030 and achieving carbon neutrality by 2060. Therefore, the promotion of new energy vehicles has become the key factor to achieve these two objectives. For the reason that the comprehensive transportation cost directly affects the end customer’s choice of heavy truck models, this work compares the advantages, disadvantages, and economic feasibility of diesel, liquefied natural gas (LNG), electric, hydrogen, and methanol heavy trucks from a total life cycle cost and end-user perspective under various scenarios. The study results show that when the prices of diesel, LNG, electricity, and methanol fuels are at their highest, and the price of hydrogen is 35 CNY/kg, the total life cycle cost of the five types of heavy trucks from highest to lowest are hydrogen heavy trucks (HHT), methanol heavy trucks (MHT), diesel heavy trucks (DHT), electric heavy trucks (EHT), and LNG heavy trucks (LNGHT), ignoring the adverse effects of cold environments on car batteries. When the prices of diesel, LNG, electricity, and methanol fuels are at average or lowest levels, and the price of hydrogen is 30 CNY/kg or 25 CNY/kg, the life cycle cost of the five heavy trucks from highest to lowest are HHT, DHT, MHT, EHT, and LNGHT. When considering the impact of cold environments, even with lower electricity prices, EHT struggle to be economical when LNG prices are low. If the electricity price is above 1 CNY/kWh, regardless of the impact of cold environments, the economic viability of EHT is lower than that of HHT with a purchase cost of 500,000 CNY and a hydrogen price of 25 CNY/kg. Simultaneously, an exhaustive competitiveness analysis of heavy trucks powered by diverse energy sources highlights the specific categories of heavy trucks that ought to be prioritized for development during various periods and the challenges they confront. Finally, based on the analysis results and future development trends, the corresponding policy recommendations are proposed to facilitate high decarbonization in the transportation sector.

The use of alternative fuels remains an important factor in solving the problem of reducing harmful substances caused by vehicles and decarbonising transport. It is also important to ensure the energy efficiency of vehicle power plants when using different fuels at a sufficient level. The article presents the results of theoretical and experimental studies of the conversion of diesel engine to alternative fuels with hydrogen admixtures. Methanol is considered as an alternative fuel which is a cheaper alternative to commercial diesel fuel. The chemical essence of improving the calorific value of alternative methanol fuel was investigated. Studies showed that the energy effect of burning an alternative mixture with hydrogen additives exceeds the effect of burning the same amount of methanol fuel. The increase in combustion energy and engine power is achieved as a result of heat from efficient use of the engine exhaust gases and chemical conversion of methanol. An experimental installation was created to study the work of a converted diesel engine on hydrogen–methanol mixtures and thermochemical regeneration processes. Experimental studies of the energy and environmental parameters of diesel engine converted to work on an alternative fuel with hydrogen admixtures have shown that engine power increases by 10–14% and emissions of harmful substances decrease.

Currently, conventional spark–ignition engines face challenges in meeting the ever-growing demands of customers and increasingly stringent regulations regarding pollutant emissions. A combination of innovative strategies and carbon-neutral fuels is deemed necessary in order to further reduce fuel consumption and minimize engine emissions. The present work aims to assess the performance of combustion strategies using low-carbon-content fuel, such as methanol M100, ignited by a plasma-assisted igniter (PAI) under ultra-lean conditions. The experimental campaign is conducted on a single-cylinder research engine at 1000 rpm and low loads, moving up to the engine lean stable limits. The specific purpose of this work is to determine the benefits brought by the proposed strategy, referred to as M100–PAI, which compared market gasoline E5 ignited by the PAI system and conventional spark. The synergy between M100 (methanol) and Plasma-Assisted Ignition (PAI) in internal combustion engines yielded notable benefits. This combination significantly improved combustion stability if compared to the other combinations tested, by extending the lean stable limit to λ = 2.0, reducing cycle-to-cycle variability, and facilitating faster flame front acceleration, resulting in enhanced homogeneity. These enhancements, obtained with the combination M100–PAI, contributed to higher fuel efficiency, showing a 10% efficiency gain over the combination E5–gasoline spark ignition. The findings highlight the potential of innovative combustion strategies using low-carbon fuels and advanced ignition systems to meet stringent emissions regulations while improving engine performance.

Thermal management in solid oxide fuel cells (SOFC) is a critical issue due to non-uniform electrochemical reactions and convective flows within the cells. Therefore, a 2D mathematical model is established herein to investigate the thermal responses of a tubular methanol-fueled SOFC. Results show that unlike the low-temperature condition of 873 K, where the peak temperature gradient occurs at the cell center, it appears near the fuel inlet at 1073 K because of the rapid temperature rise induced by the elevated current density. Despite the large heat convection capacity, excessive air could not effectively eliminate the harmful temperature gradient caused by the large current density. Thus, optimal control of the current density by properly selecting the operating potential could generate a local thermal neutral state. Interestingly, the maximum axial temperature gradient could be reduced by about 18% at 973 K and 20% at 1073 K when the air with a 5 K higher temperature is supplied. Additionally, despite the higher electrochemical performance observed, the cell with a counter-flow arrangement featured by a larger hot area and higher maximum temperature gradients is not preferable for a ceramic SOFC system considering thermal durability. Overall, this study could provide insightful thermal information for the operating condition selection, structure design, and stability assessment of realistic SOFCs combined with their internal reforming process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A novel CuZnO multicomponent catalyst, involving reduced graphene oxide (rGO) as a support, was synthesized to be applied in the catalytic hydrogenation of CO2 to methanol. The CuZnO@rGO composite was prepared as a 3D aerogel by a two‐step process involving supercritical CO2 for macrostructuration and H2 treatment for reduction. Electron microscopy was applied to visualize the meso/macroporous morphology formed by the supercritical drying. The elemental mapping depicted a homogenous distribution of CuZnO nanoparticles deposited on the rGO flakes. It was demonstrated that methanol production increases for the CuZnO@rGO composite in comparison to unsupported similar CuZnO nanoparticles. This behavior was ascribed to a different interaction established between the Cu0 and ZnO nanoparticles used as synthetized or deposited on rGO. It is shown that the highly reduced rGO component stimulates H2O desorption produced during the hydrogenation reaction, thus it serves as a support hindering the sintering of Cu0 nanoparticles. The formation of a diluted surface alloy of Zn into Cu0 was determined for the unsupported CuZnO NPs, while for the CuZnO@rGO aerogel composite, the absence of any additional phase, e. g., a surface alloy or reduced ZnO, was confirmed. The composite aerogels show excellent MeOH selectivity at high temperature (up to 260 °C) and low pressure (10 bar). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A novel CuZnO multicomponent catalyst, involving reduced graphene oxide (rGO) as a support, was synthesized to be applied in the catalytic hydrogenation of CO2 to methanol. The CuZnO@rGO composite was prepared as a 3D aerogel by a two‐step process involving supercritical CO2 for macrostructuration and H2 treatment for reduction. Electron microscopy was applied to visualize the meso/macroporous morphology formed by the supercritical drying. The elemental mapping depicted a homogenous distribution of CuZnO nanoparticles deposited on the rGO flakes. It was demonstrated that methanol production increases for the CuZnO@rGO composite in comparison to unsupported similar CuZnO nanoparticles. This behavior was ascribed to a different interaction established between the Cu0 and ZnO nanoparticles used as synthetized or deposited on rGO. It is shown that the highly reduced rGO component stimulates H2O desorption produced during the hydrogenation reaction, thus it serves as a support hindering the sintering of Cu0 nanoparticles. The formation of a diluted surface alloy of Zn into Cu0 was determined for the unsupported CuZnO NPs, while for the CuZnO@rGO aerogel composite, the absence of any additional phase, e. g., a surface alloy or reduced ZnO, was confirmed. The composite aerogels show excellent MeOH selectivity at high temperature (up to 260 °C) and low pressure (10 bar). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The transport sector is a significant energy consumer and a major contributor to urban air pollution. At present, the substitution of cleaner fuel is one feasible way to deal with the growing energy demand and environmental pollution. Methanol has been recognized as a good alternative to gasoline due to its good combustion performance. In the past decades, many studies have investigated exhaust emissions using methanol-gasoline blends. However, the conclusions derived from different studies vary significantly, and the explanations for the effects of methanol blending on exhaust emissions are also inconsistent. This review summarizes the characteristics of CO, HC, NOx, CO2, and particulate emissions from methanol-gasoline blended fuels and pure methanol fuel. CO, HC, CO2, particle mass (PM), and particle number (PN) emissions decrease when methanol-blended fuel is used in place of gasoline fuel. NOx emission either decreases or increases depending on the test conditions, i.e., methanol content. Furthermore, this review synthesizes the mechanisms by which methanol-blended fuel influences pollutant emissions. This review provides insight into the pollutant emissions from methanol-blended fuel, which will aid policymakers in making energy strategy decisions that take urban air pollution, climate change, and energy security into account. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Wet chemical method was employed for the synthesis of cobalt ferrite nano-catalysts. To investigate the effect of calcination temperature, the synthesized nano-catalysts were annealed at different temperature. Different analytical techniques were employed to investigate the physicochemical profiles of synthesized cobalt ferrite nano-catalysts. X-ray diffraction studies revealed the crystalline nature of the nano-catalysts. Nitrogen adsorption desorption technique showed that BET surface area was adversely affected by the increasing annealing temperature. Field emission scanning electron spectroscopy (FESEM) revealed nano-sized morphology of the synthesized cobalt ferrite nano-catalysts. Both XRD and XPS studies revealed the distribution of Co and Fe cations with respect to the applied calcinations temperature. Slurry batch reactor was used for the activity studies of the cobalt ferrite nano-catalysts towards CO 2 hydrogenation to methanol. The activity studies revealed 750 °C as best calcination temperature for the cobalt ferrite nano-catalysts. Structure activity studies exhibited the correlation between the methanol synthesis rate and the distribution of cations at octahedral sites. Comparative investigations of the current studied catalysts revealed efficient methanol synthesis rate for the title reaction with the literature. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: Methanol is a promising fuel for solid oxide fuel cells (SOFCs). A 2D numerical model is developed to study a tubular direct methanol SOFC. The model fully considers the methanol decomposition reaction and water gas shift reaction in the anode, the electrochemical oxidations of H2 and CO, fluid flow and mass transfer in the cell. The model is validated by the direct methanol SOFC experiment. At a temperature of 1073 K, a peak power density of 1.2 W cm−2 is achieved, which is much higher than room temperature direct methanol fuel cells (typically less than 0.1 W cm−2). Subsequent parametric simulations are conducted to understand the effects of operating and structural parameters on the SOFC performance, such as temperature, potential, anode thickness and cell length. Increasing the temperature enhances chemical/electrochemical reaction rates and ion conduction, leading to improved cell performance. Increasing the anode thickness improves methanol conversion and increases the average current density to some extent. For comparison, a longer cell can also improve methanol conversion but decreases the average cell current density. The results form a basis for subsequent performance enhancement of direct methanol SOFC by optimization of the cell structure and operating parameters. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Direct internal reforming of methanol is applied as fuel for a Ni-YSZ anode-supported solid oxide fuel cell with a flat tube based on double-sided cathodes. It achieves a power density (PD) of 0.25 W/cm2 at 0.8 V, reaching about 90% of that is fueled by H 2. And the cell has been operated for more than 120 h by the direct internal reforming of methanol. The durability and apparent advantage for using humidified methanol may lead to widespread applications by direct internal reforming method for this new designed SOFC in the future. • Direct internal reforming of methanol was applied in the DSC SOFC. • Humidified methanol achieved a power density of 90% of that of H 2. • Stable operation for more than 120 h was reached by MeOH/H 2 O with DIR. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Green synthesis of methanol over Zeolite based Cu-Zn catalysts. • Application of slurry reactor to study promoting role of Cd over Zeolite based Cu-Zn catalysts. • Comparative study revealed the active role of Cd promoted Zeolite based Cu-Zn catalysts in slurry phase methanol synthesis catalysts. The current scenario of high CO 2 emissions, which is causing global warming and climate change, one of the greatest challenges faced by the global community. One of the most promising ways to recycle CO 2 and thus mitigate its emission into the natural environment is the catalytic conversion of CO 2 into valuable products such as methanol, hydrocarbons, dimethyl ether (DME), formaldehyde, syngas, alcohols and urea. Zeolite supported Cu-Zn bimetallic (Cu-Zn/Z) catalysts were synthesized by co-precipitation method. The synthesized catalysts were doped with different concentration of Cd to investigate the promoting role of Cd. To investigate the physicochemical profile of the calcined Cu-Zn/Z nano-catalysts, various analytical techniques were used. Thermal stability of zeolite support was carried out using Thermogravimetric analysis (TGA). TGA data exhibited higher thermal stability of the zeolite support. XRD findings revealed highly dispersed Cd promoted Cu-Zn oxides on the surface of the zeolite support. Field Emission Scanning Electron Microscopy (FESEM) was used to investigate morphology, which indicated the nano size of synthesized catalysts with uniform distribution of metal oxides. Inductively Coupled Plasma-Optical Emission Spectroscopy (ICP-OES) detected bulk composition of each metal. BET surface studies revealed the mesoporous nature of Cd promoted Cu-Zn/Z catalysts. X-ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy (XPS) revealed the surface chemistry of Cd promoted Cu-Zn/Z catalysts. Activity data showed the active profile of Cd promoted Cu-Zn/Z catalysts for CO 2 hydrogenation to methanol by accelerating the methanol synthesis rate from 73 to 157 g.meth/kg.cat.h. Structure-activity studies identified metal-support interactions and Cu stability as the main factors governing the three-phase methanol synthesis rate from CO 2 hydrogenation. The importance of Cd promotion was further demonstrated by the fact that activity profile revealed better performance of the current catalysts with recently reported data in the literature. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Ni 1-x Zn x O-Ce 0.8 Sm 0.2 O 1.9 is studied as an anode material for solid oxide fuel cells with hydrogen and methanol as fuels. After reduction, Zn is incorporated into the lattice of Ni when x is less than 0.5, while NiZn alloy accompanied with ZnO is formed when x reaches 0.8. The electrochemical oxidation process of H 2 on the anode is investigated with a symmetric cell under various H 2 partial pressures. The addition of Zn increases the electron cloud density of Ni and thus weakens the adsorbing strength of H on Ni, accelerating the surface diffusion of H species, which is the rate determining step when the content of Zn is lower than 0.5. ZnO in the reduced Ni 0·2 Zn 0·8 O- Ce 0.8 Sm 0.2 O 1.9 anode facilitates H spillover, resulting in the variation of the rate determining step and the highest activity of the anode. The cell with Ni 0·2 Zn 0·8 O- Ce 0.8 Sm 0.2 O 1.9 anode shows the highest performance with both H 2 and methanol fuels at 700 °C. ZnO also improves coking resistance of NiO-Ce 0.8 Sm 0.2 O 1.9 anode. Highlights • Ni 1-x Zn x O-SDC is studied as an anode for SOFC fed with H 2 and methanol. • ZnO accelerates surface diffusion of active species on NiO-SDC anode. • P max of 720 and 834 mW cm−2 are achieved at 700 °C with H 2 and methanol fuels. • ZnO improves coking resistance of NiO-SDC anode in methanol atmosphere. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]