Methanol Demand Research Articles

Valorization of carbon dioxide by conversion into fuel using renewable energy in Algeria

Reducing the emissions of the main anthropogenic greenhouse gases, such as carbon dioxide (CO2), is one of the major challenges of this century. A partial solution to these environmental problems could be the capture and the conversion of carbon dioxide. The main objective of the present work is to study the opportunities and prospects of recycling carbon dioxide to produce synthetic fuel, particularly methanol, which is a complementary technology to carbon capture and storage (CCS). This methanol will be produced by using several renewable energies, such as solar, wind and geothermal, for the purpose of using it in the transportation sector in Algeria. In 2013, Algeria’s total amount of CO2 emissions (created by energy consumption) was 143 million tonnes. It is estimated that 44.4 million tonnes of CO2 can be captured from the exhaust of stationary units (factories and power stations) and converted to methanol every year. By adopting this process, approximately 32 million tonnes of methanol can be produced with an energy value of 580,000TJ. The methanol produced from CO2 can be used as an alternative transportation fuel. For this reason, the Geographical Information System (GIS) is used to present the spatial distribution of the methanol demand in short and long terms, based on market penetration rates, vehicle fleet and population data. An analysis of the energy balance, environment and economics of CO2 recycling process is presented. In terms of environmental performance, the reduction in carbon dioxide emissions that come from the transport sector was remarkable in 2045.

Methanol feeding strategy design enhances recombinant human growth hormone production by Pichia pastoris

ABSTRACTBACKGROUNDThe effects of designed methanol and co‐substrate feeding strategies on fed‐batch recombinant human growth hormone (rhGH) production by Pichia pastoris hGH‐Mut+ were investigated.RESULTSThe highest cell concentration was obtained as 157 g L−1 with the exponential feeding strategy where methanol was fed at a pre‐calculated feeding rate based on pre‐determined µ0 = 0.03 h−1, and mannitol concentration was kept constant at 50 g L−1 for t=0–6 h. The highest rhGH concentration was obtained as 1.3 g L−1 at t=54 h with the methanol‐stat feeding strategy, where no co‐substrate was used and the methanol concentration was kept at 5 g L−1 in the medium during the production phase. Thereafter, in another methanol‐stat feeding strategy with pulse‐fed sorbitol, the highest rhGH concentration was obtained as 1.2 g L−1 at t=42 h.CONCLUSIONThe methanol‐stat fed‐batch method keeping methanol concentration constant at 5 g L−1 in the production medium increased rhGH production at least 2‐fold compared with that of the exponential feeding strategies. In the designed methanol‐stat feeding strategies, use of sorbitol as co‐substrate decreased methanol demand of the cells 2‐fold, increased the overall product yield on the substrate 1.6‐fold, shortened the cultivation time by 12 h and increased the productivity. Thus, methanol‐stat feeding with co‐substrate sorbitol was found to be a favorable fed‐batch strategy for rhGH production by Pichia pastoris under alcohol oxidase I promoter. © 2014 Society of Chemical Industry

An innovative methanol synthesis process based on self-heat recuperation

The demand for methanol will continue to increase since methanol is an attractive fuel for fuel cells in addition to being an intermediate raw material for hydrogen and dimethyl ether (DME), which are categorized as green energy sources. To produce methanol with a minimum amount of energy, it is necessary to investigate and reconsider a whole methanol synthesis process from energy saving point of view. Recently, we developed an innovative process design technology referred to as self-heat recuperation technology for saving energy. To apply this technology, whole-process heat is recirculated within the process without heat addition leading to large energy savings. In this paper, the feasibility of applying self-heat recuperation technology to the methanol synthesis process is investigated and an innovative process for methanol synthesis is developed from an energy saving point of view. The use of this self-heat recuperation technology in the methanol synthesis process greatly reduces the energy consumption.

Development of Innovative Methanol Synthesis Process Based on Self-Heat Recuperation

In recent years, the demand for methanol will continue increasing. As well as other chemical processes, many methanol synthesis processes have reactant recycle system with product separation due to the low conversion ratio of the reactor. For this product separation from reactant recycle stream, a gas-liquid separator or distillation process has often been used. However, this gas-liquid separator and distillation processes are well known as an energy intensive process. Thus, many chemical engineers and investigators have been managing to produce a catalyst which achieves high conversion from reactant to production in the reactor for whole process optimization. In contrast, authors have developed self-heat recuperation technology based on exergy recuperation, in which whole process heat is utilized without any additional heat, leading to the reduction of energy requirement in several chemical processes. In this research, we developed an innovative integrated process design method based on self-heat recuperation for methanol synthesis process from energy saving point of view.

Treatment of Biodiesel Wastewater by Combined Electroflotation and Electrooxidation Processes

The objective of this research was to determine the optimum conditions for biodiesel wastewater treatment using a combined electroflotation and electrooxidation process in a bench-scale reactor. The effects of current density, conductivity, and reaction time were studied and optimized. The experimental results show that electroflotation (pre-treatment) could effectively remove turbidity, total solids, oils and greases, chemical oxygen demand and methanol by 92%, 98%, 100%, 57%, and 23%, respectively, using aluminum electrodes and applying a current density of 8.0 mA cm−2 for a reaction time of 60 min. After pre-treating, the effluent was subjected to electrooxidation using Ti/RuO2 anodes. The efficiency of the applied current density and reaction time were evaluated and optimized. The experimental results shows that electrooxidation could effectively remove the residual methanol and chemical oxygen demand by 68% and 95%, respectively, by applying a current density of 40.0 mA cm−2 for a reaction time of 240 min.

Effects of increased influent nitrogen load on a part-time aerated activated sludge system

Part-time aeration is frequently applied in activated sludge systems in order to decrease treatment costs by achieving nitrification and denitrification in the same basin. However, measurements and mathematical simulations carried out at the North-Budapest Wastewater Treatment Plant (Budapest, Hungary), clearly show that especially in the increasingly characteristic shortage of readily biodegradable carbon-source, this technique may lead to high effluent nitrate and/or ammonia concentrations at decreased temperatures. This situation may be worsened when co-digestion of external wastes with high N-content increase the ammonia concentration of sludge processing return flows. In these cases, denitrification should rather be enhanced in pre-anoxic zones. Pronounced pre-denitrification leads to better usage of the influent carbon-source and to considerably less methanol demand when dosing external carbon-source proves to be necessary.

Price dynamics of natural gas and the regional methanol markets

A ‘methanol economy’ based mainly on natural gas as a feedstock has a lot of potential to cope with the current and ongoing concerns for energy security along with the reduction of CO-2 emissions. It is, therefore, important to examine the price dynamics of methanol in order to ascertain whether the price of methanol is mainly natural-gas-cost driven or demand driven in the context of different regions. This paper is the first attempt to investigate the following: (i) is the natural gas price significantly related to the regional methanol prices in the Far East, United States and Europe? (ii) who drives the regional methanol prices? The paper is motivated by the recent and growing debate on the lead-lag relationship between natural gas and methanol prices. Our findings, based on the most recently developed ‘long-run structural modelling’ and subject to the limitations of the study, tend to suggest: (i) natural gas price is cointegrated with the regional methanol prices, (ii) our within-sample error-correction model results tend to indicate that natural gas was driving the methanol prices in Europe and the United States but not in the Far East. These results are consistent, during most of the period under review (1998.5–2007.3), with the surge in demand for methanol throughout the Far East, particularly in China, Taiwan and South Korea, which appears to have played a relatively more dominant role in the Far East compared to that in Europe and the United States within the framework of the dynamic interactions of input and product prices. However, during the post-sample forecast period as evidenced in our variance decompositions analysis, the emergence of natural gas as the main driver of methanol prices in all three continents is consistent with the recent surge in natural gas price fueled mainly, among others, by the strong hedging activities in the natural gas futures/options as well as refining tightness (similar to those that were happening in the crude oil markets).

Savings with upgraded performance through improved activated sludge denitrification in the combined activated sludge–biofilter system of the Southpest Wastewater Treatment Plant

The purpose of the experiments was to increase the rate of activated sludge denitrification in the combined biological treatment system of the Southpest Wastewater Treatment Plant in order to gain savings in cost and energy and improve process efficiency. Initial profile measurements revealed excess denitrification capacity of the preclarified wastewater. As a consequence, flow of nitrification filter effluent recirculated to the anoxic activated sludge basins was increased from 23,000 m3 d(-1) to 42,288 m3 d(-1) at an average preclarified influent flow of 64,843 m3 d(-1), Both simulation studies and microbiological investigations suggested that activated sludge nitrification, achieved despite the low SRT (2-3 days), was initiated by the backseeding from the nitrification filters and facilitated by the decreased oxygen demand of the influent organics used for denitrification. With the improved activated sludge denitrification, methanol demand could be decreased to about half of the initial value. With the increased efficiency of the activated sludge pre-denitrification, plant effluent COD levels decreased from 40-70 mg l(-1) to < 30-45 mg l(-1) due to the decreased likelihood of methanol overdosing in the denitrification filter.

Increased total air pressure versus oxygen limitation for enhanced oxygen transfer and product formation in a Pichia pastoris recombinant protein process

Two strategies to increase the productivity of secreted Thai Rosewood β-glucosidase in Pichia pastoris processes were evaluated. Both methods were based on increasing the oxygen transfer rate (OTR) in the process by simple means. Increasing the driving force for the diffusion from the air bubbles to the medium by elevating the air pressure, from 1.2 to 1.9 bar increased the oxygen uptake rate (OUR) by 59% while increasing the driving force by accepting oxygen limitation increased the OUR by 35%. The OTR increased less than in proportion to the increased solubility in the high-pressure process, which indicates that air bubble compression reduces the volumetric oxygen transfer coefficient ( K L a). Even though the methanol consumption increased almost in proportion to the OTR in both processes the biomass production did not increase as much. This is explained as a higher maintenance demand for methanol in the oxygen limited (0.027 g g −1 g −1) and high-pressure processes (0.035 g g −1 g −1), compared to 0.022 g g −1 g −1 in the methanol limited reference process. However, in spite of the low effect of increasing OTR on the biomass production the total β-glucosidase yield increased almost in proportion to the increased methanol consumption and reached highest value in the high-pressure process, while the β-glucosidase purity was highest in the oxygen-limited process due to release of less contaminating proteins.

Enhanced nitrogen removal in the combined activated sludge-biofilter system of the Southpest Wastewater Treatment Plant

In 1999 the existing activated sludge unit of the Southpest Wastewater Treatment Plant was supplemented by a two-stage biofilter system aiming for nitrification and post-denitrification. In this arrangement excess biomass of the filters is wasted through the activated sludge unit, facilitating backseeding, and recirculation of the nitrate-rich effluent of the N-filter serves for decreasing the methanol demand of the DN-filter and for saving aeration energy at the same time. The paper reports on the development of an ASM1-based mathematical model that proved to be adequate for describing the interactions in the combined system and was used to compare the efficiency of different treatment options. Full-scale results verified that backseeding may considerably improve performance. However, nitrification ability of the activated sludge unit depends on the treatment temperature and, if unexpected, can be limited by insufficient oxygen supply. The upgrading possibilities outlined may serve as a new perspective for implementation of combined activated sludge-biofilter systems.

Denitrification in Tertiary Filtration: Application of an Up-Flow Filter

The present paper shows the results obtained through an experimental work performed at the wastewater treatment plant of Rome, aimed at studying the performances of a tertiary filter regarding combined removal of suspended solids, COD, and nitrates. The up-flow sand filter was fed by the effluent coming from the secondary settling tank of the plant. The filter bed height was of 80 cm of silica sand. After a start up period, a study of particulate and soluble COD removal process was made, to establish the need of methanol in the denitrification process. Total COD removal efficiency was 60% on average, 55% due by soluble COD removal and 5% by particulate one. In the last phase of the experimental activity methanol was fed as carbon source, sodium sulfite was supplied to produce anoxic environment within the filter and the denitrification efficiency was studied. Nitrates removal rates after an acclimation period of 10 days increased up to 60%, with an effluent NO3-N of 8 mg/L. Denitrification rate was 2.4 kg/m3 d for water temperatures of 25°C. Regarding methanol demand and biologic kinetics, the biomass yield coefficient was 0.3 kgCOD-X/kgme. Consequently 2.7 kg of methanol was required per kilogram of denitrified nitrogen.

Human chymotrypsinogen B production with Pichia pastoris by integrated development of fermentation and downstream processing. Part 1. Fermentation.

Based on an integrated approach of genetic engineering, fermentation process development, and downstream processing, a fermentative chymotrypsinogen B production process using recombinant Pichia pastoris is presented. Making use of the P. pastoris AOX1-promotor, the demand for methanol as the single carbon source as well as an inducer of protein secretion enforced the use of an optimized feeding strategy by help of on-line analysis and an advanced controller algorithm. By using an experimental system of six parallel sparged column bioreactors, proteolytic product degradation could be minimized while also optimizing starting conditions for the following downstream processing. This optimization of process conditions resulted in the production of authentic chymotrypsinogen at a final concentration level of 480 mg.L(-)(1) in the whole broth and a biomass concentration of 150 g.L(-)(1) cell dry weight, thus comprising a space-time yield of 5.2 mg.L(-)(1).h(-)(1). Alternatively to the high cell density fermentation approach, a continuous fermentation process was developed to study the effects of reduced cell density toward oxygen demand, cooling energy, and biomass separation. This development led to a process with a highly increased space-time yield of 25 mg.L(-)(1).h(-)(1) while reducing the cell dry weight concentration from 150 g.L(-)(1) in fed-batch to 65 g.L(-)(1) in continuous cultivation.

Methanol Woes As MTBE Goes

The outlook for producers of methanol and methyl tert-butyl ether (MTBE) appears increasingly grim as the federal government seeks to expand a phaseout of the gasoline additive because of concerns about groundwater contamination. At first, it appeared that MTBE might only disappear in California, which accounts for about a third of U.S. and about a quarter of global use. Now, the Clinton Administration is proposing changes in regulations that might significantly reduce or eliminate MTBE nationwide (C&EN, March 27, page 6). If a substantial phaseout of MTBE occurs, methanol producers will be hard hit. MTBE accounts for about 27% of methanol use worldwide and nearly 40% in the U.S. The MTBE market has been a main driver for methanol demand growth in the past decade. The industry already faces overcapacity and low prices and would be harder hit by a drop in MTBE demand. With the onslaught of new, lower cost offshore production, U.S. methanol ...

Methanol's Transformation To Commodity Status Stretches Supply

Methanol is undergoing a renaissance. Beginning in the US in the fourth quarter of 1993, methanol has seen a transformation from a low-growth, low-priced, overly abundant commodity chemical into a high-demand, undersupplied, cost-price driven product. As the economic recovery has spread to the rest of the world, methanol demand has dramatically increased. this meteoric rise has been further sparked in the US by increased use of methanol as an ingredient in gasoline oxygenates required by the federal government. Increased demand has led to the consolidation of producers, a scramble to reopen existing capacity, addition of capacity via product conversion, and plans for various future capacity expansions. Methanol fits alongside the other long-standing, major organic commodity chemicals-ethylbenzene, ethylene, ethylene dichloride, formaldehyde, propylene, styrene, terephthalic acid, and vinyl chloride. Methanol also serves both as a building block for many other chemicals--formaldehyde, acetic acid, and terephthalic acid--and as a solvent for many industrial uses.

BHP PETROLEUM&amp;apos;S NEW TECHNOLOGY METHANOL RESEARCH PLANT

BHP Petroleum (BHPP) is in the process of constructing a 164 tonne per day Methanol Research Plant (MRP) on the outskirts of Melbourne. The plant is designed to demonstrate and develop the Leading Concept Methanol (LCM) technology of ICI Katalco. The plant will be the first large scale demonstration of this technology and is part of BHPP's strategy to develop viable options for the development of Australia's uncommitted gas resources. The strategy is to demonstrate and develop the LCM technology onshore and then to apply the technology to an offshore production environment.The LCM technology as applied to the MRP involves a new synthesis gas generation process and other features which result in a compact plant design with low utilities requirements and insensivity to vessel motion effects.Although the MRP is being built primarily for Research and Development (R&amp;D) it has been sized consistent with future scale up to world scale methanol capacity. The plant capacity is sufficient to supply a major share of Australia's methanol demand, particularly that of the immediate vicinity in Victoria.The construction of the plant started in April, 1993 and is currently about 85 per cent complete and on schedule. Final mechanical completion is scheduled for mid 1994 with commissioning in the third quarter. The capital cost of the project is approximately A$70 million.

Methanol-Powered Cars Get Ready to Hit the Road

In an effort to free the US from oil dependence on the Middle East and to reduce atmospheric pollution by automobile exhausts, the US automobile makers are about to take the historic step of commercial production of cars designed to run on methanol. Methanol has a higher octane rating (100) than gasoline (93-97), allows cars to run more efficiently, and offers more lively automobile performance. Some disadvantages of methanol powered cars are problems with cold starts; less energy per gallon of fuel would decrease the driving range of automobiles before refuel ling; production of more aldehydes, which exacerbate ozone and smog production and may be carcinogens as well; and higher costs ($300 to 500 more) than conventional vehicles. The uncertainty of availability of fuel has prompted automobile manufacturers to design current models of automobiles to be flexible fuel vehicles to run on mixtures of gasoline and methanol. Should the demand for methanol fuel increase, the availability would surely rise. The cost of methanol compares favorably with that of gasoline - $1.20 to 1.30 per gallon.

Growth in methanol supply lags demand

Worldwide methanol demand is rising faster than production capacity, resulting in improved operating rates. Continued improvement is forecast for the near future since few capacity expansions are scheduled for completion in the next three years. Spurring the growing demand is methyl tert -butyl ether, used in gasoline as an aid to lower exhaust pollutants. A more than 10% increase forecast for methanol demand for MTBE in 1990 and a 21% increase in 1991 will result in plant operating rates in 1992 of about 85% of nameplate capacity, up from about 78% in 1989. Consumption of methanol in making formaldehyde, acetic acid, and other chemicals will grow much slower than its use in making MTBE. Global demand for methanol will grow more than 18% between 1989 and 1992, but capacity will increase less than 9%, according to James J. Crocco, whose Houston-based consulting firm, Crocco & Associates, has released a new study on the ...

Timing of methanol supply and demand: Implications for alternative transportation fuel policies

The use of methanol as a transportation fuel may help the United States substantially reduce oil imports. However, significant reductions in U.S. oil imports will require that the current world methanol industry be much larger than it now is. This paper examines potential expansion rates of the world methanol industry. These expansion rates are used to determine the potential underutilization of flexible fuel vehicles caused by limitations on methanol supply. Depending on the specific comparison, methanol supply can be a constraint in the earlier years of methanol's use which limits the ability of the United States to substitute large volumes of oil with methanol.

ChemInform Abstract: METHANOL TECHNOLOGY AND DEMAND TRENDS AND THEIR FUTURE PROSPECTS

Chemischer InformationsdienstVolume 14, Issue 39 Preparative Organic Chemistry ChemInform Abstract: METHANOL TECHNOLOGY AND DEMAND TRENDS AND THEIR FUTURE PROSPECTS S. UEMATSU, S. UEMATSUSearch for more papers by this author S. UEMATSU, S. UEMATSUSearch for more papers by this author First published: September 27, 1983 https://doi.org/10.1002/chin.198339166AboutPDF ToolsRequest permissionExport citationAdd to favoritesTrack citation ShareShare Give accessShare full text accessShare full-text accessPlease review our Terms and Conditions of Use and check box below to share full-text version of article.I have read and accept the Wiley Online Library Terms and Conditions of UseShareable LinkUse the link below to share a full-text version of this article with your friends and colleagues. Learn more.Copy URL Share a linkShare onFacebookTwitterLinkedInRedditWechat No abstract is available for this article. Volume14, Issue39September 27, 1983 RelatedInformation

Production of synthetic methanol from air and water using controlled thermonuclear reactor power—II. Capital investment and production costs

Energy requirement and process development of methanol production from air and water using controlled thermonuclear fusion power was discussed in part I of this paper. This second part of the paper presents an economic analysis of the nine alternate processes presented for obtaining carbon dioxide recovery from the atmosphere or the sea for methanol production. It is found that the most economical process of obtaining carbon dioxide is by stripping from sea water. The process of absorption/stripping by dilute potassium carbonate solution is found to be the most economical for the extraction of carbon dioxide from air at atmospheric pressure. The total energy required for methanol synthesis from these sources of carbon dioxide is 3.90 kWh(e)/lb methanol of which 90% is used for generation of hydrogen. The process which consumes the greatest amount of energy is the absorption/stripping of air by water at high pressure and amounts to 13.2 kWh(e)/lb methanol. With nuclear fusion power plants of 1000 to 9000 MW(e), it is found that the cost of methanol using the extraction of carbon dioxide from air with dilute potassium carbonate solution is estimated to be in the range between $1.73 and $2.90/MMB.t.u. (energy equivalent—1974 cost) for plant capacities of 21400 to 193000 bbl/day methanol. This methanol cost is competitive with gasoline in the range of 19 ∼ 33 ¢/gallon. For the process of stripping of carbon dioxide from sea water, the cost is found to lie in the range of $1.65 to $2.71/MMB.t.u. (energy equivalent) for plant capacities of 21700 to 195000 bbl/day methanol which is competitive with gasoline in the range of 18 ∼ 30 ¢/gallon. Projection of methanol demand in the year 2020 is presented based on both its conventional use as chemicals and as a liquid fuel substituting for oil and gas.