Methanol Foundation:
1998 Funded Projects

In the first full year following its inception, the Methanol Foundation (MF) received broad support from the methanol industry to commence its funding objectives. Various funding prospects arose, providing MF with opportunities to engage in efforts to advance the use of methanol as an alternative energy source. As the methanol industry is enthusiastic about the potential of methanol fuel cell technologies, the MF concentrated its funding in fuel cell research endeavors, while also initiating its annual scholarship program.

Direct Methanol Fuel Cell

MF allocated moneys to support a project evaluating commercial grade methanol and methanol additives for use in a direct methanol fuel cell. Considerable improvements in this breakthrough technology have been achieved, however, challenges remain to develop a cost-effective, non-polluting power source suitable for automotive use and other applications. The objective of this effort is to design, fabricate, and demonstrate a self-sustaining direct methanol fuel cell system that is capable of delivering 1kW of power. The project is part of the direct methanol fuel cell technology development program jointly funded by the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Air Resources Board, and South Coast Air Quality Management District.

Methanol Refueling Station Costs

Introduction of methanol-powered fuel cell vehicles depends in part on the establishment of a fueling infrastructure. MF responded to the concerns regarding the labor and costs required to convert existing stations to methanol use or to build new 'energy' fueling stations. An MF funded study by the environmental engineering firm EA Engineering, Science, and Technology Inc. found that existing gasoline stations can easily be adapted to dispense methanol at a moderate cost using "off the shelf" equipment.
About the Foundation

The MF is a non-profit educational and scientific organization dedicated to supporting the greater use of methanol as a clean energy resource. Created in 1997 under the auspices of the Methanol Institute, MF promotes efforts to educate the public and academia on the environmental benefits of using methanol and its derivatives. MF is a grant seeking organization as well as a grant-making foundation that focuses the scientific and educational resources of public, private, non-profit and academic organizations to advance technologies for methanol production and use, particularly emerging fuel cell technologies.

For Additional Information: contact the Methanol Foundation toll free at (888) 275-0768 or via the web at www.methanol.org. March 22, 1999

MF awarded its first scholarship grants to Jose Fernando Contadini of the Institute of Transportation Studies, University of California, Davis and Suresh Sriramulu of the Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Washington. The scholarship awards will assist the graduate students in their studies of advancing fuel cell technologies.

"We are proud to support these two outstanding students and researchers. Their work may help accelerate the introduction of methanol fuel cell technologies," said Foundation President & CEO John E. Lynn.