Publications

Converting Vehicles to Propane Autogas - Part 1: Installing Fuel Tanks and Fuel Lines

6/1/2012

This document is Part 1 of a four-part series of courses developed by the Propane Education & Research Council on retrofitting, servicing and fueling highway vehicles that run on propane autogas. The Part 1 course covers the installation of fuel tanks, transfer lines and fittings.

Notes: This publication is copyrighted by Propane Education and Research Council.

Annual Energy Outlook 2012; with Projections to 2035

6/1/2012

The projections in the U.S. Energy Information Administration's (EIA's) Annual Energy Outlook 2012 (AEO2012) focus on the factors that shape the U.S. energy system over the long term. Under the assumption that current laws and regulations remain unchanged throughout the projections, the AEO2012 Reference case provides the basis for examination and discussion of energy production, consumption, technology, and market trends and the direction they may take in the future. It also serves as a starting point for analysis of potential changes in energy policies. But AEO2012 is not limited to the Reference case. It also includes 29 alternative cases (see Appendix E, Table E1), which explore important areas of uncertainty for markets, technologies, and policies in the U.S. energy economy. Many of the implications of the alternative cases are discussed in the "Issues in focus" section of this report.

Key results highlighted in AEO2012 include continued modest growth in demand for energy over the next 25 years and increased domestic crude oil and natural gas production, largely driven by rising production from tight oil and shale resources. As a result, U.S. reliance on imported oil is reduced; domestic production of natural gas exceeds consumption, allowing for net exports; a growing share of U.S. electric power generation is met with natural gas and renewables; and energy-related carbon dioxide emissions remain below their 2005 level from 2010 to 2035, even in the absence of new Federal policies designed to mitigate greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions.

Converting Vehicles to Propane Autogas - Part 2: Installing Underhood Components

6/1/2012

This document is Part 2 of a four-part series of courses developed by the Propane Education & Research Council on retrofitting, servicing and fueling highway vehicles that run on propane autogas. The Part 2 course covers the installation of underhood fuel-system components.

Notes: This publication is copyrighted by Propane Education and Research Council.

Examining the Impacts of Methane Leakage on Life-Cycle Greenhouse Gas Emissions of Shale and Conventional Natural Gas

6/1/2012

The development of large-scale shale gas production has been described as a game-changer for the U.S. energy market and has generated interest in expanding the usage of natural gas (NG) in sectors such as electricity generation and transportation. This development has been made possible by improvements in drilling technologies, specifically utilizing hydraulic fracturing in conjunction with horizontal drilling. However, the environmental implications of NG production and its use have been called into question. One of the major concerns is the amount methane (CH4) leakage from production activities and its impact on the life-cycle greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions of NG.

Authors: Burnham, A.; Clark, C.

Notes: This article appears in the June 2012 issue of EM Magazine, a publication of the Air & Waste Management Association (A&WMA; www.awma.org). To obtain copies and reprints, please contact A&WMA directly at 1-412-232-3444.

Clean Cities Alternative Fuel Price Report, April 2012

5/1/2012

The Clean Cities Alternative Fuel Price Report for April 2012 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 March 30, 2012 and April 13, 2012, 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 52 cents per gallon from $3.37 per gallon to $3.89 per gallon; diesel has risen 26 cents per gallon from $3.86 to $4.12; CNG price has dropped 5 cents from $2.13 to $2.08; ethanol (E85) has risen 33 cents from $3.14 to $3.47 per gallon; propane has dropped 17 cents from $3.08 to $2.91; and biodiesel (B20) has risen 23 cents from $3.95 to $4.18 per gallon.

According to Table 2, CNG is about $1.81 less than gasoline on an energy-equivalent basis, while E85 is about $1.01 more than gasoline on an energy-equivalent basis.

Authors: Babcock, S.

Analyzing Vehicle Fuel Saving Opportunities through Intelligent Driver Feedback

4/16/2012

Driving style changes, e.g., improving driver efficiency and motivating driver behavior changes, could deliver significant petroleum savings. This project examines eliminating stop-and-go driving and unnecessary idling, and also adjusting acceleration rates and cruising speeds to ideal levels to quantify fuel savings. Such extreme adjustments can result in dramatic fuel savings of over 30%, but would in reality only be achievable through automated control of vehicles and traffic flow. In real-world driving, efficient driving behaviors could reduce fuel use by 20% on aggressively driven cycles and by 5-10% on more moderately driven trips. A literature survey was conducted of driver behavior influences, and pertinent factors from on-road experiments with different driving styles were observed. This effort highlighted important driver influences such as surrounding vehicle behavior, anxiety over trying to get somewhere quickly, and the power/torque available from the vehicle. Existing feedback approaches often deliver efficiency information and instruction. Three recommendations for maximizing fuel savings from potential drive cycle improvement are: 1) leveraging applications with enhanced incentives, 2) using an approach that is easy and widely deployable to motivate drivers, and 3) utilizing connected vehicle and automation technologies to achieve large and widespread efficiency improvements.

Authors: Gonder, J.; Earleywine, M.; and Sparks, W.

Notes: Posted with permission. Presented at the 2012 SAE World Congress and Exhibition, April 24-26, 2012, Detroit, Michigan.

Plug-In Electric Vehicle Handbook for Electrical Contractors

4/1/2012

This handbook answers basic questions about plug-in electric vehicles, charging stations, charging equipment, charging equipment installation, and training for electrical contractors.

Plug-In Electric Vehicle Handbook for Public Charging Station Hosts

4/1/2012

This handbook answers basic questions about plug-in electric vehicles, charging stations, charging equipment, and considerations for station owners, property owners, and station hosts.

Renewable Fuels and Lubricants (ReFUEL) Laboratory

3/1/2012

This fact sheet describes the Renewable Fuels and Lubricants (ReFUEL) Laboratory at the U.S. Department of Energy National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) is a state-of-the-art research and testing facility for advanced fuels and vehicles. Research and development aims to improve vehicle efficiency and overcome barriers to the increased use of renewable diesel and other nonpetroleum-based fuels, such as biodiesel and synthetic diesel derived from biomass. The ReFUEL Laboratory features a chassis dynamometer for vehicle performance and emissions research, two engine dynamometer test cells for advanced fuels research, and precise emissions analysis equipment. As a complement to these capabilities, detailed studies of fuel properties, with a focus on ignition quality, are performed at NREL's Fuel Chemistry Laboratory.

Thirty-Six Month Evaluation of UPS Diesel Hybrid Electric Delivery Vans

3/1/2012

This 36-month follow-up evaluation is part of a series of evaluations by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE). Using an established and documented evaluation protocol, DOE - through the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL)- has been tracking and evaluating new propulsion systems in transit buses and trucks for more than 10 years. The DOE/NREL vehicle evaluations are a part of the Advanced Vehicle Testing Activity (AVTA), which supports DOE's Vehicle Technologies Program.

This report focuses on a parallel hybrid-electric diesel delivery van propulsion system currently being operated by United Parcel Service (UPS). The hybrid propulsion system is an alternative to the standard diesel system and allows for increased fuel economy, which ultimately reduces petroleum use.

Authors: Lammert, M., Walkowicz, K.

Topic Paper #22 Renewable Natural Gas for Transportation: An Overview of the Feedstock Capacity, Economics, and GHG Emission Reduction Benefits of RNG as a Low-Carbon Fuel

3/1/2012

This is a White Paper for the National Petroleum Council - Future Transportation Fuels Study made available August 1, 2012. This was a working document that was part of the analyses that led to development of the summary results presented in the report's Executive Summary and Chapters of its report Advancing Technology for America's Transportation Future.

Clean Cities Alternative Fuel Price Report, January 2012

2/1/2012

The Clean Cities Alternative Fuel Price Report for January 2012 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 13, 2012 and January 27, 2012, 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 dropped 9 cents per gallon from $3.46 per gallon to $3.37 per gallon; diesel has risen 5 cents per gallon from $3.81 to $3.86; CNG price has risen 4 cents from $2.09 to $2.13; ethanol (E85) has dropped 5 cents from $3.19 to $3.14 per gallon; propane has risen 2 cents from $3.06 to $3.08; and biodiesel (B20) has risen 4 cents from $3.91 to $3.95 per gallon.

According to Table 2, CNG is about $1.24 less than gasoline on an energy-equivalent basis, while E85 is about $1.07 more than gasoline on an energy-equivalent basis.

Authors: Babcock, S.

Low-Temperature Biodiesel Research Reveals Potential Key to Successful Blend Performance

2/1/2012

Relatively low-cost solutions could improve reliability while making biodiesel blends an affordable option.

Life-Cycle Analysis of Shale Gas and Natural Gas

12/1/2011

The technologies and practices that have enabled the recent boom in shale gas production have also brought attention to the environmental impacts of its use. Using the current state of knowledge of the recovery, processing, and distribution of shale gas and conventional natural gas, we have estimated up-to-date, life-cycle greenhouse gas emissions. In addition, we have developed distribution functions for key parameters in each pathway to examine uncertainty and identify data gaps - such as methane emissions from shale gas well completions and conventional natural gas liquid unloadings - that need to be addressed further. Our base case results show that shale gas life-cycle emissions are 6% lower than those of conventional natural gas. However, the range in values for shale and conventional gas overlap, so there is a statistical uncertainty regarding whether shale gas emissions are indeed lower than conventional gas emissions. This life-cycle analysis provides insight into the critical stages in the natural gas industry where emissions occur and where opportunities exist to reduce the greenhouse gas footprint of natural gas.

Authors: Clark, C.E.; Han, J.; Burnham, A.; Dunn, J.B.; Wang, M.

Clean Cities Alternative Fuel Price Report, October 2011

11/1/2011

The Clean Cities Alternative Fuel Price Report for October 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 September 30, 2011 and October 14, 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 dropped 22 cents per gallon from $3.68 per gallon to $3.46 per gallon; CNG price has risen 2 cents from $2.07 to $2.09; ethanol (E85) has dropped 7 cents from $3.26 to $3.19 per gallon; propane has dropped 3 cents from $3.09 to $3.06; and biodiesel (B20) has dropped 11 cents from $4.02 to $3.91 per gallon.

According to Table 2, CNG is about $1.37 less than gasoline on an energy-equivalent basis, while E85 is about $1.05 more than gasoline on an energy-equivalent basis.

Authors: Babcock, S.