Methanol is nasty because an enzyme in the body breaks the carbon down to carbon monoxide, which among other things binds strongly to hemoglobin, causig celular anoxia, enhanced excitotoxicity, etc. Interestingly this can be preferentially blocked by consuming ethanol (with two carbons instead of one) so a 'cure' for someone who has consumed wood alcohol is to keep them blind drunk for a couple of days straight...
The Oxford cycle is a bit different from other hydrogen-peroxide systems in that it does not produce immediate 2200-degree superheated steam. The idea is to provide sufficient diluting water with the methanol that you produce about 11 molecules of steam at reasonable 'expander' superheat (say aroud 825 degrees F, right around where cost-effective hydrocarbon lubricants begin thinking about coking) for each molecule of CO2 that you produce, and in the process limiting the duration of high spot heat release that tends to age the catalyst. Note that the heat release is in the working fluid itself, not radiant or convective heat transfer. "Throttling" is done as in the enginion AG "zero emissions engine", with modulated injection in the liquid or supercritical phase, but in a different way: the enginion engine steam is injected as a liquid but flashes, whereas the Oxford modulates the water, fuel, and peroxide that actually reach the catalyst elements (with generated steam back-pressure neatly auto-restricting fluid access to the elements). You have no combustion air or need for large heat-absorbing surfaces, which makes this an attractive option for ALPS-like power even net of proper tankage (and handling precautions!) for the required dilution of H2O2...
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