The Goderich Signal-Star, 1986-09-10, Page 25Feature
Propane fuels 12,000
vehicles across Canada
• from page lA
quickly. Taxi owners, for example, can easi-
ly recoup their costs within the first year.
Conversion specialists in your area can ad-
vise you on the economic viability of specific
conversions.
Although cost saving is usually the prime
motivator for conversions, propane offers
additional important benefits. As a clean -
burning fuel, it produces, lower carbon
monoxide and hydrocarbon emissions than
gasoline, and there are no lead emissions
since propane does not;,contain lead.
Propane is also as safe as gasoline. In the
unlikely event that there is a leak in the
system, it can be detected quickly and easi-
ly because propane' is odorizest The fuel
does not puddle as a liquid, but if the
vapours do accumulate, they can be dispers-
ed easily by air movement. Propane also re-
quires a much higher temperature for igni-
tion than gasoline.
Most propane is transported to markets
through pipelines, although some is carried
by rail tanker and truck. Bulk quantities are
stored in huge tanks, from which smaller
amounts are delivered by truck to vehicle -
fueling facilities. These facilities store the
fuel in large pressurized tanks folr dispens-
ing to motorists.
Propane is likely to become an even more
viable vehicle fuel as conversion equipment
becomes cheaper and more available.
Automobile manufacturers are already of-
fering factory -equipped propane vehicles in
a limited range of .models. These should
become competitively priced with gasoline -
fueled vehicles as the use of. propane
spreads.
Regardless of the state of the world oil
market, many Canadians feel more secure
because propane is a safe, proven and
economical alternative to gasoline.
Methanol promises clean air
• from page lA
In addition to reducing exhaust emissions,
the higher octane, methanol -blended fuels
can help 'refiners use less toxic lead to boost
the octane level of gasoline.
Refiners may also use aromatic com-
pounds such as benzene, a know carcinogen,
to produce high-octane gasoline could
replace some of. this toxic material.
Methanol -gasoline blends are becoming
popular internationally. In the United
States, a blend of 90.5 per cent gasoline and
9.5 per cent Oxinol = a proprietary blend
that includes nearly five percent methanol
and other alcohols — is being marketed. A
second blend that uses five per cent
methanol and three per cent ethanol plus a
corrosion inhibitor has received approval
from the U.S. Environmental Protection
Agency for use in anfmmnhilpc
In Europe almost 70 percent of the
gasoline contains up to three percent
methanol and three percent cosolvent. West
Germany, Austria, Italy, Japan, South
Africa and New Zealand are all involved in
pioneering work to use methanol as a
transportation fuel.
Alcohol -blended fuels are in limited use in
some parts of Canada, and the future of
these fuels is tentative. The cost of produc-
tion remains higher than traditional
gasoline and newer, . more fuel-efficient
automobiles make the need to replace con-
ventional fuels less pressing.
Nevertheless, research continues and
should the price or availability of gasoline
become a problem in Canada, scientists and
engineers will be ready with some help from
alternative fuels like methanol.
Hydrogen is the fuel
of the 21st century
• from page lA
With all of these attributes, why isn't it in
use now? First, it is difficult to store. It will
stay in liquid form only at very cold
temperatures, below minus 250°C.
Also, turning hydrogen gas into a liquid
takes up to 25 percent of the energy stored in
the gas. It is possible to store it as a com-
pressed gas, but the containers required are
very large and heavy, making them un-
wieldy and imappropriate for most vehicles.
Scientists are working on ways to use
metal alloys that can store hydrogen among
their molecules. These are relatively new
and require considerably more research
before they will reach the stage of routine
use. Scientists at Energy, Mines and
Resources Canada and the National
Research Council are working on building
fuel cells using hydrogen. The cells use the
same general principle as any battery.
Two electrodes. are placed on opposite
sides of a medium through which hydrogen
is passed. In its trip from one side to the
other, hydrogen loses an electron, which is
captured to use as electricity. Once it gets to
the other pole, the hydrogen combines with
air to produce water.
The weak link in this seemingly perfect
energy producer is the hydrogen itself. Like
the Ancient Mariner who sat in the middle of
the Atlantic Ocean without a drop of pure
water to drink, we live on a planet saturated
With hydrogen but none of it is freely
available„However, many scientists believe
that by the next century hydrogen will be a
common energy form.
Storing
energy
saves fuel
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GODERICH
31 West Street, 524 2138
1. WE HOME AUTO COMMERCIAL FARM TRAVEL.
• from page lA
will supply most of the acceleration energy,
the emission reduction is even greater than
the fuel reduction.,
Tony Davies believes' that the system
could be in commercial operation within 12
months. He hopes that a Canadian company
will eventually be able to develop if for sale
in the United States as well as in Canada.
H.D.
MARINE CONTRACTORS
LAKEFRONT EROSION CONTROL
•Steel Groyne Walls and Pilings
SERVING GRAND BEND, BAYFIELD, GODERICH & AREA
(519) 565-2157
7 Days a Week
GODERICH SIGNAL -STAR, WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 10, 1986—PAGE 3A
rainage
in energy ®ns
Well drained soils require less horsepower to work and
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when excess water does not have to be moved dunng field
operat ions
In fact, It has been shown that the cost of drainage
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and lower capital investment in equipment
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Trip offers above are in effect until September 30/86
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