Editing 76-12-A7 (section)

=== Transcript ===
Last time, I talked about "gasohol", that mixture of ten percent alcohol and
ninety percent gasoline which has been catching on in Nebraska. That's one
approach that shows promise. There's another one that seems further off, but
worth a lot of serious talk and study. It's methanol gas, which might actually
be made from coal without taking the coal out of the ground. Word about
progress on methanol as a motor vehicle fuel comes from Dr. Peter Beckmann, the
good humored, highly literate and staunchly pro-science University of Colorado
professor who publishes Access to Energy, a fascinating monthly newsletter.

Dr. Beckmann visited with me a little over a year ago and told me about the
possibilities for methanol. Now he updates the situation in his current issue.
He approaches this, and any other new, alternative fuel source, with a sensitive
man's hope and a scientist's skepticism. So, his report on methanol doesn't
engage in any tub-thumping; it just gives the facts as they now stand.

He reports on tests conducted by General Motors' research laboratories in actual
driving conditions, using a fleet of 14 autos from model years 1966 through 1974.
All but two were converted from gasoline to a blend of gasoline and methanol.
The two had fuel injection, thus pure methanol.

One of the drawbacks of methanol is that it has half the heating value of gasoline
so it requires a tank twice as large for the same operating range (there goes
your trunk space). It has a higher octane number, though, so it can give better
performance. But, it's less volatile than gasoline meaning colder starts and
slower warmup. But, again on the plus side, its lower combustion temperature
sharply reduces nitrous oxide pollution. It is, however, both more toxic and
corrosive than gasoline.

Currently, methanol is made from natural gas, but it could be made from coal, wood
-- even garbage! In fact, according to Access to Energy, it could, in principle,
be made from coal that never leaves the ground, via underground explosions that
produce methane, from which methanol would be made.

How about the GM test? "Less than a howling success" for the mixed methanol-and
gasoline cars, Dr. Beckmann says. "To run on pure methanol, a car needs a number
of modifications beyond a doubled fuel tank." All materials in contact with
methanol must be made corrosion resistant; an additive is needed to improve starts;
carburation must be changed; and the spark plugs and distributor re-set. The two
fuel-injected methanol-only cars fared better, though still requiring several
adjustments. Dr. Beckmann concludes, "Methanol remains, technically, a serious
contender as a gasoline substitute." He adds, " ... these are merely the technical
details. The crucial point about methanol is the cost, and the coal-to-methanol
technique is kept artificially uncompetitive by congressional price-fixing of
natural gas and by the uncertain climate for investments. Methanol remains blocked
by the people who think automobile engines need not be designed, because they can
be legislated." -- UNQUOTE.

This is Ronald Reagan.

Thanks for listening.

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