Impacts of methanol fuel on vehicular emissions:A review

The transport sector is a significant energy consumer and a major contributor to urban air pollution.At present,the substitution of cleaner fuel is one feasible way to deal with the growing energy demand and environmental pollution.Methanol has been recognized as a good alternative to gasoline due to its good combustion performance.In the past decades,many studies have investigated exhaust emissions using methanol-gasoline blends.However,the conclusions derived from different studies vary significantly,and the explanations for the effects of methanol blending on exhaust emissions are also inconsistent.This review summarizes the characteristics of CO,HC,NO_(x),CO_(2),and particulate emissions from methanol-gasoline blended fuels and pure methanol fuel.CO,HC,CO_(2),particle mass(PM),and particle number(PN)emissions decrease when methanol-blended fuel is used in place of gasoline fuel.NO_(x) emission either decreases or increases depending on the test conditions,i.e.,methanol content.Furthermore,this review synthesizes the mechanisms by which methanol-blended fuel influences pollutant emissions.This review provides insight into the pollutant emissions from methanol-blended fuel,which will aid policymakers in making energy strategy decisions that take urban air pollution,climate change,and energy security into account.