Inspection of Compressed Natural Gas Cylinders on School Buses
7/1/1995
The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) is sponsoring compressed natural gas-powered school bus vehicle demonstrations in various locations around the country. Early in 1994, two non-DOE-sponsored compressed natural gas vehicles equipped with composite-reinforced-aluminum fuel cylinders experienced cylinder ruptures during refueling. Subsequent inspections revealed that the cylinder composite materials were damaged, which led to the ruptures. Ensuring the safety of the compressed natural gas vehicles it sponsors is of paramount importance to DOE, so the department directed the National Renewable Energy Laboratory to conduct inspections of DOE-sponsored vehicles nationwide. Following the inspections, the inspectors made the recommendations described in this report, which are currently being implemented.
Alternative-Fueled Truck Demonstration Natural Gas Program: Caterpillar G3406LE Development and Demonstration
6/1/1995
In 1990, the California Energy Commission, the South Coast Air Quality Management District, and the Southern California Gas Company joined together to sponsor the development and demonstration of compressed natural gas engines for Class 8 heavy-duty line-haul trucking applications. This program became part of an overall Alternative-Fueled Truck Demonstration Program, with the goal of advancing the technological development of alternative-fueled engines. The demonstration showed natural gas to be a technically viable fuel for Class 8 truck engines.
AFDC Update: News of the Alternative Fuels Data Center (Vol. 3, Iss. 2)
10/1/1994
This issue includes articles on: 1) emissions testing of Dodge Spirit FFVs; 2) the EPA's issuance of final gaseous fuel emissions standards; 3) the AFDC's new option for retrieving data; 4) emissions data which show varied results on 1992 CNG/gasoline conversions; 5) downloading files from the AFDC for non-internet users; 6) accessing the AFDC through the internet; 7) a new methanol video from DOE, NREL, and Los Angeles MTA; 8) an EPACT update; and 9) upcoming meetings and conferences.
Impacts of Alternative Fuels on Air Quality
6/1/1994
The objective of this project was to determine the impact of alternative fuels on air quality, particularly ozone formation. The alternative fuels of interest are methanol, ethanol, liquefied petroleum gas, and natural gas. During the first year of study, researchers obtained qualitative data on the thermal degradation products from the fuel-lean (oxidative), stoichiometric, and fuel-rich (pyrolytic) decomposition of methanol and ethanol. The thermal degradation of ethanol produced a substantially larger number of intermediate organic by-products than the similar thermal degradation of methanol, and the organic intermediate by-products lacked stability. Also, a qualitative comparison of the UDRI flow reactor data with previous engine test showed that, for methanol, formaldehyde and acetone were the organic by-products observed in both types of tests; for ethanol, only very limited data were located.
Authors: Taylor, P. H.;Dellinger, B.
AFDC Update: News of the Alternative Fuels Data Center (Vol. 3, Iss. 1)
4/1/1994
This issue includes articles on: 1) AMFA heavy-duty data which indicates that E95 and CNG fuel economies are virtually the same as diesel; 2) DOE funding of a heavy-duty demonstration program; 3) DOE funding efforts for a safe school bus; 4) hotline inquiries; and 5) the comparison of fuel economies of light-duty AFVs.
AFDC Update: News of the Alternative Fuels Data Center (Vol. 2, Iss. 2)
7/1/1993
This issue includes articles on: 1) the growth of the AFDC; 2) new AFDC software; 3) AFDC's provision of state AFV purchasing plans; 4) the WVU transportable lab; 5) the availability of heavy-duty emissions data; 6) the collection of heavy duty AFV performance data; and 7) the hotline's responses to tax questions.
AFDC Update: News of the Alternative Fuels Data Center (Vol. 2, Iss. 1)
3/1/1993
This issue includes articles on: 1) the inclusion of transit buses and operational data in the Alternative Fuels Data Center (AFDC); 2) AFDC's information sharing with fleet operators; 3) preparation of a CNG safety video by DOE and NREL; 4) EPACT's expansion of the role of OTT and AFDC; 5) a concentrated demonstration program beginning in Atlanta; 6) the promising emission results of M85; 7) DOE expansion of light-duty vehicle emissions testing; 8) hotline responses to EPACT questions; and 9) funding for vehicle conversion and fuel supply services.