Technical Barriers to the Use of Ethanol in Diesel Fuel
11/1/2001
The objectives of this study are to examine the status of ethanol-diesel blends and to identify barriers and technical gaps that hinder rapid introduction of these fuels into the market. The results of this assessment and planning process will allow the Department of Energy (DOE) to understand the issues facing the industry and to determine if and how DOE involvement might assist in overcoming the identified barriers. This document includes a brief description of ethanol production, distribution, and storage as background information. This is followed by a description of ethanol-diesel blends (e-diesel) and the properties of these fuels. Engine performance and regulatory requirements are also described. Potential technical barriers are noted in each of these areas and summarized at the end.
Authors: McCormick, R. L.; Parish, R.
Ralphs Grocery EC-Diesel? Truck Fleet Final Data Report
10/1/2001
This is the final data report for the Ralphs Grocery ARCO EC-Diesel? Technology Validation Program, which was conducted with the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) in collaboration with federal and state agencies and industry partners. The purpose of the validation program was to evaluate trucks retrofitted with catalyzed diesel particulate filters and fueled with a new ultra-low sulfur diesel fuel called ECD? , which was developed by ARCO, a BP Company.
Ralphs Grocery EC-Diesel? Truck Fleet Start-Up Experience
10/1/2001
Ralphs Grocery volunteered to participate in the ARCO EC-Diesel? Technology Validation Program, which is being conducted with the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) in collaboration with federal and state agencies and industry partners. NREL is a U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) laboratory. The Program is supported by DOE's Office of Transportation Technologies (OTT), Office of Heavy Vehicle Technologies (OHVT). The purpose of the validation program is to evaluate trucks retrofitted with catalyzed diesel particulate filters and fueled with a new ultra-low sulfur diesel fuel called ECD? , which was developed by ARCO, a BP Company.
Authors: Peterson, G; LeTavec, C.;Hallstrom, K.;Lassen, M.; Keski-Hynnila, D.;Vertin, K.; Chandler, K.;Clark, N.
Clean Cities Alternative Fuel Price Report - July 3, 2001
7/3/2001
This is the fourth issue of the Clean Cities Alternative Fuel Price Report,a quarterly newsletter keeping you up to date on the price of alternative fuels in the U.S. and their relation to gasoline and diesel prices. This issue discusses prices that were gathered from Clean Cities coordinators and stakeholders during the weeks of May 28 and June 4, 2001, with comparisons to the prices in the previous price report for the week of October 9, 2000.
Authors: Laughlin, M.
National Energy Policy: Report of the National Energy Policy Development Group
5/16/2001
This overview sets forth the National Energy Policy Development (NEPD) Group's findings and key recommendations for a National Energy Policy.
Notes: Hard copies of this document are for sale by the Superintendent of Documents, U.S. Government Printing Office Web site: http://bookstore.gpo.gov. Contact the U.S. Government Printing Office by phone: (202) 512-1800 or fax: (202) 512-2250
Future U.S. Highway Energy Use: A Fifty Year Perspective
5/3/2001
The U.S. Transportation system as a whole and the highway mode in particular will be much different in the year 2050 compared to today. The type and number of vehicles in use and the fuels employed to power them are unknown. Yet planning for the future requires acting on the information at hand: assessing the implications of the current path and the potential benefit of alternative futures. This paper puts transportation energy issues into a long-run perspective so that informed planning can begin early enough to make a decisive difference. This paper examines the global oil supply and demand over the next 50 years to show that a transition away from conventional oil will begin. The analysis reviews the energy, economic, and environmental implications of the alternatives that are available to meet some of the anticipated gap between world conventional oil production and the liquid fuels required to support a growing world economy. This paper then describes several U.S. Transportation technology strategies with a range of efficiency improvements and fuel substitutions, and calculates their first order effects on energy use, petroleum consumption, and carbon emissions over a 50-year time horizon.
Authors: Birky, A.; Greene, D.; Gross, T.; Hamilton, D.; Heitner, K.; Johnson, L.; Maples, J.; Moore, J.; Patterson, P.; Plotkin, S.; Stodolsky, F.
Notes: This report is available on the Office of Transportation Technologies (OTT) Web site at http://www.ott.doe.gov/facts/publications/hwyfuture.pdf
State Alternative Fuel Vehicle Incentives: A Decade and More of Lessons Learned
2/1/2001
This report assesses the effectiveness of state incentives and suggests incentives that might encourage new vehicle technologies. It does not assess whether a state should promote alternative fuel vehicles or whether such vehicles are the most effective means to reduce air pollution. Rather, the analysis analyzes the effectiveness of state incentives of the past decade and describes the characteristics of effective alternative fuel vehicle incentives and the fiscal implications for a state that is committed to support an effective alternative fuel vehicle program.
Authors: Brown, M.;Breckenridge, L.
Clean Cities Alternative Fuel Price Report - November 1, 2000
11/1/2000
This is the second issue of the Clean Cities Alternative Fuel Price Report, a quarterly newsletter keeping you up to date on the price of alternative fuels in the U.S. and their relation to gasoline and diesel prices. This issue discusses prices that were gathered during the week of October 9, 2000 with comparisons to the prices in the previous Price Report for the week of April 10, 2000.
Authors: Laughlin, M.
Determining the Cost of Producing Ethanol From Corn Starch and Lignocellulosic Feedstocks
10/5/2000
The mature corn-to-ethanol industry has many similarities to the emerging lignocellulose-to-ethanol industry. It is certainly possible that some of the early practitioners of this new technology will be the current corn ethanol producers. In order to begin to explore synergies between the two industries, a joint project between two agencies responsible for aiding these technologies in the Federal government was established. This joint project of the USDA-ARS and DOE/NREL looked at the two processes on a similar process design and engineering basis, and will eventually explore ways to combine them. This report describes the comparison of the processes, each producing 25 million annual gallons of fuel ethanol. This paper attempts to compare the two processes as mature technologies, which requires assuming that the technology improvements needed to make the lignocellulosic process commercializable are achieved, and enough plants have been built to make the design well-understood. This places the lignocellulose plant costs on a similar level with the current, established corn ethanol industry, whose costs are well known. The resulting costs of producing 25 million annual gallons of fuel ethanol from each process were determined. The largest cost contributor in the corn starch process is the feedstock; for the lignocellulosic process it is the capital cost, which is represented by depreciation cost on an annual basis.
Authors: Kelly Ibsen, Andy McAloon, Frank Taylor, Robert Wooley, Winnie Yee
Bioethanol: Fueling Sustainable Transportation
6/1/2000
Fact sheet about bioethanol, which specifically covers cellulosic ethanol. Describes what cellulosic ethanol is, how it's produced, its benefits to the environment, and the U.S. Department of Energy's work in researching this resource.
Analysis of Technology Options to Reduce the Fuel Consumption of Idling Trucks
6/1/2000
Long-haul trucks idling overnight consume more than 838 million gallons (20 million barrels) of fuel annually. Idling also emits pollutants. Truck drivers idle their engines primarily to heat or cool the cab and/or sleeper, keep the fuel warm in winter, and keep the engine warm in the winter so that the engine is easier to start. Alternatives to overnight idling could save much of this fuel, reduce emissions, and cut operating costs. Several fuel-efficient alternatives to idling are available to provide heating and cooling: direct-fire heater for cab/sleeper heating, with or without storage cooling; auxiliary power units; and truck stop electrification. Many of these technologies have drawbacks that limit market acceptance. Options that supply electricity are economically viable for trucks that are idled for 1,000-3,000 or more hours a year, while heater units could be used across the board. Payback times for fleets, which would receive quantity discounts on the prices, would be somewhat shorter.
Authors: Stodolsky, F.;Gaines, L.;Vyas, A.
Today's Biopower
6/1/2000
Fact sheet that provides an overview of the U.S. Department of Energy's Biopower program. Describes the research and development and outreach and education efforts of the program.
Authors: U.S. DOE Biomass Program
Clean Cities Alternative Fuel Price Report
5/1/2000
The Clean Cities Alternative Fuel Price Report provides regional alternative and conventional fuel prices for biodiesel, compressed natural gas, ethanol, hydrogen, propane, gasoline, and diesel. The Alternative Fuel Price Report is a snapshot in time of retail fuel prices. Alternative fuel fleets can obtain significantly lower fuel prices than those reported by entering into contracts directly with local fuel suppliers.
Limited Progress in Acquiring Alternative Fuel Vehicles and Reaching Fuel Goals
2/1/2000
with the first deadline approaching for EPAct's petroleum replacement goals the GAO was asked to review progress towards achieving EPACT goals. gao was asked to determine the progress made in acquiring alternative fuel vehicles and using altnerative fuels to meeting the act's fuel replacement goals. Also, GAO determined the impediments to using alternative fuel vehicles and the measures that can be taken to address those impediments in order to reach the act's replacement goals.