Methanol-Fueled Truck Engine Operation Without Heavy Battery Packs
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing methods for producing sustainable fuels, such as methanol, are not economically viable for heavy vehicles like trucks and omnibuses, leading to a significant reduction in payload and inefficiency in climate-friendly mobility solutions.
Innovation Solution
A method involving the production of methanol through electrolysis of water, carbon dioxide sorption from ambient air, and solar energy conversion using a photovoltaic unit, which is used to power an internal combustion engine in trucks and omnibuses, maintaining payload while reducing greenhouse gas emissions.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Quantity of substance
If large accumulators are used for electrification of heavy vehicles, then the energy storage capacity is improved, but the unladen weight increases and payload decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the energy storage function from the vehicle itself by producing methanol fuel externally through electrolysis and carbon dioxide sorption, then transporting and storing only the final fuel product in the vehicle. This separates the heavy energy production infrastructure from the mobile vehicle, achieving high energy capacity without excessive weight.
Solution Approach 2:
Methanol serves as an intermediary energy carrier that converts electrical energy (produced sustainably elsewhere) into a storable, transportable liquid fuel form. This intermediary allows decoupling of energy production from energy consumption, enabling heavy vehicles to use sustainable energy without carrying heavy battery accumulators.
2Ease of manufacture
If synthetic fuels like methanol are produced using existing methods, then the fuel can be produced, but the economic efficiency is insufficient to significantly reduce climate pollution
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines multiple functions into an integrated system: electrolysis for hydrogen production, carbon dioxide sorption for CO2 capture, and methanol synthesis for fuel production. This merging creates a unified sustainable fuel production platform that improves economic efficiency by sharing infrastructure and achieving synergies between the different process components.
Solution Approach 2:
The system is designed to be universally applicable for producing sustainable methanol fuel that can serve multiple transportation sectors (trucks, omnibuses, and potentially other heavy vehicles). The multi-functional system produces both hydrogen and methanol, providing flexibility in fuel applications and improving overall economic efficiency through diversified output.
3Object-generated harmful factors
If methanol is produced from hydrogen and carbon dioxide, then the climate neutrality is improved, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the methanol production process into distinct functional units: electrolysis unit for hydrogen production, carbon dioxide sorption unit for CO2 capture, and methanol synthesis unit for fuel production. This segmentation allows each component to be optimized independently and facilitates modular deployment, reducing overall system complexity while maintaining climate neutrality.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This method enables climate-neutral operation of trucks and omnibuses with high payload capacity, offering faster refueling and higher energy density than battery systems, thus addressing economic and environmental concerns.
Implementation Method 1
a photovoltaic unit absorbs solar energy and converts it into electrical energy
Implementation Method 2
in an electrolysis unit for the production of hydrogen, water is split into hydrogen and oxygen
Implementation Method 3
a carbon dioxide sorption unit extracts carbon dioxide from the ambient air
Implementation Method 4
the hydrogen and the carbon dioxide are fed to a methanol synthesis unit for the production of methanol, and are synthesised therein to methanol
Implementation Method 5
supplying the methanol produced to an internal combustion engine of the truck or omnibus, and is combusted there to generate mechanical energy
Data Source
AI summary
The disclosure relates to a method for operating an internal combustion engine of a truck or omnibus, in particular a truck or omnibus with a permissible total mass of at least 3.5 tonnes, wherein (i) an electrolysis unit for the production of hydrogen, water is split into hydrogen and oxygen, (ii) a carbon dioxide sorption unit extracts carbon dioxide from the ambient air, (iii) the hydrogen and the carbon dioxide are fed to a methanol synthesis unit for the production of methanol, and are synthesised therein to methanol, (iv) a photovoltaic unit absorbs solar energy and converts it into electrical energy. The electrolysis unit, the carbon dioxide sorption unit and the methanol synthesis unit are powered by the electrical energy generated in the photovoltaic unit. The methanol produced is transported by means of a distributor system to at least one tank of the truck or omnibus, and is supplied from the tank as required to the internal combustion engine, and therein is combusted to generate mechanical energy.