Reports and Studies

Reports and Studies: Alternative Fuels

Hydrogen - Many Years in the Future The promise of vehicles operating on hydrogen fuel cells is many years into the future, according to a report of the National Academies of Science (NAS). The report discusses the many technical, social and policy challenges that must be overcome before the projected promise of a hydrogen economy can be achieved. Obstacles noted include: fuel cell lifetimes are currently much too short and fuel cell costs are more than 10 times too high to provide a cost-effective alternative for consumers; the driving range of fuel cell vehicles, only about half that of a gasoline vehicle, is much too short; the production, storage and transmission of hydrogen are costly, use significant amounts of energy, and, in many cases, result in emissions of pollutants and CO2. The NAS report goes on to provide recommendations to overcome these obstacles. The full report "The Hydrogen Economy: Opportunities, Costs, Barriers, and R&D Needs" can be viewed and purchased at: http://www.nas.edu/

Study Shows Additive Reduces NOx Emissions with Biodiesel The results of a new study indicate a reduction in nitrogen oxides (NOx) emissions from biodiesel is attainable. Biodiesel is known to reduce emissions of all regulated pollutants, with exception of NOx emissions. A new additive, designed by Clean Diesel Technologies (CDT), has shown as much as a 5% reduction in NOx emissions compared to No. 1 diesel fuel. The biodiesel blend consisted of 80% No. 1 diesel and 20% biodiesel, along with CDT's patented Platinum Plus fuel-borne catalyst. The study also showed a reduction of 23 percent particulates. According to James Valentine, President of CDT, the tested blend performed better than a commercial ultra-low sulfur diesel fuel (ULSD) in reducing particulate matter (PM), NOx and carbon monoxide, and was close to the performance of ULSD in reducing hydrocarbon emissions. Additional testing will be needed to determine the effectiveness of the additive when blended with No. 2 diesel. For more information on the additive and the study, contact the National Biodiesel Board.

Ethanol Use Shown to Reduce Greenhouse Gas Emissions in 2003 According to the Renewable Fuels Association (RFA) and the Argonne National Laboratory, the use of ethanol-blended fuels reduced carbon dioxide-equivalent greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by approximately 5.7 million tons in the United States during 2003. This reduction is equivalent to removing the annual greenhouse gas emissions of more than 853,000 cars from the road. The reduction is based on the "carbon cycle" associated with ethanol production, with much of the greenhouse gas emissions released being absorbed by plants, like corn, grown for ethanol feedstocks. The benefits of ethanol also include the reduction in other harmful pollutants, rural economic development and increased energy security.

NDCF Releases Findings On The Hidden Cost of Imported Oil The National Defense Council Foundation (NDCF) has released the findings of its analysis of the "hidden cost" of imported oil. The NDCF project represents a comprehensive investigation of the economic and military penalty our growing dependence on imported oil exacts from the U.S. economy. Some of the findings include:
* Paying for imported oil results in the loss of 828,400 jobs in the U.S. economy.
* U.S. dependence on foreign oil results in the loss of almost $160 billion from our GDP annually.
* There are almost $49.1 billion annually in defense outlays to maintain the capability to defend the flow of Persian Gulf Oil - the equivalent of adding $1.17 to the price of a gallon of gasoline.
* Total economic penalties to the U.S. economy ranges up to $300 billion per year.
* If reflected at the gasoline pump, all these "hidden costs" would raise the price of a gallon of gasoline to over $5.20.
The report also outlines the benefits of shifting the U.S. transportation sector to non-petroleum fuels. For more information, contact the NDCF at (703) 836-3443 or ndcf@erols.com.

Industrial Truck Emission Data Compared by Fuel is available from the Propane Education Research Council. 9 pages, in Word format. Discusses key emissions studies from the 1990s to present.  

Case Study of CNG Buses in Washington DC  The Department of Energy's National Renewable Energy Laboratory has published a fact sheet titled "Evaluating the Emission Reduction Benefits of WMATA Natural Gas Buses". The fact sheet details emission testing of compressed natural gas (CNG) and diesel transit buses operated by the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA). Compared with their conventional diesel counterparts, the CNG buses produced 53% lower oxides of nitrogen, 85% lower total particulate matter, and 89% lower carbon monoxide emissions. 

Heavy-Duty Vehicle Emissions  The goal of the Department of Energy's heavy vehicle emissions testing is to compare emissions from alternative fuel and advanced technology trucks and buses to their conventional diesel counterparts. Information provided on this website includes access to numerous technical reports on emissions analyses.

Study Compares Alternative Fuel Forklift Emissions The Propane Education and Research Council (PERC) recently released a review of forklift emission studies, titled "Industrial Truck Emission Data Compared by Fuel", that compares emissions data from propane-powered forklifts to findings from forklifts powered by compressed natural gas (CNG) and standard gasoline. The review finds that propane forklifts fitted with approved closed loop controls and exhaust catalysts result in very low emissions that meet and exceed California Air Resource Board Large Spark Ignition standards. Additionally, the review finds that propane demonstrates the highest energy efficiencies when compared to other fuel production life cycles. The review examines research findings from seven forklift emissions studies performed between 1990 and 2002, including two studies that used life cycle analyses emissions models to assess the emissions impact of upstream production of a given fuel.  

Study Says CNG Provides More Health Benefit Than New Diesel Engines Researchers at the Harvard Center for Risk Analysis, a division of the Harvard University's School of Public Health (HSPH), recently released the results of a new analysis comparing the health benefits of emission-controlled diesel (ECD) engines to compressed natural gas (CNG)-fueled engines. According to the study, CNG engines provide a third more health benefits than the new diesle engines. HSPH notes that the study measured the 'public health damages' produced by the CNG and ECD engines in urban transit buses using noits of 'quality adjusted life years'. Both CNG and ECD reduce emissions of fine particulate by about 75%, with CNG having a further health advantage because it also reduces emissions of nitrogen oxide (NOx), a gas that contributes to ground-level ozone, or smog, and to the formation of fine particles. Contact: Joshua Coehn, HSPH at (617) 432-0394 or cohenj@hsph.harvard.edu .

NGVC Publishes Second Clean Bus Report The Natural Gas Vehicle Coalition this week published the second quarterly issue of the Clean Bus Report. The newsletter is geared to elected officials and board members of transit agencies and is designed to provide transit officials and decision-makers with accurate information about alternative fuel technology. The April issue features news on the latest on the legislative front, updates on recent transit bus purchases and the next step on the path to hydrogen, among other things. You can access the Clean Bus Report on the NGVC website or if you would like to receive a copy of the Clean Bus Report directly, contact Colleen MacMillan at (202) 824-7365 or cmacmillan@ngvc.org.

Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) Resource Guide Available The "Resource Guide for Heavy-Duty LNG Vehicles, Infrastructure, and Support Operations" is now available from the U.S. Department of Energy's Brookhaven National Laboratory and the Gas Technology Institute. The guide is designed to assist fleet managers and other decision makers in evaluating the use of LNG in heavy-duty vehicles.

Natural Gas Powers UPS A study by the National Renewable Energy Laboratories (NREL) of delivery trucks operated by United Parcel Service (UPS) shows that the natural gas trucks produced 75 percent lower carbon monoxide emissions and half of the nitrogen oxide emissions of similar diesel vehicles. The report can be downloaded at http://www.ctts.nrel.gov/heavy_vehicle/pdfs/31227.pdf. For more information contact Kevin Walkowicz at (303) 275-4492 or kevin_walkowicz@nrel.gov.

Study Confirms Benefits of Natural Gas Engines Over Diesel  A technical paper published by the Society of Automobile Engineers (SAE) compares the emissions of heavy-duty trucks powered by C8.3 diesel engines and Cummins Westport C Gas Plus natural gas engines. The natural gas engines demonstrated reductions in carbon monoxide (93 percent), oxides of nitrogen (45 percent), particulate matter (90 percent) and carbon dioxide (CO2) (6.5 percent). Another advantage of the natural gas trucks is a reduced fuel cost per mile ($0.11 vs $0.16). Copies of the paper are available from SAE International at (877) 606-7323 or www.sae.org by requesting technical paper 2002-01-2737.

Controversy Over Study of Diesel and Natural Gas School Bus Emissions International Truck and Engine Company and ConocoPhillips Company recently sponsored a study by the Southwest Research Institute, comparing an older model natural gas school bus to a new technology diesel-powered bus operating on ultra-low sulfur diesel. The study's sponsors view the study's results as demonstrating lower emissions from the diesel engines. These conclusions are being challenged, however, particularly by the Natural Gas Vehicle Coalition (NGVC). The NGVC notes that the study compares "apples and oranges". The diesel-powered bus was equipped with advanced emission controls and operated on ultra-low sulfur fuel that is not generally available on the market, while the natural gas buses were not equipped with emission after-treatment. According to the NGVC, the report demonstrates that the “best” advanced diesel engine technology still has higher emissions in some cases than both the natural gas technology and conventional diesel technology on the road today. However, International took selected results from this test and used them to tout the benefits of diesel over natural gas. If International had performed a fair comparison using a natural gas engine equipped with a simple oxidation catalyst, the results would have shown the overwhelming environmental advantages of the natural gas model. The California Air Resources Board recently completed such a test, comparing natural gas and diesel transit buses. The NGVC has released a  statement decrying International’s deliberately deceptive tactics. The press release is available on the NGVC web site at http://www.ngvc.org/ngv/ngvc.nsf/bytitle/release02011.html or by contacting Colleen MacMillan at (202) 824-73645 or cmacmillan@ngvc.org. A copy of the International report can be found at http://www.greendieseltechnology.com/swri_report.pdf.

Exhaust Study Measures Emissions of Biodiesel and Ultra Low Sulfur Diesel Blend West Virginia University recently conducted a series of exhaust emissions tests on transit buses operated by the Washington Metropolitan Transit Authority. The tests compared exhaust emissions from a  transit bus with a 1990 Cummins L10 engine operating on standard diesel, ultra low sulfur diesel (ULSD) and a blend of 20% biodiesel with 80% ULSD (B20). The tests involving the use of ULSD and the B20 blend also involved the use of an Engelhard DPX catalyzed particulate filter. View results (Adobe Acrobat file)

EPA Releases Draft Technical Report on Biodiesel Emissions The Environmental Protection Agency has released a draft report entitled, "A Comprehensive Analysis of Biodiesel Impacts on Exhaust Emissions." The draft report is the result of the EPA's biodiesel emissions analysis program. The report examines existing data in an effort to quantify the air pollution emission effects of biodiesel. EPA's analysis includes biodiesel's effect on fuel economy, but does not investigate other aspects of biodiesel use, such as engine durability or cost. The draft technical report is available at: http://www.epa.gov/otaq/models/biodsl.htm

USDA Releases Report on Ethanol Energy Balance  The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) recently released a new report, "The Energy Balance of Corn Ethanol: An Update," which found that ethanol yields 34 percent more energy than is consumed by growing and harvesting the corn and distilling it into ethanol.  According to the report, the energy balance of corn-based ethanol has become positive in recent years due to several factors, including advances in ethanol conversion technology and increased efficiency in farm production. Contact: Alisa Harrison, USDA, phone 202-720-4623; Monte Shaw, Renewable Fuels Association,  phone 202-289-3835.