Green Car Congress

The Diesel Shift: Denso Opens Diesel Center in Germany

In yet another proof point of the fundamental aspect and size of the shift to diesel in Europe, Denso, a leading international supplier of automotive systems and components, is opening an engineering facility for diesel engine components in Germany.

The new facility will design and evaluate fuel injection systems for diesel engines. This is Denso’s first overseas engineering center for diesel engine components.

The surge in demand for diesels in Europe is creating some interesting imbalances in both the automaking and pertroleum industries.

For example, earlier this month, L'Union Française des Industries Pétrolières (UFIP), the association of pertroleum companies operating in France, held a briefing on its outlook for the petroleum industry in 2005. (Presentation here.)

While overall fuel consumption in France remains relatively constant, demand for diesel is steadily increasing, while demand for gasoline is steadily dropping—5% just in 2004. (Diagram at right.)

Since 1996, demand for diesel has grown an average 3.4% annually, while gasoline demand has dropped an average 3.1% each year.

Refiners are struggling to change their plants and output to meet the change in demand.

European refiners currently export 20% of their surplus gasoline and import 40% of the middle distillates required to meet the diesel demand, with imports come mainly from Russia, along with some supplies from Algeria.

In an interview with Oil & Gas Journal, Jean-Paul Vettier, president of Total SA’s refining division, questioned whether Russia will be able to maintain its exports. The upcoming  EU requirements for ultra low-sulfur diesel (10 ppm by 2009) will put further pressure on supply and refiners.

UFIP said five refiners—Total, BP, Royal Dutch/Shell, Agip, and a unit of ExxonMobil—plan to invest  €2 billion ($2.6 billion) in refinery upgrades during 2005-09.

A shift in the refinery output mix could also have an effect on the US—much of that surplus exported gasoline comes here. Less surplus, less to export.

 

Munich Re Issues Annual Catastrophes Report, Focuses on Climate Change

Munich Re, the largest reinsurer in the world, has just released its report Topics Geo—Annual Review: Natural Catastrophes 2004. (Full report here.)

An early corporate voice expressing concern over the potential impact of global warming and resulting climate change (since each disaster hits it economically), Munich Re sees those concerns confirmed. From the report:

By and large, however, 2004 was dominated by extreme atmospheric events and weather-related natural catastrophes, both in terms of the number of events and the monetary losses they generated. The past year thus confirmed the fear that has long been expressed by Munich Re: global warming—very probably triggered by human activity—is leading not only to an increase in the frequency and intensity of exceptional weather events but also to new kinds of weather risks and greater loss potentials:

• A hurricane formed off the Brazilian coast for the first time since observations began—this area had been considered hurricane-free.

• Hurricane Alex intensified to a Category 3 storm on the Saffir-Simpson Scale in the region of 40°N—unusually far from the Tropics. Tropical cyclones usually weaken or subside completely in these northern latitudes.

• Florida was hit by four hurricanes in the space of a few weeks—making it the costliest hurricane season ever for insurers.

• Japan was hit by ten tropical cyclones—a record number that was unequalled throughout the previous century.

Climate change is often discussed in longer-range terms—effects that might occur in decades or by the end of the century.

Munich Re’s report underscores the human and economic cost of even the short-term effects. The ongoing accumulation of scientific research and measured data underscores the need for urgent action to meet the climate change challenge—not just in terms of longer-term mitigation, but also to respond to shorter-term disasters.

Ford Introducing H2 Combustion Engines to Industrial Marketplace

Ford Power Products (FPP), a division of Ford Powertrain Operations, is introducing hydrogen-fueled internal combustion engines (H₂ICEs) to the industrial marketplace.

This parallels Ford Motor Company’s introduction of the E-450 commercial hydrogen-powered shuttle bus. (Earlier post.)

FPP currently has two different hydrogen engines prototyped for the industrial marketplace: a 4.2-liter V-6 hydrogen engine for airline ground support equipment, and the 6.8-liter V-10 hydrogen engine (picture at right) for power generation applications. Each burns compressed gaseous hydrogen.

Preliminary Ford H2ICE Engine Specs
	V-6	V-10
Displacement (liters)	4.2	6.8
Rated Power (kW/hp)	60/80	140/188
Minimum Fuel Pressure @ engine (psi)	125	125

The E-450 is also based on the V-10 hydrogen-fueled engine.

“Hybrid Car Parade” to Converge on Maryland Capital in Support of Clean Cars

Car Buyer’s Notebook notes that more than 100 hybrid cars and SUVs will rally this Saturday in Annapolis, MD, in support of the Maryland Cleaner Cars Act. (HB 564)

If passed and signed into law, the bill will require Maryland to adopt the Lower Emission Vehicle-II (LEV-II) standards set by California and followed by seven other states. The federal Clean Air Act allows states to choose between these and the lower federal standards. To date, New Jersey, New York, Maine, Vermont, Massachusetts, Rhode Island and Connecticut have opted for the LEV-II progam.

The LEV-II program essentially requires:

1. Standards for fleet average emissions for each automakers’ cars that are slightly stricter than federal standards, and

2. Specified percentages of each automaker’s new cars sold be zero-emission vehicles and hybrids.

If the Maryland bill is passed, automakers would need to meet these standards fully in Maryland by model year 2009.

In Maryland, the Cleaner Cars Act would require automakers to sell approximately 89,000 hybrids and 477,000 low and zero emission vehicles in Maryland between 2007 and 2010, with the numbers increasing over time.

According to recent tracking poll, 79% of Marylanders favor the act, with 53% strongly favoring it.

A-Class Sighting in Irvine

From one of our readers comes the tip of a sighting of a new Mercedes-Benz A-class fueling up at a public station in Irvine, California. DaimlerChrysler operates a design center close by there.

DaimlerChrysler introduced the second-generation A-class in June 2004, and the car went on sale in Europe in the fall.

Extremely popular overseas (the first generation sold more than 1.1 million units), the car has not been sold yet in the US.

Other  manufacturers such as Nissan and Ford have already  stated their intentions to target  this segment in the US with a range of new cars over the next few years. Mercedes will (should) undoubtedly do the same.

The A-Class offers both gasoline and diesel engines. One big question: will the company offer the diesels in the US?

Mercedez-Benz delivered more power and torque with less fuel consumption on all seven engine options for the A-class. The greatest improvements are on the gasoline side, with increases in output and torque up to 38% and fuel consumption down by up to 10% from the prior platforms.

A-Class Diesels
	A 160 CDI	A 180 CDI	A 200 CDI
Displacement (cc)	1,991	1,991	1,991
Output (kW/hp)	60/82	80/109	103/140
Torque (Nm)	180	250	300
0–100 km (sec)	15.0	10.8	9.5
Top speed (kph/mph)	170/106	186/116	201/125
Fuel consumption (l/100km)	4.9	5.2	5.4
MPG (US)	48	45.2	43.5
CO2 g/km	128	137	141

 

A-Class Gasoline
	A 150	A 170 CDI	A 200	A 200 Turbo
Displacement (cc)	1,498	1,699	2,034	2,034
Output (kW/hp)	70/95	85/116	100/136	142/193
Torque (Nm)	140	155	185	280
0–100 km (sec)	12.6	10.9	9.8	8.0
Top speed (kph/mph)	175/109	188/117	200/124	227/141
Fuel consumption (l/100km)	6.2	6.6	7.2	7.9
MPG (US)	38	35.6	32.7	30
CO2 g/km	148	157	172	na

Mercedes-Benz also revamped its manufacturing processes and components for the new A-class, resulting in a reduction in primary energy consumption over the lifecycle of the car by 8%, from 522 gigajoules for the first-generation A-Class to a total of 479 gj in the new car. This equates to the energy stored in some 1,300 liters of gasoline.

The new A-Class already satisfies the 2006 European recycling quota of 85% and is set to meet the recycling target of 95%—with a maximum of 10% of the car parts being allowed to be utilized for incineration to produce energy—planned for implementation in 2015.

Thanks, John!

EPA Grants $1.6M for Diesel Emissions Reduction Projects

The US EPA is awarding $1.6 million to 18 grantees for projects to demonstrate effective emissions reduction strategies for diesel fleets. The grantees are State and local governmental organizations, including air agencies and port authorities, and non-governmental organizations.

The announcement follows on the heels of an independent report released yesterday that concludes some 21,000 people in the US die prematurely each year due to epxosure to diesel PM. (Earlier post)

Each demonstration project reduces the impacts of pollution on a population that is especially susceptible to the effects of diesel exhaust, including children, the elderly and the chronically ill.

The 18 recipients will use the grant funding to retrofit a variety of diesel vehicles, including construction, agricultural and port equipment, refuse haulers, fire trucks, ambulances and locomotives.  Most of the projects include the fitting of diesel oxidation catalysts.

Diesel oxidation catalysts oxdize CO and HC to CO₂ and H₂O. They also can reduce PM emissions depending upon the soluble organic fraction (SOF) content of the PM.

Some projects include the use of particulate filters, and one supports the conversion of waste haulers to CNG.

A list of the grantees and projects follows, ranked by size of award.

• Sacramento (CA) Metropolitan Air Quality Management District (SMAQMD) will retrofit commuter rail locomotives that run between Sacramento and Oakland with a system designed to reduce PM and NOx emissions. Federal grant: $150,000.

• Miami-Dade (FL) Department of Environmental Resources Management (DERM) will use ultra-low sulfur diesel and diesel particulate filters in their retrofits of vehicles that transport elderly and chronically ill people. Ultra-low sulfur diesel will be available for 500 vehicles. Federal grant: $150,000.

• The Port of Houston (TX) Authority will retrofit rubber tired gantry cranes and terminal tractors with diesel oxidation catalysts and diesel emulsion. Federal grant: $150,000.

• Northeast States for Coordinated Air Use Management (NESCAUM) proposes to retrofit refuse-collection trucks in the South Bronx area of New York City. They will use diesel oxidation catalysts, crankcase filtration systems, and ultra-low sulfur diesel fuel. Federal grant: $136,180.

• American Lung Association of Missouri (ALAMO)is partnering with the City of St. Louis and the St. Louis Association of Community Organizations to retrofit refuse trucks with diesel oxidation catalysts and crankcase controls. Federal grant: $124,952.

• The City of Milwaukee  (WI) will retrofit vehicles in their waste hauler fleet with diesel oxidation catalysts. Federal grant: $90,000.

• The City of Cambridge in partnership with the Massachusetts Institute of Technology will install diesel oxidation catalysts, diesel particulate filters, ultra-low sulfur diesel, biodiesel, crankcase filters, and cetane enhancers on garbage and dump trucks, bobcats, backhoes, and front loaders. Federal grant: $83,467.

• The Massachusetts Port Authority will retrofit container delivery vehicles operating at one of Boston's marine cargo terminals. The grant will enable MPA to retrofit delivery trucks with diesel oxidation catalysts and retrofit nonroad engines with diesel oxidation catalysts and ultra-low sulfur diesel. Federal grant: $82,800.

• Regional Air Quality Council of the Denver (CO) area will install diesel oxidation catalysts and closed crankcase filtration systems on nonroad vehicles at construction sites. Federal grant: $75,000.

• Maryland Department of Environmental Management (MD DEM) is partnering with the Baltimore Fire Department to reduce emissions from fire trucks and ambulances with diesel oxidation catalysts and crankcase filters. Federal grant: $75,000.

• The County of Fairfax (VA) will retrofit solid waste collection vehicles, transfer tractors, and other dump trucks with diesel oxidation catalysts. Fairfax County will use ultra-low sulfur diesel fuel. Federal grant: $75,000.

• The Port of Tacoma (WA) will retrofit diesel port straddle carriers used to move containers and cargo on and off ships with diesel oxidation catalysts. Federal grant: $75,000.

• The Yakima (WA) Regional Clean Air Authority will retrofit their existing utility fleet of highway and nonroad vehicles and equipment with diesel oxidation catalysts. Federal grant: $75,000.

• The Town of Trumbull (CT) plans to repower three diesel waste collection vehicles with compressed natural gas engines and fuel. Federal grant: $60,000.

• Illinois EPA will put diesel oxidation catalysts on equipment used in the Dan Ryan Expressway Construction Project. Federal grant: $60,000.

• The Los Angeles Public Works Department will retrofit diesel particulate filters on vehicles with both onroad and nonroad engines. They will also use Ultra Low Sulfur Diesel (ULSD) fuel. Federal grant: $50,000.

• The Idaho Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) will retrofit agricultural equipment with diesel oxidation catalysts. Federal grant: $50,000.

• The Cleveland (OH) School District will retrofit school buses with diesel particulate filters and use ultra-low sulfur diesel fuel. Federal grant: $50,000.

“Extreme” Plug-In Flywheel Hybrid Promises a Possible 250 MPG

AFS Trinity Power Corporation has unveiled a flywheel-supported hybrid technology that the company anticipates will enable fuel economy in the 200–250 mpg range.

The Extreme Hybrid drivetrain—under development for light duty and heavy duty vehicles—is a plug-in hybrid that gets most of its power from the grid. The flywheel system provides greater efficiency in energy capture and release from regenerative braking, thereby extending the operational range of the vehicle in all-electric mode.

The hybrid drivetrain system consists of five primary elements:

• Advanced lithium batteries that are recharged at night with off-peak power from the power grid

• An advanced flywheel for improved energy capture (up to 80%) and storage from regenerative braking

• Advanced power-conversion and management electronics

• A high efficiency steady-state Internal Combustion Engine

• An electric powertrain

A flywheel is a rotating, kinetic store of energy. As energy is drawn from the system, the rotating components slow down, and as the system is charged, they speed up. Flywheel energy storage grows in proportion to the flywheel mass and the square of its rotational velocity.

The trick for a vehicle flywheel system is optimizing size and weight, durability of materials, rotational speed, speed of energy capture and discharge, and cost.

AFS Trinity’s approach is to use a flywheel within a flywheel. Its ARC (Active Rotating Containment) flywheel—for which it received a patent in 2002—uses a slower, heavier rotating outer flywheel to contain a much faster, lighter inner flywheel.

The result is more power per pound, more efficient energy transfer and a neutral gyroscopic effect which will allow vehicular operation without having to use counter-rotating pairs of separate flywheel systems.

When the flywheel hybrid vehicle runs on electricity alone it will not rely solely on its batteries; the flywheel and ultracapacitors will do the heavy lifting, providing high power over a short duration for acceleration or for quickly capturing regenerative braking energy.

This capability addresses one the limitations of the current chemical batteries used in plug-ins: the difficulty in absorbing or releasing high currents when they are in a deeply discharged state.

The flywheel thus buffers and protect the batteries, leaving them to do only what they do best: provide low-current longer running time in electric-only mode.

Power from the batteries will be “sipped” by the vehicle, not “gulped”. Although all of the subsystems are important, the high performance energy storage system is the critical part of a plug-in hybrid drive train.

—AFS Trinity CEO Edward W. Furia

AFS Trinity expects that a driver will be able to operate the vehicle in electric-only mode for 40 miles, and at any time may flip a switch to run the vehicle as a conventional hybrid with a 500-mile range.

If Trinity can meet the 40 mile range mark with acceptable speed and performance, then it will be able to satisfy the daily driving needs of many drivers solely on electricity and thus deliver that extreme fuel efficiency.

We need to cure our addiction to oil. Our current 20 mpg national average vehicle fuel efficiency is embarrassing. While 50 miles per gallon in cars like the Toyota Prius is great for today, to address our transportation energy needs in the near future our national average fuel economy should be more than 200 miles per gallon.

—Edward W. Furia

An Extreme Hybrid drivetrain for passenger cars is expected to begin development this year, be demonstrated in a prototype vehicle in two years and be ready for licensing to U.S. and foreign carmakers in three.

AFS Trinity Power Corporation is a flywheel energy company, created in 2000 through the combination of two pioneers: American Flywheel Systems (AFS)—the recipient of the first patent ever given for a flywheel battery (1992)—and Trinity Flywheel Power (Trinity). The company has devoted more than $45 million, 75% of it from private sources, to the development of kinetic energy storage, power management and UPS power backup technologies.

AFS Trinity is currently engaged in or has participated in development programs with a number of private and government organizations including DARPA, NASA, the U.S. Navy, U.S. Army, U.S. DOT, California Energy Commission, Oak Ridge National Laboratories, Lawrence Livermore National Labs, Lockheed and Honeywell.

Resources:

• Flywheel Energy Systems, 1997 paper

• Plug-In Vehicles-Today’s Car for Tomorrow’s Technology, Electricity Innovation Institute

• DaimlerBenz Plug-in Hybrid Dodge Sprinter Van

• Analysis and Control of a Flywheel Hybrid Vehicular Powertrain, 2004 (Contact authors for a copy of the paper)

SF Yellow Cabs Adds 10 Escape Hybrids

San Francisco Yellow Cabs has added 10 Ford Escape Hybrid SUVs to its fleet of taxis. San Francisco is  the first city using hybrid SUVs as taxis.

The Escape Hybrids, which first took to the streets in December, are owned and operated by Yellow Cab Cooperative.

The Ford Escape Hybrid is ideal for our company. It gets better mileage in the city than on the highway, making it perfect for our streets, and its fuel economy is far better than other cabs in our fleet. And it’s roomier than other hybrids on the market.

—Nate Dwiri, president of the Yellow Cab Co-op

In addition to the ten Ford Escape Hybrid taxis operated by the Yellow Cab Cooperative, Luxor Cab Company of San Francisco has begun running a fleet of five Escape Hybrid Taxis purchased earlier this year.

With the price of gasoline ticking upward, the fuel economy argument for hybrids is going to become more compelling for businesses with fleets. Hybrid fuel economy versus conventional fuel economy could prove the swing factor in profitability—absent trying to pass along price increases to customers.

NexTech Awarded Nearly $3 M Towards Development of Fuel Cell APUs

NexTech, a manufacturer of materials and components for solid oxide fuel cells (SOFCs), has received nearly $3 million in awards towards the further development of SOFCs for use in transportation and aerospace auxiliary power unit (APU) applications.

The U.S. Commerce Department’s Advanced Technology Program (ATP) will provide up to $2 million, while Ohio’s Third Frontier Fuel Cell Program (TFFCP) will provide $898,137.

APUs help meet the power demands of the electrically-powered systems for vehicle operation and passenger comfort, thereby reducing demands on engine platforms. (Related post.) Automotive electrical power demand alone has quadrupled over the past five years.

For aircraft applications, SOFC-based APUs could reduce fuel usage by 70% on the ground and 40% in flight.

APUs for transportation must be light and compact, withstand mechanical shock and vibration, and—for the greatest ease of integration with existing systems—use the same fuel as that used for motive power.

The NexTech projects are working on improving the power density, manufacturability, durability and the ability to use liquid hydrocarbon fuels of mobile SOFCs.

Collaborators on these development projects include SOFCo-EFS Holdings; Edison Materials Technology Center; and NASA Glenn Research Center.

Tennessee Reduces County’s Speed Limits to Improve Air Quality

The Tennessee Department of Transportation (TDOT) is reducing the speed limit for commercial trucks on interstates and controlled access highways in Hamilton County (which includes Chattanooga) from 70 mph to 55 mph. The Mayor of Chattanooga and the Mayor of Hamilton County had requested the reduction to reduce emissions in an attempt to bring the area back into federally required ozone attainment levels.

A study conducted by the Federal Highway Administration shows that reducing truck speed limits by 10 miles per hour can reduce the nitrogen oxide (NO_x) emission factor by approximately 18% or more per truck. If we get reductions anywhere close to that level in Hamilton County it will be worth it.

—TDOT Commissioner Gerald Nicely

The Chattanooga/Hamilton County Air Pollution Control Bureau estimates that reducing truck speeds from 70 mph to 55 mph could have the same impact as eliminating all industrial NO_x by 11% in Hamilton County on a daily basis.

The reduction will take effect this summer. The speed limit for cars will drop simultaneously to a maximum of 65 mph, although more to reduce the speed gap between the two types of vehicles than from a plan to reduce further reduce emissions.

A total of 56.85 miles of interstate will be impacted by the speed limit changes in Hamilton County. A section of US27 that runs approximately 17 miles in length will also have lower speed limits posted.