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Miami scientist discovers material for storing methane
Ben Garbarek
Issue date: 2/1/08 Section: Campus
The path toward a viable renewable source of energy may be passing through Oxford.
Researchers in the laboratory of Miami University chemist Hong-Cai Zhou have discovered a breakthrough material that may make methane a more feasible form of alternative energy.
"The new material we made in the lab we can make easily and exceed (Department of Energy standards) for storage by a third," Zhou said. "This might give methane an advantage over other renewable fuels."
Zhou explained that one of the obstacles with methane as an alternative source of energy to gasoline for cars is the lack of safe and efficient means to store the methane.
Zhou's porous, sponge-like material recorded the highest known absorption rate-an important milestone on the way toward using methane to fuel automobiles.
Zhou said that methane is actually a higher quality fuel than standard gasoline. He noted that while regular unleaded gasoline has an octane level of 87, methane boasts a 130-octane level.
A higher octane level indicates how much fuel can be compressed before it spontaneously ignites. When gasoline ignites because of compression rather than a spark from a spark plug, this can cause damage to the engine. With its higher octane level, methane can compress more fuel than gasoline without damaging the car's engine.
According to Zhou, one of the major advantages of methane is its availability. He said methane can be found in natural gas fields, coalmines, corn or even manure.
Zhou said one of the basic problems his laboratory ran into during their research is methane's natural state.
"Methane is a gas instead of a liquid (like gasoline)," Zhou said. "(To convert the gas to a liquid), you need high pressure and low temperature (which is) a lot of energy consumed. It's not feasible because you have to liquefy it."
However this new material, called Porous Coordination Networks 14 (PCN-14), is able to retain methane in its gaseous state, eliminating the large amounts of energy needed to liquefy the gas.
Researchers in the laboratory of Miami University chemist Hong-Cai Zhou have discovered a breakthrough material that may make methane a more feasible form of alternative energy.
"The new material we made in the lab we can make easily and exceed (Department of Energy standards) for storage by a third," Zhou said. "This might give methane an advantage over other renewable fuels."
Zhou explained that one of the obstacles with methane as an alternative source of energy to gasoline for cars is the lack of safe and efficient means to store the methane.
Zhou's porous, sponge-like material recorded the highest known absorption rate-an important milestone on the way toward using methane to fuel automobiles.
Zhou said that methane is actually a higher quality fuel than standard gasoline. He noted that while regular unleaded gasoline has an octane level of 87, methane boasts a 130-octane level.
A higher octane level indicates how much fuel can be compressed before it spontaneously ignites. When gasoline ignites because of compression rather than a spark from a spark plug, this can cause damage to the engine. With its higher octane level, methane can compress more fuel than gasoline without damaging the car's engine.
According to Zhou, one of the major advantages of methane is its availability. He said methane can be found in natural gas fields, coalmines, corn or even manure.
Zhou said one of the basic problems his laboratory ran into during their research is methane's natural state.
"Methane is a gas instead of a liquid (like gasoline)," Zhou said. "(To convert the gas to a liquid), you need high pressure and low temperature (which is) a lot of energy consumed. It's not feasible because you have to liquefy it."
However this new material, called Porous Coordination Networks 14 (PCN-14), is able to retain methane in its gaseous state, eliminating the large amounts of energy needed to liquefy the gas.
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