Methanol Fuel Cell

[Random88]

Hi,
Just searched and could see any discussion on this so thought I'd ask about it. I also have a boat with solar panel (towed by Disco) and have been watching the development of fuel cells for a few years now. They are now down to a price where I have to rethink the power supply on the boat.
But see Fuel Cell Systems | RV Fuel Cells (http://www.fuelcellsystems.co.uk/fcapplications/rv-fuel-cells/)

Basically they are near silent metho powered boxes that can be hooked up to kickin when the battery drops to a predefined voltage. Looks like they would do the job when there is not enough sun, better still metho is readily available nearly everywhere. See what you think.

[davrac]

I use 3 x methanol powered fuel cells at work and they are excellent. They can keep up with a 6-7amp current draw on a 12v deep cycle. They can get a bit hungry on the methanol if you starts going over the 3amp mark. We use efoy brand fuel cells and have never had a problem with them.

[goingbush]

2,346.00 GBP for the cheapest 40W model is a bit pricey to use as a camping power source, plus Methanol is not that easy to get outside capital cities.
Think I'll stick with the $200 solar panel for now.

(Metho as in Methalated Spirits wont work, that is actually 98% Ethanol)

Meybe in the Northern Hemisphere where there is no sun they would be quite handy.

[PhilipA]

Last time I looked at the efoy site a couple of years ago the methanol was eye wateringly expensive so the operating cost was very high.

Regards Philip A

[Random88]

2,346.00 GBP for the cheapest 40W model is a bit pricey to use as a camping power source, plus Methanol is not that easy to get outside capital cities.
Think I'll stick with the $200 solar panel for now.

(Metho as in Methalated Spirits wont work, that is actually 98% Ethanol)

Meybe in the Northern Hemisphere where there is no sun they would be quite handy.

Just a matter of what fuel and type of cell you choose apparently...from Wiki;

"Direct Ethanol FC uses Ethanol in the fuel cell instead of the more toxic Methanol - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. Ethanol is an attractive alternative to methanol because it comes with a supply chain that's already in place. Ethanol also remains the easier fuel to work with for widespread use by consumers."

About the northern hemisphere; they must have a bit of sun with a greater use of solar power in Germany than here.

Marine situations often have trouble getting good sun surprisingly. Masts, rigging and changing courses is the problem. If anyone does not have a problem to solve then why bother looking at solutions. I have a problem on the boat to solve so I'll keep researching and listening.

[oldsalt]

Hi Random88 - maybe you could get some info from here... the people at Kimberley Karavans might help you out... :)
cheers

Kimberley Karavans - Fuel Cell in a Kimberley (http://www.kimberleykaravans.com/fuel-cell-in-an-offroad-caravan)

[Random88]

Looks awesome. Only a matter of time before these get a lot more common for obvious reasons. Imagine, no more gensets annoying everyone else!

[Mick_Marsh]

Someone put a post up about methanol fuel cells about a year ago.

[harry]

scary!
have you seen methanol burning when it shouldn't?


methanol, metho, and the other alcohol similar fuels burn with no flame.
dead set dangerous if you ask me, but you didn't.


I was at a junior school Christmas picnic years ago, one chap , grandad, lit his bbq with sawdust and metho.
some how he got confused and popped a bit more metho on the fire, it was already lit.
we came into the scene when he was screaming for no apparent reason.
it wasn't until his shirt began showing flames that anyone realised what was happening.
he was on fire.
he later died from his burns.


if you can avoid using fuel like methanol I would do it.


sure they used it in racing cars and such like, I have even sprayed methanol from a racing car engine for several metres when the carby on a jap engine in a 500 flooded the cylinder, I was lucky.


is there some other fuel this jigger can run on?

[Mick_Marsh]

scary!
have you seen methanol burning when it shouldn't?


methanol, metho, and the other alcohol similar fuels burn with no flame.
dead set dangerous if you ask me, but you didn't.


I was at a junior school Christmas picnic years ago, one chap , grandad, lit his bbq with sawdust and metho.
some how he got confused and popped a bit more metho on the fire, it was already lit.
we came into the scene when he was screaming for no apparent reason.
it wasn't until his shirt began showing flames that anyone realised what was happening.
he was on fire.
he later died from his burns.


if you can avoid using fuel like methanol I would do it.


sure they used it in racing cars and such like, I have even sprayed methanol from a racing car engine for several metres when the carby on a jap engine in a 500 flooded the cylinder, I was lucky.


is there some other fuel this jigger can run on?
It's a fuel cell. You don't light it, do you?

[THE BOOGER]

No flames they use them on the space station to supliment solar the shuttle used to use them as well, I believe that is where the tech started;) must have started with the appollo missions it was a hydrogen fuel cell that exploded on 13 ?

[Mick_Marsh]

Hydrogen fuel cells have been around for donkeys years.
In the US space program they used them in some Gemini missions. The batteries only lasted three days. They needed a power source that would last longer.

[Random88]

Someone put a post up about methanol fuel cells about a year ago.

HI Mick, search didn't return anything. Maybe it's men though.

[Random88]

scary!
have you seen methanol burning when it shouldn't?


methanol, metho, and the other alcohol similar fuels burn with no flame.
dead set dangerous if you ask me, but you didn't.


I was at a junior school Christmas picnic years ago, one chap , grandad, lit his bbq with sawdust and metho.
some how he got confused and popped a bit more metho on the fire, it was already lit.
we came into the scene when he was screaming for no apparent reason.
it wasn't until his shirt began showing flames that anyone realised what was happening.
he was on fire.
he later died from his burns.


if you can avoid using fuel like methanol I would do it.


sure they used it in racing cars and such like, I have even sprayed methanol from a racing car engine for several metres when the carby on a jap engine in a 500 flooded the cylinder, I was lucky.


is there some other fuel this jigger can run on?

Harry, have you seen petrol burn? How about LPG? Dam lucky the guy at the picnic didn't throw some unleaded on the fire as others may have been injured. Whooomp.
If I was a fuel cell expert I would not have started this thread but from the limited research I have done there are a small range of fuels they can use.

[harry]

Harry, have you seen petrol burn? How about LPG? Dam lucky the guy at the picnic didn't throw some unleaded on the fire as others may have been injured. Whooomp.
If I was a fuel cell expert I would not have started this thread but from the limited research I have done there are a small range of fuels they can use.

I must admit that I know nothing about this fuel cell thing, but I stand by my comments re methanol and metho fires.

[Mick_Marsh]

I must admit that I know nothing about this fuel cell thing, but I stand by my comments re methanol and metho fires.
It's not the metho that's the problem. It's the oxygen. Take the oxygen away and we wouldn't have fires. It's nasty stuff. Corrodes Landrovers as well.

[vnx205]

The problem with metho is not that it burns. A lot of things burn.

The problem with metho is that the flame is pretty much invisible.

At least with a lot of other fuels, you can seen when they are burning. With metho, you can't.

[harry]

The problem with metho is not that it burns. A lot of things burn.

The problem with metho is that the flame is pretty much invisible.

At least with a lot of other fuels, you can seen when they are burning. With metho, you can't.

Thanks, that's my point.