Alternatives to Traditional Transportation Fuels

1,21
MB

149
stron

742
ID U.S. Department of Energy

1995
rok

Contents

Page

Executive Summary . ix

Section 1: Alternative Fuels Data

1. Introduction . 3

Background . 3

Energy Security 3

Air Quality 4

Report Content . 5

Limitations 7

Data Sources 7

Caveats . 7

2. Status of Alternative Fueled Vehicles 9

Fleet Programs . 9

Federal Fleet Programs 10

State Programs . 10

Inventory 11

Federal Alternative Fueled Vehicles 11

Non-Federal Alternative Fueled Vehicles 12

3. Fuel Consumption . 17

Alternative Fuels 17

Methanol Consumption 17

Ethanol Consumption 17

Liquefied Petroleum Gas Consumption 18

Natural Gas Consumption 20

Traditional and Replacement Fuels 20

Gasoline Consumption . 20

Replacement Fuels in Gasoline: Methyl Tertiary-Butyl Ether and Ethanol 22

Reformulated Gasoline 23

Diesel Consumption . 24

4. Greenhouse Gas Emissions and Replacement Fuels 25

Future Plans 27

Caveats 29

Section 2: Technology

5. Legislation Affecting Use of Alternative Fuels . 33

Background 33

Clean Air Act Amendments of 1990 . 33

California Pilot Program . 35

Clean-Fuel Fleet Program 35

Transit Bus Provisions . 36

Alternative Motor Fuels Act of 1988 36

Energy Policy Act of 1992 . 38

Executive Order 12844: Federal Use of Alternative Fueled Vehicles . 40

iv Energy Information Administration/ Alternatives to Traditional Transportation Fuels: An Overview



Contents (Continued) Page

Role of EPA in Regulation of Emissions 40

Background . 40

Mobile Source Emissions 41

Vehicular Emissions Standards 41

Clean-Fuel Fleet Program 42

Inspection and Maintenance Programs 42

Role of States in Regulation of Emissions . 44

State Implementation Plans . 44

California Programs . 44

6. Alternative Fuels 47

Introduction 47

Hydrogen . 47

Compressed Natural Gas and Liquefied Natural Gas . 47

Liquefied Petroleum Gas . 47

Methanol . 48

Ethanol . 48

Electricity . 48

Physical and Chemical Characteristics . 48

Overview . 48

Composition . 52

Fuel Properties 54

Energy Density . 54

Volatility 56

Octane . 57

Cetane 58

Heat of Vaporization 58

Flame Speed . 58

Flame Temperature and Luminosity 58

Autoignition Temperature 58

Flashpoint . 59

Flammability 59

Fuel Production . 59

Hydrogen Production 59

Natural Gas Production 60

Liquefied Petroleum Gas Production 60

Methanol Production 61

Ethanol Production 62

Electricity Production . 62

Fuel Distribution 63

Hydrogen . 63

Natural Gas . 63

Liquefied Petroleum Gas . 64

Methanol and Ethanol . 65

Electricity . 66

7. Traditional and Replacement Fuels 69

Gasolines 69

Overview . 69

Physical and Chemical Characteristics of Gasolines 70

Fuel Properties of Gasolines 71

Conventional, Oxygenated, and Reformulated Gasoline Production . 73

Distribution of Gasolines . 76

Energy Information Administration/ Alternatives to Traditional Transportation Fuels: An Overview v

Contents (Continued) Page

Diesel . 79

Overview . 79

Physical and Chemical Properties of Diesel 79

Fuel Properties of Diesel . 79

Diesel Production . 80

Diesel Distribution 80

8. Characteristics of Alternative Fueled Vehicles . 83

Vehicles . 83

Engines 83

Vehicle/Engine Systems 84

Alcohol-Fueled Vehicles . 84

Liquefied Petroleum Gas Vehicles . 86

Natural Gas Vehicles 86

Electric Vehicles . 88

Hydrogen Vehicles 89

9. Emerging Fuel Resources . 91

Introduction 91

Biodiesel from Vegetable Oils . 91

Coal-Derived Transportation Fuels 91

10. Greenhouse Gas and Harmful Emission Formation . 93

Background 93

Climatology 93

Greenhouse Gases . 94

Definition and Behavior 94

Sources of Greenhouse Gases . 95

Determining the Background Level of a Greenhouse Gas . 95

Greenhouse Gases and Air Pollution 96

Other Air Pollutants from Transportation Fuels 101

Particulate Matter . 101

Appendices

A. State Government Initiatives 105

B. Explanatory Notes 119

C. Listing of Sources for Information on Alternative Fueled Vehicles 123

D. References 129

E. Relationship of Fuel Chemistry to Engine Performance . 131

F. Fuel Cycle for Transportation Fuels 135

Glossary . 137