1. Introduction of Methanol and Alternate Fuel Economy

Currently, more than 80% of global energy is supplied through fossil fuels, in which more than 95% of fossil fuel energy is utilized in the transport sector. This has resulted in two issues, namely rapid depletion of petroleum reserves and environmental pollution due to excessive consumption of these petroleum-based fuels. Therefore, it becomes necessary to explore alternative fuels such as methanol, biofuels, compressed natural gas (CNG), hydrogen and other synthetic fuels. These alternative fuels can be used in all transportation modes including roadways as well as railways. This monograph describes different aspects related to these alternative fuels, especially methanol, which has emerged as a potential alternative fuel for both compression ignition (CI) and spark ignition (SI) engines. Utilization of methanol in large-bore engines, use of laser ignition in engines fuelled with gaseous alternative fuels and particulate emission characteristics of engines fuelled with alternative fuels are some of the interesting topics, which are covered in this book.