Florida Legislature Funds Alternative Fuels Center

In 1989, the Florida Legislature created the Center for Urban Transportation Research (CUTR) to develop innovative solutions to the state's transportation problems. One pressing problem in Florida is the push for alternative fuel vehicles (AFVs). The Clean Air Act Amendments of 1990, the Energy Policy Act of 1992, and various state-level programs have instituted both incentives and requirements for the purchase and conversion to AFVs. Because fleet vehicles typically return to a common site for fueling, state and federal programs often identify fleet operators as the focus of conversion efforts. However, although AFVs can provide significant benefits--cleaner air, more stable energy source, decreased operating costs, etc.--many uncertainties regarding their use remain.

Using a portion of the annual funding received from the Florida Legislature, CUTR established the Alternative Fuels Information and Training Center (the "AF Center") to bridge the knowledge gap regarding AFVs. The Center will provide technical assistance, answer questions regarding AFVs, host workshops, maintain a library of AFV-related information, distribute public documents contained in the library, and publish this newsletter. The primary audience for the Center's services are Florida fleet operators, both public and private. Individuals interested in converting their private cars to alternative fuels also may make use of information distributed by the center.

The following is a more detailed description of the Center's activities.

AFV Library and Information Dissemination
The Center is compiling a library of information related to AFVs. To date, the Center has collected and catalogued over 80 AFV-related documents and has subscribed to several AFV-related publications. The Center also has several public-domain documents that can be requested of CUTR at no cost. Popular items include a fact-filled Alternative Fuels Information Kit published by the U.S. Department of Energy and a list of AFV conversion kits approved by the California Air Resources Board. (More on the Center's AFV library in the next issue.)

If you would like to browse through the library located at CUTR on USF's Tampa campus or request a copy of the public domain documents, contact CUTR Resource and Information Director Nevine Georggi at (813) 974-3120.

Workshops
In February 1995, CUTR will host a training workshop on Safe Operating Procedures for Alternative Fuel Vehicles. For more information on the training session, see page 8.

Technical Assistance
The Center has provided assistance to Manatee County and the Florida Aquarium, helping these organizations prepare for the Florida Energy Office's Local Government Alternative Fuels Initiative (see article page 2). The Center also provided the Hillsborough County Metropolitan Planning Organization with an update on the Clean Cities Coalitions in both the Miami and Tampa metropolitan areas. More on the federal Clean Cities program will appear in the next issue.

Any fleet operator or individual in Florida may request technical assistance from the Center. Assistance could be as simple as answering a quick question or as detailed as providing an analysis of your fleet vehicles. To request assistance, contact AF Center Project Manager Amy Ellen Polk at (813) 974-3120.

We are confident that the Alternative Fuels Information and Training Center will benefit the people of Florida by helping to put more alternative fuel vehicles on the road. Increased use of AFVs will result in cleaner air and a more stable energy supply. The Center will realize these benefits only if people use our services, so please give us a call!

Florida Energy Office Offers Grants to Local Governments

In 1993, the City of Milton in the Florida Panhandle received a grant to build a public natural gas station and convert several vehicles to compressed natural gas (CNG). For years, the City has operated all its vehicles, including police cars and garbage trucks, on natural gas. The City will use this year's grant to convert several vehicles of quasi-public agencies, such as the Santa Rosa County Council on Aging, to CNG. The Council on Aging's Ann Spencer reports that the results of using CNG are that "engines last longer, oil changes are less frequent, and cost is less per equivalent gallon." Not only will the public station dispense natural gas, its generator will be powered by natural gas as well.

Over 40 local governments and their partners wish to share Milton's good fortune. These organizations submitted responses to the "Local Government Alternative Fuel Initiative" sponsored by the Florida Energy Office (FEO). The Initiative is a grant program designed to assist local governments in Florida with the purchase or conversion to alternative fuel vehicles.

FEO has $3 million available for this year's grant program, with a 50% local match required. FEO expects to disburse grants in allocations of from $100.000 to $300,000 per recipient. Letters of intent were due August 1, 1994, and the proposals were due September l. FEO expects to announce the award winners in early November.

The Tampa Port Authority and the Florida Aquarium applied for matching funds for two CNG-powered trams to shuttle Aquarium visitors between the building and the parking lot. The alternatively-fueled trams are part of the Aquarium's effort to make its parking area as environmentally friendly as possible, notes Jane Toombs, Director of Development for the Aquarium. Other facets of the project include landscaping the area with native Florida plants that require little water.

Jan Rickey, FEO Transportation Programs Manager, hopes that the local Government Initiative will become an annual program, but that possibility is remote considering the source of the program's funding. Unlike other state agencies, FEO, along with other state energy offices across the country, receives substantial funding for its programs from the Petroleum Violation Escrow Fund (PVE fund, also known as the "Oil Overcharge Fund"). This account, totaling in the billions of dollars, was the settlement of a lawsuit brought against various oil companies in the 1970s for overcharging customers for gasoline. The oil overcharge account only has about one or two more years of funding allotted to the FEO.

Rickey also noted that other funding sources are available for fleet operators interested in converting their vehicles. For privately-owned fleets that purchase new vehicles through the state vehicle procurement contract, FEO will pay the difference between a gasoline- and a CNG or propane-powered vehicle. Contact the Florida Energy Office at (904) 488-2475 for more information.

AF Facts - Did You Know...?

• Three-fourths of all state and federal fleets must be powered by alternative fuels by the year 2000, as required by the Energy Policy Act of 1992.
  
  
• One of every 25 transit buses in use or on order today (over 2,300 vehicles) is powered by an alternative fuel (either electricity, CNG, LNG, ethanol, or methanol), according to a July 1993 study conducted by the American Public Transit Association.
  
  
• As of September 1994, there were 350 public natural gas refueling stations in the United States, up from 312 one year ago.

Alternative Fuel Vehicles: Considerations for Florida Fleets

by Amy Ellen Polk, AF Center Project Manager

Introduction
Fleet operators should examine many issues when considering the transition to alternative fuel vehicles (AFVs). There are many advantages to making this transition. Fleets are sometimes drawn to AFVs because of a desire to be on the cutting edge of transportation technology. Perhaps a lesser known but more tangible benefit of AFVs is that their operating costs are typically less than gasoline-powered vehicles, due partly to the less expensive fuel and partly to the lower cost of maintenance. Finally, fleets use of AFVs results in cleaner air for drivers, passengers, and the community.

In Florida, state and national requirements are not a reason for most fleet operators to convert to AFVs. The AFV requirements of the Clean Air Act Amendments of 1990 apply only to fleets in severe or extreme non-attainment areas, none of which are in Florida. The Energy Policy Act of 1992 applies only to fleets with 50 or more vehicles in cities with a population greater than 250,000. Very few Florida fleets fit this description. Florida has no AFV requirement, such as the California Air Resources Board's requirement that 2% of all vehicles sold in California after 1998 must be zero emission vehicles (ZEVs). However, the Clean Air Act Amendments of 1990 and the Energy Policy Act of 1992, combined with the Clinton Administration's acceleration of federal AFV acquisition, have primed the market for AFVs.

The U.S. Department of Energy, followed by many state governments, has enacted several AFV incentives. In addition, the current regulatory climate has encouraged original equipment and after-market conversion manufacturers to further the technological development of AFVs, increasing their quality and reliability, while bringing down prices. Finally, while demand of alternative fuel vehicles increases, so does the availability of the fuels.

Six Alternative Fuel Options Compared
This article examines conversion of conventional gasoline powered vehicles to the most popular types of alternative fuels available today: propane, compressed natural gas (CNG), liquefied natural gas (LNG), methanol, ethanol and electricity. It does not examine fuels that are less polluting than gasoline but can run on conventional engines, such as reformulated gasoline (RFG) or winter oxygenated gasoline (OXY), nor does it deal with futuristic, still-experimental technologies such as hydrogen fuel-cells.

Propane, CNG, and LNG are all derivatives of natural gas. Propane is the primary gas in liquefied petroleum gas (LPG). Although not usually characterized as the alternative fuel of the future, propane is the most widely used alternative to gasoline for vehicle fuel in the United States. By 1993, there were over 350,000 propane powered vehicles in the U.S.

Compressed natural gas, which is composed primarily of methane, is stored in fuel tanks at very high pressure, between 3,000 and 4,800 pounds per square inch. CNG must be stored in special tanks that take up space and add weight to the vehicle. Refueling of CNG vehicles can take longer than conventional vehicles because the fuel must be kept pressurized during the process. Despite this limitation, CNG has become a popular choice among transit agencies in Florida as an alternative fuel for their buses. MetroDade Transit Agency in Miami, LYNX in Orlando, and HARTline in Tampa all have CNG-powered buses either operating or on order.

Liquefied natural gas is produced when natural gas is subjected to temperatures of 260 degrees below zero. The fuel turns to liquid and can be pumped directly into a fuel tank. LNG storage tanks do not need to maintain the same pressure requirements as CNG, but they do need special insulation to keep the fuel at the low temperature.

Methanol is a liquid fuel that can be produced from several sources, including natural gas, alcohol, wood, coal and biomass. Because methanol can be made from coal, it is a popular choice in areas with large coal reserves, such as the West. Since methanol-powered vehicles have difficulty starting in cold weather, the methanol is frequently mixed with gasoline at an 85% to 15% ratio.

Ethanol is a liquid fuel derived from organic substances, such as corn. Ethanol can be mixed with gasoline (at a rate of up to 5%) and run on conventional engines to reduce pollutants and decrease fuel costs. Dedicated vehicles with specially-made engines run on 100% ethanol. This past July, the Clinton Administration announced that, by 1996, 30% of oxygenates added to gasoline must be made from renewable sources. Oxygenates are added to gasoline--usually in a 2%-98% mixture--to make gasoline-powered vehicles less polluting. The principal oxygenate made from renewable sources is ethanol.

With electric vehicles (EVs), energy is stored in a battery that must be recharged frequently. Although the distance EVs can travel between rechargings (less than 100 miles) is much more limited than the distance between refuelings provided by gasoline-powered vehicles, research and development of electric vehicles is popular among many start-up firms in the state. Because sunshine is among Florida's natural resources, the state and federal governments are sponsoring research programs in electric vehicles whose power comes from solar energy.

Availability of Fuels and Vehicles
In considering the transition to alternative fuel vehicles, prime consideration should be given to the availability of the fuel in your area and the availability of the vehicles themselves. Fuels based on natural gas--propane, CNG, LNG--are widely available in Florida, because of the abundant supply of this natural resource in the state. Electricity is also in abundant supply; however, prices of this fuel may vary due to factors that have nothing to do with transportation, such as the large demand for air-conditioning in the summer. There is only one methanol dealer in Florida, Ashland Chemical, with a methanol refueling station in Miami at Metro-Dade Transit Authority's maintenance facility. There are no known ethanol distributors in Florida. (None of Florida's cities were among the areas required to use ethanol-based oxygenates in their gasoline.)

Almost any kind of vehicle can be converted to run on any type of alternative fuel. The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) has prepared a profile of alternatively-powered passenger cars, passenger vans, and other assorted light-duty vehicles available from original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) such as Ford, GM, and Chrysler. The DOE is preparing a similar profile of alternatively-powered buses. The California Air Resources Board publishes a list of approved after-market kits to convert existing vehicles to AFVs. Copies of these documents are available from the CUTR's Alternative Fuel Information and Training Center.

Performance
The distance a vehicle can travel between refuelings on a standard-sized tank is less for any type of alternative fuel than for gasoline. Range estimates for a passenger car with a 16-gallon tank for six types of alternative fuels are shown in Table 1.

The lesser range of AFVs can be compensated for by installing larger tanks in the vehicles. In general, AFVs powered by any type of alternative fuel do not perform as well as conventional vehicles in terms of pick-up and acceleration. Dedicated AFVs, on the whole, have better performance than vehicles that can run on either gasoline or the alternative fuel (bi-fuel conversions) or a mixture of the two (dual-fuel conversions).

Environmental Benefits
Because a regional air-shed is affected by emissions from hundreds of thousands of gasoline-powered vehicles, the contribution that a fleet of even 100 AFVs will have to a region's air quality will be negligible. However, it is important to be aware of the various air-quality impacts of different fuels in order to explain the benefit of conversion to outside parties, such as local elected officials and passengers.

Although the California Air Resources Board classifies electric vehicles as Zero Emission Vehicles (ZEV), they could also be termed Elsewhere Emitting Vehicle (EEV). EVs could contribute more carbon dioxide per mile and add other pollutants not emitted by other AFVs, such as sulphur dioxide from coal-burning plants and lead from batteries. Sulphur emissions can be avoided by generating electricity from cleaner sources (such as solar energy), but the lead-acid battery disposal problem still remains.

Cost of Vehicles and Fuels
Prices of various vehicle purchases and conversions can be found from the listings in Table 2. In general, purchase of an alternatively fueled vehicle from an OEM will cost more but deliver better performance. Cost estimates per mile for six types of alternative fuels are shown in Table 3.

Refueling Facilities
As stated above, there are currently no ethanol refueling facilities and only one methanol refueling facility in Florida. People's Gas has entered into a joint venture with Amoco, called Florida Natural Fuels, to build a network of over 50 natural gas refueling stations throughout the state by the end of 1994. Natural gas refueling stations can be configured to accommodate vehicles that run on propane, CNG, and LNG. Electric vehicles can be recharged at any 1 5-amp electrical outlet; however, without special equipment, a recharge can take over 8 hours. For a list of AFV refueling stations in your area, contact your local natural gas utility, electric utility, or ethanol and methanol dealer. If you plan to use an existing refueling facility, contact that facility about its ability to meet the increased demand your fleet will bring.

In addition to using an existing refueling station, it is possible to build one on your fleet dispatch site. The cost of installing a CNG refueling facility is approximately $200,000. The cost of installing a methanol refueling facility is $40,000 to $70,000. Contact your local fuel supplier for information on installing your own AFV refueling facility.

When choosing an appropriate refueling facility (or building your own), it is imperative to compare the range of the AFVs to the routes the vehicles usually run. Will the vehicles be able to run their normal routes and return to the refueling facility without running out of fuel? If not, you must consider (a) building a refueling facility in a more centralized location, (b) choosing an alternative fuel with a higher energy density, (c) choosing an AFV with more fuel storage capacity, or (d) building multiple refueling sites.

Maintenance: Costs and Personnel
Currently, information on the comparative maintenance costs of various alternative fuels is sketchy and anecdotal. In Florida, the most complete study was performed by the Metro-Dade Transit Agency in Miami. MDTA received a grant from the Florida Energy Office to run five buses on similar routes using different types of pollution control technologies--methanol fuel, compressed natural gas fuel, and particulate traps. The MDTA buses that used CNG performed "pretty well," according to MDTA superintendent Armand Durrieu. MDTA had considerable problems with methanol-powered buses. The engines that ran on methanol needed an overhaul after only 30,000 miles, whereas bus operators can normally expect a regular diesel engine to last over 250,000 miles.

The agency did have some problems with refueling of CNG. The refueling station MDTA used in Miami did not store the CNG at high enough pressure, so that the tanks held much less fuel than intended. However, the limited range was not a major problem for these buses; they could operate for 4 to 5 hours between refuelings.

Another key issue involving AFVs is their maintenance. Who will perform the required maintenance on the new vehicles? Are your technicians trained in the maintenance of AFVs? If not, do you have access to technicians who are?

For compressed natural gas, a training process exists for the installation, diagnosis, and repair of CNG-powered engines. Call the National Institute for Automotive Service Excellence (ASE) at (703) 713-3800 to receive a study guide for their maintenance certificate or a list of certified technicians in your area. For other types of fuels, contact your local fuel supplier for more information.

Safety
When discussing safety considerations of transportation fuels, the dangers of gasoline are often forgotten. Gasoline and diesel fuel are highly flammable; they are toxic when inhaled or left on exposed skin for long periods of time. Each fuel (including gasoline and diesel) has its own safety considerations.

Liquefied petroleum gas (made from propane) and ethanol are both liquid fuels that can spill on the ground during refueling. Like gasoline, they are fire hazards, so care must be taken during the refueling process.

Because compressed natural gas is stored at such high pressures, one loose fitting can fly across the room like a missile. CNG maintenance workers must focus special attention when working with these vehicles. To help detect leaks, some agencies install methane detectors or add an odorant to the odorless gas. CNG is lighter than air, so good ventilation is needed near the roofs of refueling and maintenance facilities. CNG actually has a higher ignition temperature than gasoline, making it less of a fire hazard.

Because liquefied natural gas must be stored at such low temperatures, LNG vehicles require special insulated steel fuel tanks, similar to giant thermos bottles. Maintenance technicians are required to wear protective clothing when refueling.

Methanol is an extremely toxic fuel--far more toxic than gasoline. Maintenance technicians must wear protective clothing and gloves to keep from getting the fuel on their skin. Methanol is flammable and heavier than air, so when leaked, it pools on the floor, causing a fire hazard. Therefore, ground-level ventilation systems are needed at refueling and maintenance facilities.

The definitive source for safety information on AFVs in the transit industry is a Transit Cooperative Research Program (TCRP) synthesis paper entitled "Safe Operating Procedures for Alternative Fuel Buses." The report outlines recommended safe operating procedures for the refueling and maintenance of five types of AFVs--propane, CNG, LNG, ethanol, and methanol--plus it gives four case studies of transit agencies that use alternatively fueled buses. The report costs $16 and is available through the Transportation Research Board at 1 (800) 424-9818.

Conclusion
There are over 7,000 alternatively fueled vehicles currently on the road in Florida. That number could easily double by the end of this decade. Tax incentives, available grant funding, and public fleet purchase programs at the federal and state levels will encourage fleet operators to make the transition. This increased demand will prime the market for a wider choice of vehicles and more refueling stations throughout the state. Because they generally return to a standard location for refueling, fleets are extremely well-suited for conversion to alternative fuels. The rewards of conversion to AFVs are many: lower fuel costs, lower maintenance costs, and cleaner air for your passengers and your community. There are many obstacles to conversion and many issues to consider. Transition will not be easy, but it can be done.

This article was adapted from a presentation made to the Second Annual Florida Transportation Disadvantaged Conference.

Coming in the Next Issue

• AF User Spotlight: City of Milton and Santa Rosa County
  
  
• Clean Cities Coalitions in SE Florida and Tampa Bay
  
  
• AF Center's Resource Library

AF User Spotlight: Neighborly Senior Services

by Ray Trahan, Project Director, Neighborly Senior Services. Clearwater, Florida

Neighborly Senior Services (NSS), a private, non-profit organization that provides care to over 12,000 seniors in Pinellas County, started to convert its vehicles to compressed natural gas in 1979. NSS was compelled to convert in response to the gasoline shortages and increased prices of that time. The conversion was made to allow dual fuel capability and to achieve more flexibility and reliability for the fleet.

Currently, NSS has 32 vehicles that run on either gasoline or CNG--"bi- fuel" conversion. As new vehicles are procured, they are also converted to CNG. The cost to convert to CNG is generally around $2,000 to $3,000 per vehicle, depending on the type of vehicle and the number of cylinders of the engine. The price per gallon of natural gas is $0.55, about half the cost of gasoline.

The initial cost of $250,000 for 3 compressors, 55 time-fill fueling probes, the quick fill station ($ 112,500), and equipment and installation for 55 vehicles ($137,000) was amortized from June 1980 to June 1985, based on an annual fuel savings of $43,000 and $7,000 savings in annual maintenance costs. The initial conversion was in the experimental stage of development, so full advantage to the CNG system was not realized until June 1980 when a "closed-loop" conversion system was purchased. "Closed-loop" systems use a computer chip to control the fuel/air mixture to the engine and allow vehicles to operate much more efficiently on both regular gas and CNG. Currently, no problems have been experienced with the CNG system, other than minor adjustments.

Both the performance and reliability of the CNG vehicles are excellent. Since CNG is so much more clean-burning than gasoline, there is much less of a need for major tune-ups and much less wear and tear on the engine, drive shaft, transmission and differentials. The average time between major tune-ups has doubled: from 16,500 miles to 32,500 miles.

One problem that had to be overcome was the training of NSS technicians in the safety of the CNG system. Many people assumed that the system was dangerous and would spontaneously explode, like the explosions of gas-heated houses seen on television at that time. However, in the open environment where gas is lighter than air, natural gas dissipates so rapidly that conditions making the gas likely to explode are avoided. Additionally, because CNG has an ignition temperature twice as high as gasoline and a narrower range of flammability, it is far less likely than gasoline to spontaneously combust. The CNG tanks mounted on the vehicle are made of either steel or aluminum and are stronger than normal gasoline tanks. The cylinders actually add to the structural integrity of the vehicle, and have been subjected to and passed rigorous abuse tests, such as pressure extremes, gunfire, heat, collisions and fires. Most people who view an NSS film made of the severe abuse tests tend to change their assumption about the perceived danger of CNG.

Neighborly Senior Services is proud to be considered a pioneer in CNG-fueled vehicles.

Tampa to Host Free Safety Workshop

Transportation Safety Institute to Conduct Course in Alternative Fuels Safety

During the week of February 13-17, 1995, people from all over the country will converge on Tampa to participate in an extensive "train the trainers" course in alternative fuels safety conducted by the Transportation Safety Institute (TSI).

The course will be the only one presented in the southeastern United States and the only one to provide instructions on three different types fuels: compressed natural gas, liquid natural gas, and methanol. Other course sites are Cleveland, Ohio; Hampton, Virginia; Austin, Texas; Oxnard, California; and Hayward, California. Participation in the workshop is free.

This is a "train the trainers" course, meaning that, upon completion of the course, participants will be certified to conduct training sessions of their own, using the materials and methods distributed in class. Enrollment is limited to 18 students, and first priority will be given to people who are willing to train others using class materials. If too many people must be turned away from this class, CUTR will conduct its own course on CNG, LNG, and methanol safety in May or June of 1995.

According to TSI's course announcement, "upon completion of the course, the participant will:

• have a good understanding of the proper use of alternative fuels,
  
  
• be able to identify the advantages of using alternative fuels in transit vehicles,
  
  
• have knowledge to compare and contrast the physical properties of alternative fuels with those of conventional fuels,
  
  
• be able to relate recommended practices and procedures for preventing and/or responding to alternative fuel spills, leaks, fires and resulting injuries,
  
  
• have a good understanding of the health effects and human toxicity rules when operating, maintaining or fueling AFVs,
  
  
• have the tools and capabilities to train others about alternative fuel safety."

It is hoped that the many Florida fleet operators at the beginning stages of AFV operations will attend this course. The attendance of emergency response technicians would assist CUTR's AF Center and TSI in the development of proper emergency response procedures for incidents involving AFVs.

Applications are available from CUTR's AF Center at (813) 974-3120. For more information, contact the Transportation Safety Institute in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, at (405) 954-3682. To register, fax the application to the Transportation Safety Institute at (405) 954-3521.

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