Yosemite Waters Vehicle Evaluation Report: Final Results
8/1/2005
This study was a joint effort between the South Coast Air Quality Management District (SCAQMD) and the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL). The overall goal of the project was to evaluate the use of gas-to-liquid (GTL) fuel in combination with passive catalytic regenerative particle filters in real-world service and characterize regulated and unregulated exhaust pollutant emissions from GTL fuel in comparison to petroleum-derived diesel fuel.
Authors: Eudy, L.; Barnitt, R.; Alleman, T.
Development of a Cummins ISL Natural Gas Engine at 1.4 g/bhp-hr NOx + NMHC Using PLUS Technology
7/1/2005
The initial project discussed in this report was to develop an 8.9L natural gas engine capable of meeting increased power ratings and reduced exhaust emissions. The power target was achieved, and the torque and emissions targets were surpassed. Because of the high torque and low NOx requirements, the engine design required increased levels of turbocharging and lean combustion operation. This created challenges related to the ignition system and mixing of the fuel and air to provide a homogeneous mixture and stable combustion, which resulted in a new spark plug design. Hardware revisions to the engine control module (ECM) were necessary to accommodate the new system requirements for sensors and ignition system interface.
Authors: Kamel, M.M.
Biomethane from Dairy Waste: A Sourcebook for the Production and Use of Renewable Natural Gas in California
7/1/2005
This report examines the feasibility of producing biomethane from dairy manure. We investigated a number of possible technologies for producing renewable forms of energy and fuel from dairy wastes as well as applications and markets for these products. Although some of the applications proved to be technically or economically infeasible at this time, we believe that the information gathered could prove useful for other investigators or future studies. With this in mind, we designed this sourcebook for readers and investigators interested in exploring alternate uses of biogas created from dairy wastes.
Authors: Krich, K.; Augenstein, D.; Batmale, J.P.; Benemann, J.; Rutledge, B.; Salour, D.; Wright, J., Lyles Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship, California State University, Fresno, CA
Biodiesel Cold Weather Blending Study
6/30/2005
Increased use of biodiesel has created some handling challenges for bringing blended fuels to the consumer. The most immediate handling concern for blenders is assurance that diesel fuels and biodiesel can be blended uniformly and in a single phase, particularly in colder climates. Neat biodiesel has a much higher cloud point than conventional diesel fuels and this can impact handling procedures. This concern became a priority after Minnesota passed a law requiring all on-higthway diesel fuels to contain at least 2% biodiesel as early as 1 July 2005.
Authors: Cold Flow Consortium
Well-to-Wheels Analysis of Advanced Fuel/Vehicle Systems - A North American Study of Energy Use, Greenhouse Gas Emissions, and Criteria Pollutant Emissions
5/30/2005
An accurate assessment of future fuel/propulsion system options requires a complete vehicle fuel-cycle analysis, commonly called a well-to-wheels (WTW) analysis. In this WTW study, we analyzed energy use and emissions associated with fuel production (or well-to-tank [WTT]) activities and energy use andemissions associated with vehicle operation (or tank-to-wheels [TTW])activities. Energy resources, such as petroleum, natural gas (NG), coal, and biomass, as well as the energy carrier, electricity, are considered as feedstocks to produce various transportation fuels, including gasoline, diesel fuel, hydrogen (H2), ethanol (EtOH), compressed natural gas (CNG), methanol (MeOH), and Fischer-Tropsch (FT) diesel. The propulsion systems evaluated were spark-ignition (SI) engines, compression-ignition (CI) engines, hydrogen fuel cells, and fuel processor fuel cells, all in non-hybrid and hybrid electric configurations.This study updates and supplements a previous (2001) North American study, conducted by GM and others (General Motors [GM] et al. 2001), of energy consumption and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions associated with advanced vehicle/fuel systems (GM Phase 1 North American study). The primary purposeof this Phase 2 study is to address criteria pollutant emissions, including volatile organic compounds (VOCs), carbon monoxide (CO), nitrogen oxides (NOx), particulate matter with a diameter smaller than 10 microns (PM10), and sulfur oxide emissions (SOx). We also updated the vehicle modeling for energyconsumption with the latest powertrain maps and added some additional propulsion systems, such as hydrogen internal combustion engines (ICEs).As in the previous study, the vehicle modeled was a 2010-model-year, full-sized GM pickup truck. The truck was selected because it is a high seller among light-duty vehicles (cars and trucks) in the U.S. market, and light-duty trucks account for a large proportion of the fuel used in the U.S. vehicle fleet. In our study, we attempted
Authors: Brinkman, Norman; Wang, Michael; Weber, Trudy; Darlington, Thomas
Mobility Chains Analysis of Technologies for Passenger Cars and Light-Duty Vehicles Fueled with Biofuels: Application of the GREET Model to the Role of Biomass in America's Energy Future (RBAEF) Project
5/30/2005
The Role of Biomass in America?s Energy Future (RBAEF) is a multi-institution, multiple-sponsor research project. The primary focus of the project is to analyze and assess the potential of transportation fuels derived from cellulosic biomass in the years 2015 to 2030. For this project, researchers at Dartmouth College and Princeton University designed and simulated an advanced fermentation process to produce fuel ethanol/protein, a thermochemical process to produce Fischer-Tropsch diesel (FTD) and dimethyl ether (DME), and a combined heat and power plant to co-produce steam and electricity using the ASPEN Plus? model. With support from the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), Argonne National Laboratory (ANL) conducted, for the RBAEF project, a mobility chains or well-to-wheels (WTW) analysis using the Greenhouse gases, Regulated Emissions, and Energy use in Transportation (GREET) model developed at ANL. The mobility chains analysis was intended to estimate the energy consumption and emissions associated with the use of different production biofuels in light-duty vehicle technologies.
Authors: Wu, May; Wu, Ye; Wang, Michael
Quantifying Cradle-to-Farm Gate Life Cycle Impacts Associated with Fertilizer used for Corn, Soybean, and Stover Production
5/30/2005
Fertilizers used to increase the yield of crops used for food or bio-based products can migrate through the environment and potentially cause adverse environmental impacts. Nitrogen fertilizers have a complex biogeochemical cycle. Through their transformations and partitioning among environmental compartments, they can contribute to eutrophication of surface waters at local and regional scales, groundwater degradation, acid rain, and climate change. Phosphate fertilizers have a simpler fate in the environment, although leaching of soluble and bound phosphorus is an important contributor to eutrophication.
Authors: Powers, Susan E.
Evaluating the Safety of a Natural Gas Home Refueling Appliance (HRA)
4/1/2005
This project evaluated the probability of safety incidents related to use of FuelMaker Corporation's natural gas home refueling appliance, Phill. The results indicate that an individual is 10 times more likely to be struck by lightning than to experience a safety incident resulting from normal use of Phill. The safety evaluation produced an added benefit—FuelMaker incorporated suggestions from the study into its final design of Phill. Home refueling has the potential to increase the availability and convenience of natural gas vehicle refueling infrastructure. It is anticipated that this would lead to more extensive use of natural gas vehicles, resulting in reduced U.S. petroleum consumption.
Natural Gas Transit Users Group: Assisting Transit Agencies with Natural Gas Bus Technologies
4/1/2005
Transit buses are a key niche market for natural gas vehicles. Increasingly, transit agencies have been choosing natural gas buses as a way to cut air pollution and boost energy security. The Natural Gas Transit Users Group provides information and assistance to transit agencies that are operating or considering acquisition of natural gas transit buses. It is anticipated that this will lead to increased use of natural gas buses, resulting in reduced U.S. petroleum consumption.
Clean Cities International Roadmap
4/1/2005
The Clean Cities International Roadmap was developed for communities outside of the United States interested in joining the international network of Clean Cities coalitions to develop local alternative fuel transportation markets and learn from U.S. experience. This Roadmap provides a brief background of the program and explains the recommended steps communities can take to successfully develop alternative fuel markets and become Clean Cities International coalitions.
Authors: Wolfe, B.
New York City Transit Drives Hybrid Electric Buses Into the Future
4/1/2005
The Metropolitan Transit Authority' York City Transit (NYCT) is the largest public transportation system in the United States and a leader in the use of clean bus technologies. NYCT launched a pilot fleet of hybrid electric buses in 1998. A larger fleet of next-generation production hybrid electric buses began entering service in 2004. The U.S. Department of Energy's Advanced Vehicle Testing Activity (AVTA) evaluated NYCT's pilot fleet and is evaluating the production buses. This report provides an update on the evaluation of NYCT's production hybrid electric buses and reviews the evolution of hybrid electric bus technologies pioneered by NYCT and other progressive transit agencies.
Clean Cities Alternative Fuel Price Report - March 28, 2005
3/28/2005
This is the fourteenth issue of the Clean Cities Alternative Fuel Price Report, a quarterly newsletter keeping you up to date on the prices 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 between March 8 and March 22, 2005, with comparisons to the prices in the previous Price Report, which were collected in November, 2004. The changes in prices from one reporting period to the next can be attributed not only to price volatility, but also to an inconsistent set of respondents. Thus, differences from one report to the next should not be assumed to reflect trends.
Authors: Lott, M.
Updated Energy and Greenhouse Emission Results of Fuel Ethanol
2/8/2005
Since 1997, the Center for Transportation Research of Argonne National Laboratory has been evaluating fuel ethanol?s energy and GHG emission impacts as part of its overall efforts of evaluating well-to-wheels energy and emission effects of various advanced vehicle technologies and transportation fuels. Argonne?s analysis, in agreement with many other recently completed studies, concludes that corn-based ethanol achieves energy and GHG emission reduction benefits, relative to gasoline. This is mainly because of 1)improved corn productivity in U.S. corn farms in the past 30 years; 2) reduced energy use in ethanol plants in the past 15 years; and 3) appropriately addressing of ethanol?s co-products. Furthermore, Argonne concludes that cellulosic ethanol to be produced from feedstocks such as woody or herbaceous biomass has much larger energy and GHG emission reduction benefits. This paper presents Argonne?s updated energy and GHG emission results of fuel ethanol in the U.S.
Authors: Wang, M.