However, small amounts of liquid NH3 could be injected directly into the cylinders of turbo-boosted gasoline cars, providing enough cooling to suppress knock, just like MIT (Heywood) is doing with ethanol and WWII bombers did with water. This would allow higher compression ratios to be used and smaller engines to be used and increase regular gas efficiency by up to 30%!!

However, small amounts of liquid NH3 could be injected directly into the cylinders of turbo-boosted gasoline cars, providing enough cooling to suppress knock, just like MIT (Heywood) is doing with ethanol and WWII bombers did with water. This would allow higher compression ratios to be used and smaller engines to be used and increase regular gas efficiency by up to 30%!!

Ammonia as an energy-dense, ultra-clean fuel for vehicular and stationary applications is not a new concept. Much progress has been made http://www.energy.iastate.edu/becon/ammonia.html

It is true that ammonia is not naturally occurring on a large scale, and needs to be manufactured. (The same is true, of course, of hydrogen.) Most ammonia currently being manufactured is produced from natural gas (which supplies the hydrogen for the ammonia molecule) or coal. But, the good news is that ammonia can also be produced with hydrogen derived from electrolysis of water using wind, hydropower, or other renewable energy, and nitrogen separated from the air. In this way, the ammonia is completely green, both in production and consumption.

Ammonia fertilizer has not shown a sustained drop in consumption in the U.S. in decades. In fact, consumption has risen steadily and of late ironically has been enhanced by the need for nitrogen fertilizer for corn for ethanol. Thus, theoretically a competition between ammonia for fuel vs fertilizer could exist. But, unlike corn for ethanol, ammonia production and distribution can be ramped up to meet market needs using renewable energy, or even clean coal gasification.

It is overly pessimistic to say that ammonia distribution will be difficult. The U.S. consumes the equivalent of 6-8 billion gallons of ammonia in the form of anhydrous ammonia and other ammonia-based fertilizers (e.g. urea) on an annual basis. An existing, proven distribution network exists to distribute that ammonia, including approximately 3000 miles of pipeline, rail cars, trucks, barges, and large storage terminals. The state of Iowa alone has 800 retail outlets for ammonia. The template for expansion exists.

Ammonia does not need high pressures and low temperatures to remain a liquid. Ammonia has physical properties much like propane, and is a liquid at 125 psi at room temperature.

Finally, ammonia does not need to be consumed in an internal combustion engine to deliver its power. Ammonia can be fed to direct ammonia fuel cells (no need to convert to hydrogen). One patent on a DAFC was issued within the last year, and another patent using a different technology was filed in the last few months.

Ammonia as an energy-dense, ultra-clean fuel for vehicular and stationary applications is not a new concept. Much progress has been made http://www.energy.iastate.edu/becon/ammonia.html

It is true that ammonia is not naturally occurring on a large scale, and needs to be manufactured. (The same is true, of course, of hydrogen.) Most ammonia currently being manufactured is produced from natural gas (which supplies the hydrogen for the ammonia molecule) or coal. But, the good news is that ammonia can also be produced with hydrogen derived from electrolysis of water using wind, hydropower, or other renewable energy, and nitrogen separated from the air. In this way, the ammonia is completely green, both in production and consumption.

Ammonia fertilizer has not shown a sustained drop in consumption in the U.S. in decades. In fact, consumption has risen steadily and of late ironically has been enhanced by the need for nitrogen fertilizer for corn for ethanol. Thus, theoretically a competition between ammonia for fuel vs fertilizer could exist. But, unlike corn for ethanol, ammonia production and distribution can be ramped up to meet market needs using renewable energy, or even clean coal gasification.

It is overly pessimistic to say that ammonia distribution will be difficult. The U.S. consumes the equivalent of 6-8 billion gallons of ammonia in the form of anhydrous ammonia and other ammonia-based fertilizers (e.g. urea) on an annual basis. An existing, proven distribution network exists to distribute that ammonia, including approximately 3000 miles of pipeline, rail cars, trucks, barges, and large storage terminals. The state of Iowa alone has 800 retail outlets for ammonia. The template for expansion exists.

Ammonia does not need high pressures and low temperatures to remain a liquid. Ammonia has physical properties much like propane, and is a liquid at 125 psi at room temperature.

Finally, ammonia does not need to be consumed in an internal combustion engine to deliver its power. Ammonia can be fed to direct ammonia fuel cells (no need to convert to hydrogen). One patent on a DAFC was issued within the last year, and another patent using a different technology was filed in the last few months.