Technology Flashcards
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What are alternative fuel vehicles?
Vehicles that don’t run solely on gasoline or diesel
What are Hybrid-Electric vehicles?
Use both an internal combustion engine and electric power
What advanced technologies do hybrid-electric vehicles use?
- Battery pack and generator stores electricity
- Regenerative braking applies resistance to the drive train causing the wheels to slow down
- Electric Motor Drive/Assist provides additional power in accelerating and passing
- Automatic start/shutoff when vehicle comes to a stop
What is a “Mild” Hybrid vehicle?
It uses automatic engine shut-off/startup technology to marginally improve fuel economy.
What is a Full Hybrid?
Can use the electric motor as the sole source of propulsion for low speed, low acceleration driving
What is a Series Hybrid vehicle?
An internal combustion engine powers an electric generator and only the electric motor drives the wheels.
In what conditions does a Series Hybrid perform optimally?
For larger vehicles with powerful electric motors
What is a Parallel Hybrid vehicle?
Both the engine and the electric motor generate the power to drive the wheels.
How can a Parallel Hybrid system serve as an AWD system?
Use of a second electric motor to drive the rear wheels providing electronic AWD that can improve handling and bad weather conditions
What is a Series/Parallel Hybrid system?
Drivetrain that merges the advantages and complications of both parallel and hybrid systems.
The engine can drive both the wheels directly and be effectively disconnected from the wheels so the electric motor powers the wheels.
What is a two mode Hybrid system?
Patented hybrid technology with two modes optimized for city and highway driving
What types of fuel reductions were seen in the Hybrid International Truck and Engine utility vehicles that were tested as part of the HTUF pilot program?
40-60%
What is the difference between an Electric Vehicle and a Hybrid Vehicle?
An electric vehicle has an all electric motor that supplies power to the wheels at all times. Electric motor gets power from powerful high voltage battery pack with limited number of miles.
How can natural gas be used by fleet managers as a fuel?
Can be used in the form of compressed natural gas or liquefied natural gas to fuel cars and trucks.
What are the advantages of using Natural Gas as a fuel?
Take advantage of the wide spread availability of gasoline or diesel but a cleaner and more economical alternative
What is a Flex-Fuel vehicle?
Designed to run on gasoline or a blend up to 85% ethanol
What are some of the drawbacks of using Ethanol as a fuel?
- Can slowly decompose rubber compounds in fuel lines and seals in vehicles produced before 1980s
- Ethanol is an electrical conductor and can cause problems with electric fuel pump and tank sensors
- Less energy per volume than gasoline
What program was enacted by the EPA and Department of transportation’s National Traffic Safety Administration in 2016 to reduce greenhouse gasses?
Heavy Duty (HD) National Program designed to address the urgent challenges of dependence on oil, energy security and global climate change
How might these standards reduce greenhouse gas emissions (GHG)?
Potential to reduce GHG emissions by nearly 250 million metric tons and save approximately 500 million barrels of oil
What are the projected results of the standards?
- an average industry level of 163 grams/mile of CO2
- Cut 6 billion metric tons of GHG over the lifetime of vehicles model year 2021-2025
- Save families more than 1.7 trillion in fuel costs
- Reduce America’s dependence on oil by more than 2 million barrels per day in 2025
What are two intertwined and critically important needs of the US?
- To reduce oil consumption
- To address global climate change
How can the government help to reduce our dependence on foreign oil?
Setting fuel consumption standards for heavy duty sector
How does the transportation industry contribute to greenhouse gas emissions?
Emits 29% of all US GHG emissions
What are the benefits of the proposed HD National Program?
- Potential to reduce GHG by 250 million tons
- Save 500 million barrels of oil
- Reduce CO2 emissions from HD fleet by 72 million metric tons
What are the costs of the proposed HD National Program?
7.7 billion dollars
What are the three main regulatory categories of the HD National Program proposed by the EPA and the NHTSA?
- Combination tractors
- Heavy duty pickup trucks and vans
- Vocational vehicles
What types of vehicles are included in the proposal?
All on-road vehicles with gross vehicle weight of 8500lbs or more
Are trailers with engines covered by the proposal?
Not covered due to first ever nature of the proposal and agencies’ limited experience working in a compliance context with the trailer manufacturing industry
How are the EPA and NHTSA collaborating in order to reduce greenhouse gas emissions?
EPA is proposing GHG emissions standards under the clean air act. NHTSA is proposing fuel efficiency standards under EISA.
What are the proposed standards for N2O and CH4 emissions?
Would act to cap emissions to ensure that manufacturers do not allow the N2O and CH4 emissions of their future engines to increase above the controlled low levels.
How do air conditioning systems contribute to GHG emissions?
Direct emissions through refrigerant leakage and indirect emissions due to the extra load on the vehicles engine to provide power to the AC.
How does the proposed HD National Program provide flexibility to manufacturers to comply?
Provide sufficient lead time for manufacturers to make necessary technological improvements and reduce overall cost of the program. Without compromising overall environmental and fuel consumption objectives
What additional credit opportunities are available in the proposed HD National Program?
- Early credit option for manufacturers who demonstrate improvements in excess of the proposed standards
- Credit program intended to promote implementation of advanced technologies
- Intended to apply to new and innovative technologies that reduce vehicle CO2 emissions and fuel consumption
What vehicles are covered in the proposed standards?
Vehicles that carry payloads of goods and equipment in addition to passengers
What two metrics are proposed in the standard?
- Payload-dependent gram per mile for pickups and vans
- Gram per ton-mile proposed for vocational vehicles and combination tractors
How did the SmartWay Transportation Partnership contribute to the HD National Program?
To identify technologies and operational approaches that fleet owners, drivers and freight customers can incorporate
How are the proposed corporate average standards for Heavy-Duty pickup trucks and vans determined?
In the form of a set of target standard curves, based on a “work factor” that combines a vehicle’s payload, towing capabilities, and whether it has 4-wheel drive.
What are Vocational Vehicles?
A wide variety of truck and bus types including:
- delivery
- refuse
- utility
- dump
- cement
- transit bus
- shuttle bus
- school bus
- emergency vehicles
- motor homes
- tow trucks
What is Variable Valve Timing?
The process of altering the timing of a valve lift event and is used to improve performance, fuel economy and emissions
What is Active Fuel Management?
A trademarked name for the automobile variable displacement technology from General Motors. Allows V6 or V8 engine to turn off half of the cylinders under light load conditions to improve fuel economy.
What is the Atkinson Cycle engine and how might its implementation help improve fuel economy?
A type of internal combustion engine that is designed to provide efficiency at the expense of power density
What is a Partial Zero Emission Vehicle?
A vehicle that has zero evaporative emissions from its fuel system, has a 15yr warranty on its emission control components and meets Super Ultra Low Emission Vehicle standard.
What is Electronic Fuel Injection?
Replaced carburetors back in mid 1980s as preferred method for supplying air and fuel to engines. Uses pressure to spray fuel directly into the engine.
How can Electronic Fuel Injection help improve fuel efficiency?
With the improved cylinder-to-cylinder fuel distribution of multi-point fuel injection, less fuel is needed for the same power output
How can Exhaust Systems help reduce emissions?
The more consistent and predictable composition of the exhaust makes emissions control devices such as catalytic converters more effective and easier to design.
What are the differences between direct and indirect injection?
Direct – combustion takes place in a depression in the crown of the piston
Indirect – a sub-chamber shaped to swirl the compressed air and improve combustion
What is Exhaust Gas Recirculation?
A nitrogen oxide (Nox) emissions reduction technique used in gasoline and diesel engines. Recirculating a portion of an engine’s exhaust gas back to the engine cylinders.
What is the history of vehicles that have used EGR?
1970-1980s: used for Nox control in gasoline passenger car and light duty trucks
1990s: some gasoline applications could dispense with EGR
2000s: cooled EGR was common in heavy duty diesel engines
2010s: application of EGR expanded into light duty gasoline engines for fuel economy purposes
What is a Diesel Particulate Filter (DPF)?
A device designed to remove diesel matter from the exhaust gas of a diesel engine
How effective can DPF’s be at reducing emissions?
Reducing emissions by 85-90% or more
What is Selective Catalytic Reduction (SCR)?
An advanced active emissions control technology system that injects a liquid reductant agent into the exhaust steam of a diesel engine
How can SCR reduce emissions?
Reducing particulate matter (PM) and nitrogen oxides (NOx) to near zero levels.
What is the National Vehicle and Fuel Emissions Laboratory (NVFEL)?
Leads the development of science and research in support of EPA’s regulations in the transportation sector.
What sort of Certification and Compliance testing does the NVFEL perform on Light – Medium Duty Engines?
Engines are tested under standard test cycles designed to account for the unique conditions of each engine’s application, including cycles for on road, off-road and basic utility operation.
What system is being used by NVFEL in order to analyze different engine and transmission combinations in order to predict their emissions?
Portable Emissions Measurement Systems
What tests does the NVFEL perform on Heavy Duty Engines?
Mapping out the fuel consumption of heavy-duty engines at various operating conditions and using the results to validate Office of Transportation and Air Quality’s (OTAQ) heavy-duty Greenhouse Gas Emissions Model (GEM)
What is Natural Gas? What two forms are used as fuel for vehicles?
One of the cleanest burning alternative fuels. Can be used in the form of compressed natural gas (CNG) or liquefied natural gas (LNG) to fuel cars/trucks.
What is the difference between a Dedicated Natural Gas Vehicle and a Bi-Fuel Natural Gas Vehicle?
Dedicated natural gas vehicle – designed to run on natural gas only
Bi-fuel natural gas vehicle – can also run on gasoline or diesel
What are the advantages of Natural Gas-Powered Vehicle’s?
Wide spread availability of gasoline/diesel but use a cleaner more economical alternative when natural gas is available
How available is the technology today?
Limited vehicle availability
How common are Propane powered vehicles?
More than 270,000 propane vehicles in the US. More than 10 million worldwide.
What is the power of a Propane powered vehicle in comparison to a Gasoline powered vehicle?
Generally less than gasoline vehicles because of the 25% lower energy content of propane and lower efficiency of gas injection propane fuel systems.
How costly are propane powered vehicles to maintain?
Lower maintenance costs
How do Propane powered vehicles work?
- Propane is stored as a liquid in a low pressure tank that travels along a fuel line into the engine compartment.
- Propane to the engine is controlled by a regulator that converts the liquid to a vapor.
- Mixed with filtered air and drawn into the combustion chamber where its burned to produce power.
How can Propane powered vehicles be acquired?
Can be from OEMs or conversions. Certified installers can retrofit light duty vehicles for propane operation.
How does propane travel to the engine in propane powered vehicles?
As a liquid in a low pressure tank that travels along a fuel line into the engine compartment.
How is propane converted for use in the engine?
Propane to the engine is controlled by a regulator that converts the liquid to a vapor.
What happens to propane after it is converted to vapor?
It is mixed with filtered air and drawn into the combustion chamber where it is burned to produce power.
How can propane powered vehicles be acquired?
Can be from OEMs or conversions. Certified installers can retrofit light duty vehicles for propane operation.
What are the benefits of reducing the duration of engine idling?
- Decreasing fuel costs
- Decreasing engine maintenance costs
- Extending engine life
- Decreasing noise levels
- Decreasing emissions
What are the two ways of reducing idling?
- Modified driving behavior
- Idling reduction technologies
What is an Auxiliary Power Unit?
Portable vehicle-mounted systems that provide power for climate control and electrical devices without idling.
How can a Cab Heating system reduce fuel consumption?
Uses small amounts of diesel fuel.
What is a coolant heater?
Uses the truck’s regular heat transfer system. Heater is mounted in the engine compartment.
How can an energy recovery system help heat a transport cab?
Uses the vehicle’s heat transfer system without a separate piece of equipment. An electric pump is connected to the water line, which keeps the truck’s cooling system and heater operating after the engine is turned off.
How do Thermal Energy Storage Systems Function (TES)?
Technology that stocks thermal energy by heating or cooling a storage medium so the stored energy can be used at a later time for climate control and power generation.
What are the three types of TES systems?
- Sensible heat storage that stores thermal energy by cooling/heating a storage medium
- Latent heat storage using phase change materials
- Thermo-chemical storage using chemical reactions to store and release thermal energy
What is the difference between centralized and distributed systems?
Centralized systems can be used in district heating and cooling systems, large industrial plants, combined heat and power plants. Distributed systems are applied in domestic or commercial buildings to capture solar energy for water and space heating/cooling.
What does a TES system’s economic performance depend on?
On its specific application and operational needs including the number and frequency of storage cycles.
What TES storage mediums are available?
Most popular is water which has several residential and commercial applications.
What are the costs and performance of available TES systems?
- Heat storage systems offer a storage capacity from 10-50 kWh/t and efficiencies between 50-90%
- Phase change materials offer higher storage capacity and storage efficiencies from 75-90%
- Thermochemical storage can reach 250 kWh/t storage capacity with efficiencies from 75-100%
- Cost of PCM and TCS systems are higher
- Major cost associated with the heat transfer technology
What are some barriers to market entry that TES systems face?
- Cost is an issue
- TCS and PCM storage systems need improvements in storage performance.
How can Electrified Parking Spaces reduce emissions and benefit truck operators?
Provide truck drivers with necessary services like heating, air conditioning or appliances without idling their engines.
What is Single-System Electrification?
Off-board equipment at the truck stop provides internet, heating, ventilation and AC. A hose from the HVAC system is connected to the truck window.
What is Dual-System Electrification?
AKA shorepower requires both onboard and off board equipment so trucks can plug into electrical outlets at truck stops. Trucks must be equipped with AC equipment or an inverter to convert 120-volt power, electrical equipment, and hardware to plug into the electrical outlet.
