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Blueprint for a Secure Energy Future
3/30/2011
The Blueprint for a Secure Energy Future outlines a three-part strategy: 1) Develop and secure America's energy supplies; 2) provide consumers with more choices of alternative fuels and advanced and fuel-efficient vehicles, alternative means of transportation; and 3) innovate our way to a clean energy future by creating markets for innovative clean technologies that are ready to deploy and by funding cutting edge research to produce the next generation of technologies.
Intermediate Ethanol Blends Infrastructure Materials Compatibility Study: Elastomers, Metals, and Sealants
3/1/2011
A key provision of the Energy Independence and Security Act (EISA) of 2007 isthe Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) which requires the nation to use 36 billion gallons of renewable fuel in vehicles by 2022. Ethanol is the most widely used renewable fuel, and a significant portion of the 36 billion gallon goal can be achieved by increasing the ethanol in gasoline to 15%. In March 2009, Growth Energy (a coalition of ethanol producers and supporters) requested a waiver from the Environmental Protection Agency to allow the use of 15% ethanol in gasoline. In anticipation of this waiver being granted, uncertainties arose as to whether additional fuel ethanol, such as E15 and E20, would be compatible with legacy and current materials used in standard gasoline fueling hardware. The U.S. Department of Energy recognized the need to assess the impact of intermediate blends of ethanol on the fueling infrastructure, specifically located at the fueling station. This research effort was led by Oak Ridge National Laboratory and the National Renewable Energy Laboratory incollaboration with Underwriters Laboratories. The DOE program has been co-led and funded by the Office of the Biomass Program and Vehicle Technologies Program.
Authors: Kass, M.; Theiss, T.; Janke, C.; Pawel, S.; Lewis, S.
Clean Cities Alternative Fuel Price Report, January 2011
2/1/2011
The Clean Cities Alternative Fuel Price Report for January 2011 is a quarterly report on the prices of alternative fuels in the U.S. and their relation to gasoline and diesel prices. This issue describes prices that were gathered from Clean Cities coordinators and stakeholders between January 24, 2011 and February 7, 2011, and then averaged in order to determine regional price trends by fuel and variability in fuel price within regions and among regions. The prices collected for this report represent retail, at-the-pump sales prices for each fuel, including Federal and state motor fuel taxes.
Table 1 reports that the nationwide average price for regular gasoline has risen 30 cents per gallon from $2.78 per gallon to $3.08 per gallon; CNG price has remained the same at $1.93; and ethanol (E85) has risen 31 cents from $2.44 to $2.75 per gallon. CNG is about $1.15 less than gasoline on an energy-equivalent basis, while E85 is about 81 cents more per gallon than gasoline on an energy-equivalent basis.
Authors: Laughlin, M.D.
Renewable Fuel Standard: Potential Economic and Environmental Effects of U.S. Biofuel Policy
1/1/2011
Renewable Fuel Standard evaluates the economic and environmental consequences of increasing biofuels production as a result of Renewable Fuels Standard, as amended by EISA (RFS2). The report describes biofuels produced in 2010 and those projected to be produced and consumed by 2022, reviews model projections and other estimates of the relative impact on the prices of land, and discusses the potential environmental harm and benefits of biofuels production and the barriers to achieving the RFS2 consumption mandate.
Notes: Book available for purchase from The National Academies Press
Effect of Saturated Monoglyceride Polymorphism on Low-Temperature Performance of Biodiesel
1/1/2011
Journal article in Energy and Fuels. Vol. 25(1) 20 January 2011, pp. 398-405.
To investigate precipitates above the cloud point (CP) in biodiesel, three saturated monoglycerides (SMGs), monomyristin, monopalmitin, and monostearin, were spiked into distilled soy and animal fat-derived B100. It was shown that above a threshold or eutectic concentration the SMGs significantly raise the CP of B100. A comparison to published data suggests that commercial B100 has SMG content in the same range as the eutectic point. SMGs have an even greater impact on the final melting temperature (FMT, as measured when the sample is heated) at concentrations above the eutectic point. These results were verified and visualized using a controlled temperature stage microscope. It was shown that the FMT was highly dependent on the rate of heating. It is hypothesized that a lower melting point crystalline form of the SMG forms upon rapid cooling and then transforms into a more stable, higher melting point crystalline form when slowly heated or held at constant temperature. The CP and FMT results of this study were compared to an ideal solution thermodynamic model. The model was able to provide reasonable prediction of the eutectic point but was less successful at predicting CP and FMT above the eutectic.
Authors: Chupka, G. M.; Yanowitz, J.; Chiu, G.; Alleman, T. L.; McCormick, R. L.
Dispensing Equipment Testing with Mid-Level Ethanol/Gasoline Test Fluid
11/1/2010
The National Renewable Energy Laboratory's (NREL) Nonpetroleum-Based Fuel Task addresses the hurdles to commercialization of biomass-derived fuels and fuel blends. One such hurdle is the unknown compatibility of new fuels withcurrent infrastructure, such as the equipment used at service stations to dispense fuel into automobiles. The U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE) Vehicle Technology Program and the Biomass Program have engaged in a joint project to evaluate the potential for blending ethanol into gasoline at levels higher than nominal 10 volume percent. This project was established to help DOE andNREL better understand any potentially adverse impacts caused by a lack of knowledge about the compatibility of the dispensing equipment with ethanol blends higher than what the equipment was designed to dispense. This report provides data about the impact of introducing a gasoline with a higher volumetric ethanol content into service station dispensing equipment from a safety and a performance perspective.
Authors: Boyce, K.; Chapin, J. T.
Clean Cities Alternative Fuel Price Report, October 2010
11/1/2010
The Clean Cities Alternative Fuel Price Report for October 2010 is a quarterly report on the prices of alternative fuels in the U.S. and their relation to gasoline and diesel prices. This issue describes prices that were gathered from Clean Cities coordinators and stakeholders between October 4, 2010 and October 14, 2010, and then averaged in order to determine regional price trends by fuel and variability in fuel price within regions and among regions. The prices collected for this report represent retail, at-the-pump sales prices for each fuel, including Federal and state motor fuel taxes.
Table 1 reports that the nationwide average price for regular gasoline has risen 7 cents per gallon from $2.71 per gallon to $2.78 per gallon; CNG price has risen 2 cents from $1.91 to $1.93; and ethanol (E85) has risen 14 cents from $2.30 to $2.44 per gallon. CNG is about 85 cents less than gasoline on an energy-equivalent basis, while E85 is about 67 cents more per gallon than gasoline on an energy-equivalent basis.
Authors: Laughlin, M.D.
Clean Cities Alternative Fuel Price Report, July 2010
9/1/2010
The Clean Cities Alternative Fuel Price Report for July 2010 is a quarterly report on the prices of alternative fuels in the U.S. and their relation to gasoline and diesel prices. This issue describes prices that were gathered from Clean Cities coordinators and stakeholders between July 12, 2010 and July 23, 2010, and then averaged in order to determine regional price trends by fuel and variability in fuel price within regions and among regions. The prices collected for this report represent retail, at-the-pump sales prices for each fuel, including Federal and state motor fuel taxes.
Table 1 reports that the nationwide average price for regular gasoline has fallen 13 cents per gallon from $2.84 per gallon to $2.71 per gallon; CNG price has risen 1 cents from $1.90 to $1.91; and ethanol (E85) has fallen 12 cents from $2.42 to $2.30 per gallon. CNG is about 80 cents less than gasoline on an energy-equivalent basis, while E85 is about 54 cents more per gallon than gasoline on an energy-equivalent basis.
Authors: Laughlin, M.D.
Clean Cities Alternative Fuel Price Report, April 2010
6/1/2010
The Clean Cities Alternative Fuel Price Report for April 2010 is a quarterly report on the prices of alternative fuels in the U.S. and their relation to gasoline and diesel prices. This issue describes prices that were gathered from Clean Cities coordinators and stakeholders between April 2 and April 12, 2010, and then averaged in order to determine regional price trends by fuel and variability in fuel price within regions and among regions. The prices collected for this report represent retail, at-the-pump sales prices for each fuel, including Federal and state motor fuel taxes.
Table 1 reports that the nationwide average price for regular gasoline has risen 19 cents per gallon from $2.65 per gallon to $2.84 per gallon; CNG price has risen 5 cents from $1.85 to $1.90; and ethanol (E85) has risen 4 cents from $2.38 to $2.42 per gallon. CNG is about 94 cents less than gasoline on an energy-equivalent basis, while E85 is about 58 cents more per gallon than gasoline on an energy-equivalent basis.
Authors: Laughlin, M.D.
Clean Cities Alternative Fuel Price Report, January 2010
4/1/2010
The Clean Cities Alternative Fuel Price Report for January 2010 is a quarterly report on the prices of alternative fuels in the U.S. and their relation to gasoline and diesel prices. This issue describes prices that were gathered from Clean Cities coordinators and stakeholders between Jan. 19 and Jan. 29, 2010, and then averaged in order to determine regional price trends by fuel and variability in fuel price within regions and among regions. The prices collected for this report represent retail, at-the-pump sales prices for each fuel, including Federal and state motor fuel taxes.
Table 1 reports that the nationwide average price for regular gasoline has risen 1 cent per gallon from $2.64 per gallon to $2.65 per gallon; CNG price has dropped 1 cent from $1.86 to $1.85; and ethanol (E85) has risen 11 cents from $2.27 to $2.38 per gallon. CNG is about 80 cents less than gasoline on an energy-equivalent basis, while E85 is about 71 cents more per gallon than gasoline on an energy-equivalent basis.
Authors: Laughlin, M.D.
Technologies and Approaches to Reducing the Fuel Consumption of Medium- and Heavy-Duty Vehicles
3/1/2010
Technologies and Approaches to Reducing the Fuel Consumption of Medium- and Heavy-Duty Vehicles evaluates various technologies and methods that could improve the fuel economy of medium- and heavy-duty vehicles, such as tractor-trailers, transit buses, and work trucks. The book also recommends approaches that federal agencies could use to regulate these vehicles' fuel consumption. Currently there are no fuel consumption standards for such vehicles, which account for about 26 percent of the transportation fuel used in the U.S.
The book estimates the improvements that various technologies could achieve over the next decade in seven vehicle types. For example, using advanced diesel engines in tractor-trailers could lower their fuel consumption by up to 20 percent by 2020, and improved aerodynamics could yield an 11 percent reduction. Hybrid powertrains could lower the fuel consumption of vehicles that stop frequently, such as garbage trucks and transit buses, by as much 35 percent in the same time frame.
Biomass Energy Data Book, Edition 2
12/1/2009
The Biomass Energy Data Book is a statistical compendium prepared and published by Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL). The book represents an assembly and display of statistics and information that characterize the biomass industry, from the production of biomass feedstocks to their end use. This first edition is currently only available online in electronic format. The first section is an introduction, which provides an overview of biomass resources and consumption. Section 2 covers ethanol, biodiesel, BioOil. Section 3 covers use of biomass for electrical power generation and heating. Section 4 covers the developing area of biorefineries. Section 5 discusses feedstocks that are produced and used in the biomass industry. The sources used represent the latest available data. Three appendices include measures of conversions, biomass characteristics, and assumptions for selected tables and figures.
Authors: Wright, L.; Boundy, B.; Perlack, B.; Davis, S.; Saulsbury, B.
Notes: This 2nd edition of the Biomass Energy Data Book is currently available online in electronic format.
Twelve-Month Evaluation of UPS Diesel Hybrid Electric Delivery Vans
12/1/2009
This report focuses on a parallel hybrid-electric diesel delivery van propulsion system currently being operated by United Parcel Service (UPS). The propulsion system is an alternative to the standard diesel system and could enable reductions in emissions, primarily particulate matter and oxides of nitrogen (NOx), as well as reductions in petroleum use. Hybrid propulsion allows for increased fuel economy, which ultimately reduces petroleum use.
Authors: Lammert, M.
An Action Plan for Cars: The Policies Needed to Reduce U.S. Petroleum Consumption and Greenhouse Gas Emissions
12/1/2009
Reducing petroleum consumption and GHG emissions from cars and light?]duty trucks in the United States over the next several decades requires that we implement a clear and coordinated set of policies now. This report describes a portfolio of policies which, in the view of the authors, is needed to put personal vehicle transportation on the road to sustainability in the longer term. To incentivize adoption of more fuel efficient vehicles, we propose coupling existing near?]term fuel economy standards with a feebate incentive program and gradual increases in fuel taxes. We further propose driver education initiatives that would give vehicle owners information on how to maximize fuel savings in their purchase and driving decisions. Finally, we underscore the need for a long?]term strategy for fuels that evaluates fuels?]related programs based on their contribution to reducing life?]cycle petroleum consumption and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. Together, these policies offer a robust plan of action that will focus and streamline current efforts to achieve these two important national goals. Perhaps most importantly, this plan lays a much?]needed foundation for a comprehensive, adaptable long?]term policy effort. A more detailed summary of the recommended set of policy measures can be found in Section 2.
Authors: Heywood, J.; Baptista, P.; Berry, I.; Bhatt, K.; Cheah, L.; De Sisternes, F.; Karplus, V.; Keith, D.; Khusid, M.; MacKenzie, D.; McAulay, J.
