Greenhouse Emission Reductions and Natural Gas Vehicles: A Resource Guide on Technology Options and Project Development
9/1/2002
In response to the significant growth in transportation-related greenhouse gas emissions, governments and policy makers worldwide are considering methods of addressing this trend. However, do to the particular make-up of the transportation sector, regulating and reducing emissions from this sector poses a significant challenge. Unlike stationary fuel combustion, transportation-related emissions come from dispersed sources. Only a few point-source emitters, such as oil/natural gas wells, refineries, or compressor stations, contribute to emissions related to the transportation sector. The majority of transport-related emissions come from the millions of vehicles traveling the world's roads. As a result, successful GHG mitigation policies must find ways to target all of these small, non-point source emitters, either through regulatory means or through various incentive programs. To increase their effectiveness, policies to control emission from the transportation sector often utilize indirect means to reduce emissions, such as requiring specific technology improvements or an increase in fuel efficiency. Site-specific project activities can also be undertaken to help decrease GHG emissions, although the use of such measures is less common. These activities include switching to less GHG-intensive vehicle options, such as natural gas vehicles (NGVs). As emissions from transportation activities continue to rise, it will be necessary to promote both types of abatement activities in order to reverse the current emissions path. This Resource Guide focuses on site- and project-specific transportation activities.
Authors: Anastasia, O.; Checklick, N.; Couts, V.; Doherty, J.; Findsen, J.; Gehlin, L.; Radoff, J.
Notes: Copies of this document are available from the NETL Web site: http://www.netl.doe.gov/products/ccps/pubs/NGV_guide.PDF
United Parcel Service (UPS) CNG Truck Fleet: Final Results
8/1/2002
In cooperation with UPS, a selection of Freightliner CNG delivery vehicles from the company's original 1996 order were evaluated as part of the U.S. Department of Energy/National Renewable Energy Laboratory (DOE/NREL) Truck Evaluation Project. The plan for this evaluation was to test as many as 15 CNG package delivery cars and 3 diesel package delivery cars operating in the Hartford, Connecticut area from UPS's Waterbury, Hartford, and Windsor facilities. This report included a technical review of data collected for the UPS CNG package delivery car operations in Hartford and Waterbury, Connecticut, compared with UPS diesel truck operations in Windsor, Connecticut. The objective of this project was to provide transportation professionals with quantitative, unbiased information on the cost, maintenance, operational, and emissions characteristics of CNG as one alternative to conventional diesel fuel for heavy-duty trucking applications.
Authors: Chandler, K.; Walkowicz, K.; Clark, N.
Next Generation Natural Gas Vehicle Program Fact Sheet
5/1/2002
Members of the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) and the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) are working to develop advanced, commercially viable, medium- and heavy-duty NGVs. The primary objective of the program is to develop two new NGVs for commercial servicea medium-duty (Class 3-6) compressed natural gas (CNG) vehicle and a heavy-duty (Class 7-8) liquefied natural gas (LNG) vehicle by 2004.
Resource Guide for Heavy-Duty LNG Vehicles, Infrastructure, and Support Operations
3/1/2002
This Guide is designed to assist decision makers and fleet managers, in considering the use of liquefied natural gas (LNG) in heavy-duty vehicles. The objective of the Guide is to answer questions regarding implementation of LNG fuel in the fleet, e.g., getting started, likely costs, benefits, and lessons others have learned. This Guide also provides you with contact information for representatives of companies now using these fuels, manufacturers and suppliers of the fuels, and technical and governmental reference materials. The information in the Guide is intended to be useful for both new and existing end-users of heavy-duty LNG vehicles, so that operations can be initiated or conducted in a cost-effective manner with minimal disruptions related to the new fuel technology.
Authors: Chandler, K.L.; Gifford, M.T.; Carpenter, B.S.
Alternative Fuels in Public Transit: A Match Made on the Road
3/1/2002
As alternative fuels compete with conventional fuels for a place in public awareness and acceptance, one of their most visible applications is in public transportation. Vehicles, particularly buses and shuttles, that carry people in large numbers, stand to gain much from using alternative fuels. Such high-demand fuel users can help sustain a fueling infrastructure that supports private autos and other smaller vehicles.
Natural Gas in Transit Fleets: A Review of the Transit Experience
2/1/2002
Use of natural gas in transit bus fleets has grown over the last decade. Often motivated by air quality concerns, the use of natural gas also contributes to national and local energy security. Approximately 9 percent of the U.S. transit fleet in 2001 was composed of buses operating on some form of natural gas and even more were on order. While some agencies have achieved success with their natural gas programs, others report difficulties and some have suspended their natural gas use altogether. What makes an agency successful in implementing natural gas into their operations? This pager reviews the experience of agencies with natural gas to determine the answer and to provide guidance on how fleets can effectively duplicate the successes and address or avoid the challenges.
Authors: Eudy, L.
Development of a Throttleless Natural Gas Engine
2/1/2002
The primary focus of the project was to investigate methods to increase the efficiency of natural gas engines, especially under part-load conditions. This report contains details on the development of a natural gas-fueled engine capable of throttleless operation to improve part load efficiency. In-cylinder fuel-air charge stratification was pursued as the mechanism for throttleless operation. Various methods of charge stratification were investigated, including direct injection, stratified charge (DISC) and a fuel injected prechamber (FIPC). The FIPC combustion system was found to be a more practical solution to the problem of charge stratification. Performance and emissions results from this engine configuration are presented and comparisons are made between current natural gas engines and the prototype FIPC engine.
Authors: Kubesh, J.
Children's Exposure to Diesel Exhaust on School Buses
2/1/2002
In the United States nearly 600,000 school buses transport 24 million students to school daily. Each year buses travel 4.3 billion miles as children take nearly 10 billion school bus rides. If rides average 30 minutes in each direction, students will spend 180 hours on buses each year. Collectively, U.S. children spend 3 billion hours on school buses each year. More than 99 percent of U.S. school buses are powered by diesel fuel. Diesel exhaust is comprised of very fine particles of carbon and a mixture of toxic gases. Federal agencies have classified diesel exhaust as a probable human carcinogen. Benzene, an important component of the fuel and exhaust, is designated to be a known human carcinogen. Components of diesel exhaust are genotoxic, mutagenic, and can produce symptoms of allergy, including inflammation and irritation of airways. There is no known safe level of exposure to diesel exhaust for children, especially those with respiratory illness. This study concludes that the laws intended to control air pollution in the U.S. must be strengthened to protect the health of children in several important respects. First, fixed monitoring facilities do not capture the variability in air pollution experienced by children. Second, air quality inside buildings and vehicles is not regulated by the EPA. Third, tougher diesel regulations adopted by the EPA last year are insufficient to protect health. Fifth, routine emissions testing for school buses is not required by federal law.
Authors: Wargo, J. Ph.D.; Brown, D. Sc.D.
UPS CNG Truck Fleet Final Data Report DOE/NREL Truck Evaluation Project
10/1/2001
This is the final data report for the United Parcel Service compressed natural gas (CNG) truck fleet evaluation project in which selected Freightliner CNG delivery vehicles were evaluated as part of the DOE/NREL study. The plan for this evaluation was to test up to 15 CNG package cars and three diesel package cars operating in the Hartford, Connecticut, area from UPS's Waterbury, Hartford, and Windsor facilities. The trucks were all Freighliner Custom Chassis built with Cummins engines. The diesel vehicles had B5.9 engines, and the CNG vehicles had B5.9G engines. The data collection for the DOE/NREL program required a minimum of 12 months of operations data. Based on the age of the CNG and diesel package vehicles (model year 1997) and UPS's extensive data tracking system, the actual evaluation provided here was chosen to be a two-year data evaluation period.
UPS CNG Truck Fleet Start-Up Experience Alternative Fuel Truck Evaluation Project
8/1/2001
UPS currently operates 140 Freightliner Custom Chassis compressed natural gas (CNG)-powered vehicles with Cummins B5.9G engines. Fifteen are participating in the Alternative Fuel Truck Evaluation Project being funded by the U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE) Office of Transportation Technologies and the Office of Heavy Vehicle Technologies. DOE's National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) is conducting the study in collaboration with federal and state agencies and industry partners such as UPS.