Energy and Transportation

Dr. Akepati S. Reddy Thapar University Patiala (Punjab) 147004 INDIA

Oil and Transportation Activity

Oil is central to transportation but availability is constrained by geographical and political factors Dependence on Persian Gulf oil Amounted to 2/3rd of reserves in 1989 and by 2020 virtually all oil reserves will be with Middle East and Latin America Supplied 26% of the total in 1989, and may supply 65% of the total in 2010 Associated with price run-ups, economic crises and oil wars Consumer non-oil producing nations specially nationas with large debt burden, suffer from unreliable steady long term supply of oil and to oil price roller coaster Transportation is the key cause for urban air pollution and contributes 30% of total Carbon to the atmosphere Lowering oil consumption is needed for Stretching out oil supplies and reducing dependence on Middle-east oil Reducing environmental impacts and ensuring sustainable economic development Oil consumption can be lowered through use of alternative fuels, better vehicle designs, choosing right transport options, avoiding road congestion and traffic jams and better urban planning

Energy & Transportation: Alternate Fuels

Alternate fuels are costly, but good for clean air Alternate fuels: electricity, natural gas, biomass fuels (ethanol), hydrogen, others like commercial propane/LPG and methanol

Electricity
Oil is almost not used for electricity generation Eliminates polluting tail pipe emissions but power plants may be polluting (however monitoring and control is easier there) Overall energy efficiency may not be high Appropriate to urban areas (because of low range and pay load) Bottlenecks in using electricity larger and heavier batteries longer battery recharging time involves use of toxic and hazardous substances Efforts to remove the bottlenecks Volvo, 1993 hybrid test vehicle running on battery in urban areas and on petrol for longer distance travel Volks Wagen hybrid test vehicle with diesel engine, electric motor and battery pressure on the accelerator activated diesel engine

Energy & Transportation: Alternate Fuels

Natural gas
Reduces GHG emissions and emissions of NOx and CO Bottlenecks in using natural gas Need for high pressure, heavier and larger gas tanks Complex filling stations and longer filling time Fundamental changes to the existing fuel distribution system

Hydrogen
Clean fuel and can be efficiently used (fuel cell technology) Concept of solar powered filling stations can be thought of Bottlenecks in using hydrogen as fuel Heavier, larger and high pressure tanks Complex service stations and longer fueling time Costly fuel has problems with distribution

Biomass fuel (ethanol)

No net emission of GHG Slight engine modifications can facilitate use and can be blended with petrol Bottlenecks in using ethanol Costly fuel and has limited availability (20-30% of demand) Low range and pay load

Energy & Transportation: Alternate Fuels (contd..)

Other fuels (methanol, commercial propane/LPG)
Methanol Source of methanol can be coal, natural gas and biomass Can be easily used just as ethanol Production from coal or natural gas is not acceptable GHG release can be more when coal is used Natural gas can be directly used as fuel Commercial propane/LPG Good for public transport buses Can reduce emission of NOx and CO

Energy & Transportation: Vehicle Design

Minimizing rolling resistance and going for fuel efficient engines without compromising on vehicle performance, safety and comfort Design of vehicles for least rolling resistance Aerodynamic design Light and ultra-light materials Shrinking ornamental features Lighter and smaller vehicles Fuel efficient engines and engine design Keeping engine under high load for most of the time Adding more gears (continuous gear or belt gear systems) and running at optimal gear Glider automatic in Volks Wagens Eco-polo engine shuts off when decelerating and switches on when accelerating High compression ratio Knocking properties of the fuel imposes limit on this ratio Antiknocking agents like tetraethyl lead have tail pipe emission and fouling of catalyst problems Needs development of alternate anti-knocking agents

Energy & Transportation: Vehicle Design (contd..)

Use of stratified engines Rich fuel mix near spark plug and lean mix elsewhere Can reduce fuel consumption by 20% Can be used in the two stroke engines Use of computer controls and electronics Operation & control of engines through monitoring emissions Running vehicles at optimal speed Keeping vehicle off from congested roads and traffic jams Use of hybrid vehicles Electrical motor to power wheels, fuel engine to generate electricity, and battery to equalize demand & generation of electricity Facilitates running of fuel engine under optimal conditions and ensures good vehicle performance (electrical engines) off the self technologies in hybrid vehicles can achieve 100 km per 1.6 liters fuel and use of fuel cell technology increases efficiency to 100 km per liter of fuel Fuel efficient vehicles Are costly and greater technical complexity Involves some degree of sacrifice of comfort and vehicle performance

Energy & Transportation: Transport Options

Hierarchical order of preference Walking/cycling uses muscle power Rail transport - 948-1269 BTU/km - not dependent on oil Public bus transport 690 BTU/km (occupancy level influences) Car pools & ride sharing 1140 BTU/km traffic conditions influence Two wheelers traffic conditions influence energy requirements Single occupant cars4580 BTU/kmtraffic conditions influence Reducing number of per capita vehicle hours traveled benefits by Energy saving

Reduced urban air pollution

Reduced road congestion, traffic jams and accidents Equitable meeting of transportation needs of community Making cities people oriented and livable

Energy & Transportation: Transport Options (contd..)

Strategies forcing use of appropriate transport alternatives Making drivers to pay full cost of driving Removing subsidies (visible and invisible) Levying sizable taxes on new cars and registration fees Making fuel costlier Creating and making public transport system attractive Increasing fuel efficiency and speed Providing better information services (routes and schedules) Making them dependable, accessible, comfortable and safe Providing incentives Creating and making walking and cycling option attractive Improving access of walkers and cyclists to all points Ensuring safety and comfort Providing incentives Walking and cycling may be preferred For short and errand trips For reaching public transit points in case of longer trips

Energy & Transportation: Avoiding Road Congestion and Traffic Jams

Consequences of road congestion and traffic jams Fuel wasting and air polluting Making speedy transport an illusion Stress and inconvenience to passengers and affecting their morale, productivity and emotions Delays in delivery of goods and loss of employees time Strategies for avoiding congestion and traffic jams Use of intelligent vehicle-highway systems (IVHS) Computerized cars receiving signals regarding traffic conditions from transmitters fitted at road intersection Entry of destination into cars computer and car working out route to the destination Avoids entry into congested roads Takes over some of the drivers tasks Allow travel at high speed (bumber to bumper) and increase roads vehicle carrying capacity

Energy & Transportation: Avoiding Road Congestion and Traffic Jams

Strategies for avoiding congestion and traffic jams (contd..) Criticisms against IVHS (IVHS contd..) Computer crash and subsequent traffic jams and vehicle collisions Problems introduced by change over between non-smart and smart roads Encouraging public transport Charging drivers for using congested roads Removing parking subsidies, imposing heavy parking charges and banning parking Imposing car taxes and fuel taxes Encouraging employees to prefer public transport (incentives and information services) Shifting frieght from road to rail one goods train is equal to about 50 trucks

Energy & Transportation: Urban Planning

Urban planning for reducing per capita number of trips and average distance of trips What increases transportation requirements Low density urban sprawl (making public transport costly) Automobile friendly transport systems rather than walkers/cyclists and commter friendly systems Homogenous zoning laws and spacial separation of homes, jobs and services What can reduce transportation needs Appropriate urban planning - lay out of homes, jobs, services, roads, transit points and parking lots Makes public transport feasible and cycling/walking viable City with satellite communities linked by rail or express ways Development of pedestrian and biker facilities Heterogenous zoning and compact development Consolidation and clustering of jobs, homes and services around public transit points doubling density reduces transport needs by 20-30%

Impacts of Auto-travel
Urban air pollution Nox, CO, hydrocarbons and lead (if petrol containing tetraethyl lead is used) are emitted by petrol driven spark ignition engines in OECD countries, motor vehicles contribute 50%, 66% and 50% of total HCs, CO and NOx emitted respectively Diesel engines are responsible for SPM emissions and SO2 emissions depending on the sulfur content of the diesel used Transportation activity is an important source for noise pollution Global environmental problems Air conditioners of vehicles are sources of CFC emissions 13% of the total CO2 emitted from the burning of fossil fuels is by the cars on roads (30% is by transportation activity) External costs (costs born by the society at large) Costs of infrastructure and services construction and maintenance of roads; traffic management; police and fire services; etc. Social costs - costs of congestion; costs of pollution and global warming; costs of safety (accidents); costs of dependence on imported oil; etc. External costs decrease in the following order: car travel air travel bus travel train travel External costs for many European countries are estimated at 2.5% of the GDP (just air pollution amounted to 0.5% of GDP)

Impacts of Auto-travel (contd..)

Other impacts
Auto culture is land intensive - a lane of cars can carry 2000 people per hour, while a lane of buses and an under ground metro can carry 30000 and 70000 people per hour respectively Has adverse impacts on human relations and social equity auto culture encouraged low density development which in turn made living costly and reduced access to public utilities Car culture has resulted in quite neighbourhood but at the cost of reduced sociability, friendliness and property safety Transportation made cities less people oriented and unlivable congestion, pollution and safety Pedestrians and cyclists are finding it difficult to reach their destinations Poor majority are deprived of their access to the modern transportation system Increased movement but reduced speed (more time is needed to reach destinations)

Automobiles and Air Pollution

Emissions from automobiles Tail pipe contributes 50% of HC emissions, and most of the Nox, CO and lead emissions Other sources for HC emissions are crank case, carburator and fuel tank Tail pipe emissions can be reduced by Minimizing quench surface of the combustion chamber Placing fuel in the middle of the combustion chamber Two chambered combustion or stratified engine design Emission control Catalytic convertor for tail pipe emission control
unleaded petrol needed to prevent catalyst deactivation

Positive crank case ventilation for controling emissions from it activated charcoal canisters for controlling emissions from carburator and fuel tank Using special iron based fuel additives and fitting particulate traps to control particulate emissions from diesel engines Two stroke engines are more compact but less fuel efficient and excessively polluting than the four stroke engines

Automobiles and Air Pollution (cond..)

Short and errand trips are more polluting HC and CO emissions are highest during start-up and first few minutes of running During the first few minutes catalytic convertors are less efficient due to low temperature conditions Unleaded petrol has greater fraction of aromatic hydrocarbons and thus tail pipe emissions have higher concentration of aromatic hydrocarbons Lean combustion Decreases emission of HC and CO and increases fuel economy But, it increases Nox emissions and emissions have high oxygen levels that limit catalytic reduction of NOx Operating engine under optimal conditions gives desired mixture of emissions that can be controlled by a catalytic convertor Electronic/computer controls involving monitoring and controlling operation of engine on the basis of monitored data

Non-motorized Transport
(walking, cycling and transport by rickshaw)
Non-motorized modes of transport powered by muscle power Economical, clean and healthy Appropriate for shorter trips when speed is not important, and safety and comfort are not at stake Majority do not own automobiles and have limited access to public transport Have no impacts on the people who do not travel and do not affect livability of cities If improved and made convenient it can compliment the public transport system Strategies for encouraging Directly encouraging non-motorized mode of transport Subsidy and financing schemes for bicycles & rickshaws purchase Allowance for using non-motorized transport modes Innovations and improvements/ modifications to cycles and rickshaws for making peddling easier and safer (Mixing motorized and non-motorized traffic responsible for high rates of road accidents and traffic congestion) compatible for local terrain, roads, people and their transport needs

Non-motorized Transport (contd..)

Strategies for encouraging (contd..)
Integrating with public transport systems safe access to public transit stops and stations priority to walkers and cyclers at transit stops secure parking and rent-a-bike facilities allowing cycles on board Improving access to all points throughout the city providing continuous routes (overpasses and underpasses at intersections) separate lines and paths wherever needed Inexpensive secured parking facilities Ensuring safety and comfort to walkers and cyclers roads should be shared both by motorized and nonmotorized traffic enforcement of traffic calming and imposing restrictions and bans on automobiles and their parking giving priority to non-motorized traffic in city centers

Rail Transport
Rail for transport of people and fright (more for fright) Diesel engines, electrical engines and external combustion engines (steam engines) Important in Europe, China, India and Japan Less polluting and energy efficient transport and reduces oil consumption (dramatic reduction in case of electrical rail) Financial and social returns are higher for rail than for highways(12-17% and 20-23% against 10 and 20% respectively) Land demand is modest a two line rail track is equivalent to a 16 line highway (15 m wide step against 122 m) Rail relieves highways from traffic congestion, affects least the people who do not travel and the quality of life in cities Accident record of rail better than that of road transport (in USA 18 times better; 29 times in West Germany and the Netherlands, and 80 times in France) Rail transport is faster and devoid of traffic jams Rail transport can encourage development of pedestrian and cycle friendly human settlements