The report describes the design analyses and experimental evaluation toward developing a system of dissociating methanol for use in a spark-ignited passenger car engine. Maximum dissociation of methanol fuel attainable using exhaust gas heat was the basic goal of the project. The heating value of dissociated methanol is about 20 percent higher than that for liquid methanol. Therefore, significant energy savings appear to be attainable if a large percent of the engine fuel needs can be dissociated by use of the otherwise wasted heat of the exhaust gas. A heat exchanger consisting of a methanol evaporator, an injection system to provide fuel to the evaporator, and a dissociation catalytic reactor was designed, fabricated, and tested. The dissociation efficiency of the initial reactor was not as good as expected. The relative poor performance of the dissociation reactor apparently was associated with fuel injector nozzle heating, blockage of passageways in the dissociation reactor, and an ineffective dissociation catalyst. The heat exchanger was redesigned to incorporate improvements, and four heat exchangers were fabricated using the final design.

"July 1988." Includes bibliographical references (p. 32). "EPA 460/3-88-002." "Contract No. 68-03-1984"--T.p. "EPA Project Officer: Robert I. Bruetsch"--T.p.