Development of a Cold-Start Device for Methanol-Fueled Engines

The use of methanol as a fuel for transportation vehicles has air quality and energy security implications. One disadvantage of methanol fuels, however, is associated with cold starting engines utilizing these fuels. Although several approaches have been used to overcome this problem, no approach has been shown to be entirely satisfactory. The present study was conducted to investigate the feasibility of dissociating some of the methanol into hydrogen and carbon monoxide and using this dissociated fuel to start the engine.

To accomplish quick dissociation under cold conditions, a portion of the methanol is burned under fuel-rich conditions. Additional methanol is then sprayed into the hot products of combustion to cool the gases prior to their introduction into the engine. Tests at -30°C demonstrated that the concept worked on an unmodified spark ignition engine fueled with M100.

It is recommended that additional work be done to make the system more compatible with vehicle applications.