The Federal Methanol Fleet Project, managed by Oak Ridge National Laboratory for the Department of Energy, has operated methanol-fueled vehicles since 1985 in routine government fleet operations. Presently, 20 methanol vehicles of four different types are operating at three different sites alongside 14 gasoline cars in similar assignments. Over one million miles have been accumulated on fleet vehicles so far, and driver acceptance has been generally good for the methanol vehicles. Equipment varies between vehicle type, especially with regard to their systems for cold starting, and those with minimal cold-start systems have not performed as well in winter weather. Also, climate varies considerably between the three sites, and this is reflected in the comparison of cold weather performance. Accumulation of metals in the lubricating oil is at a greater rate in the methanol vehicles, and data are presented which demonstrate the dependence of these phenomena on ambient temperature. Generally, metals accumulate in the oil of the methanol vehicles at a much greater rate in colder months. 9 refs., 13 figs.
Federal methanol fleet update
1989
22 pages
Report
No indication
English
Road Transportation , Fuels , Methanol Fuels , Vehicles , Fuel Substitution , Climates , Comparative Evaluations , Data Acquisition , Demonstration Programs , Energy Efficiency , Fuel Consumption , Internal Combustion Engines , Lubricating Oils , Metals , ORNL , Operation , Performance Testing , Pollutants , Progress Report , Temperature Effects , Weather , Meetings , Federal Methanol Fleet Project , EDB/330800 , EDB/330100
Federal Methanol Fleet Status, January 1986
NTIS | 1986
|Federal Methanol Fleet Project final report
NTIS | 1993
|The federal methanol fleet - summary of technical data
Automotive engineering | 1991
|Results from the Federal Methanol Fleet - a progress report
Automotive engineering | 1988
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