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Methanol Fuel Cells. Anyone have experience with them?

jarross

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I have a ton of trees not suitable for logging on my property.
Thinking I could use them to make my own methanol.
What I don't know is how well methanol fuel cells work.
Seems it MAY be a viable way to add a bit of range while on my longer trips. Like 50 miles or so during a week long excursion.
I live in a charging desert so I need options for those few times my battery won't carry me round trip from house to campsite and back.
Solar is spotty because of shade in the forest and hours of sunlight during hunting season.
Anyone on here know much about their utility?
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ajdelange

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I have a ton of trees not suitable for logging on my property.
Thinking I could use them to make my own methanol.
What I don't know is how well methanol fuel cells work.
My only experience with alcohol fuel cells is with the ethanol based ones in breathalyzers. The little understanding I have of the methanol fuel cell technology is that the methanol is stripped (CH4 + 2H2O --> CO2 + 4H2) and the hydrogen consumed in a regular hydrogen fuel cell. Once you are back to H2 then all the advantages/disadvantages of fuel cells pertain. IMO fuel cells are not in the picture when it comes to residential/consumer energy.

I live in a charging desert so I need options for those few times my battery won't carry me round trip from house to campsite and back.
Yes, there are some wide open spaces in your part of the country for sure but I'd try very hard to find a solution other than an onboard supplemental charger before I considered trying to kluge a trailer with a generator, auxilliary batteries, fuel cells or anything like that. The most viable solution is probably what Rivian did in South America i.e. have a generator in the bed or on a trailer but that is not a very practical one as charging rates from any reasonable sized generator are slow.
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