Controllable Decomposition of Methanol for Active Fuel Cooling Technology

Decomposition of methanol into hydrogen and carbon monoxide is a potential endothermic reaction for advanced fuel-cooled thermal management technology. In this paper, thermodynamic analyses of methanol decomposition under low pressure (0.1 MPa) and high pressure (4.0 MPa) were first conducted for a better fundamental understanding of methanol cooling. Furthermore, thermal and catalytic decomposition of methanol were studied in an electrically heated tube reactor under 4 MPa. Excellent heat absorption ability of this process indicates that methanol is a promising fuel for active cooling technology. Then, the cofeeding of kerosene fuel with methanol has been carried out to investigate effects of methanol on product distribution, heat sink, and coking in the fuel-cooled process. Results show that the presence of methanol promotes the total heat sink, increases ethylene yield, and dramatically reduces coke deposition by the production of hydrogen as a dilution agent