Vol. 2, No. 1. | Winter 1996 |
The kickoff meeting for the Florida Suncoast Clean Cities Coalition was held in Tampa at the Holiday Inn Busch Gardens, near the University of South Florida campus, on November 2, 1995.
Gary Brosch, Director of USF's Center for Urban Transportation Research (CUTR), was named chair of the Coalition's Board of Directors, and additional founding board members named were Sharon Dent, Executive Director of the Hillsborough Area Regional Transit Authority and Jim Law, Executive Director of Bay Area Commuter Services.
Over 75 people from throughout the six-county Suncoast Clean Cities Coalition area attended, representing 41 Clean Cities stakeholders. Marcy Rood, National Clean Cities Program Manager for the U.S. Department of Energy, came from Washington to help kick off the Coalition's inaugural year.
The Clean Cities program was initiated to help government agencies meet the requirements of the Energy Policy Act of 1992 in converting agency fleets to alternative fuels, such as electric, natural gas, alcohol, or other non-petroleum based transportation fuels. The program is designed to help reduce urban air pollution, protect domestic natural resources, and reduce dependence on foreign energy sources.
CUTR was chosen by the Florida Energy Office to develop the Clean Cities program in the Tampa Bay region and provide continuing technical support to the Coalition once it is under way. There are already over 40 members in the Florida Suncoast Clean Cities Coalition, representing interests in Hillsborough, Pinellas, Polk, Pasco, Manatee, and Sarasota counties. Eventually, the Coalition will expand to include Citrus, Hernando, Orange, Seminole, and Osceola counties. Along with government agencies, private sector members are also encouraged to participate. Energy suppliers such as Peoples Gas Systems, Tampa Electric Company, and Florida Power Corporation have also joined the Coalition.
For more information on the Florida Suncoast Clean Cities Coalition, contact CUTR Research Associate John Bradley, jbradley@cutr.usf.edu
Conversion of Heavy Vehicle Fleet Being Evaluated
According to Michael Mann of EG&G Florida, Base Operations Contractor for the John F. Kennedy Space Center (KSC), the Center is dedicated to supporting the conversion of the federal vehicle fleet to alternative fuels. The General Services Administration (GSA) Fleet at the John F. Kennedy Space Center at Merritt Island now has 42 dedicated compressed natural gas vehicles (CNGVs), meaning the vehicles run only on natural gas, unlike bi-fuel vehicles that can use either natural gas or gasoline, changing fuels with the flip of a switch.
Executive Orders 12759 and 12844 mandated that federal agencies reduce dependence on foreign oils. Included was the requirement for the General Services Administration (GSA) to purchase alternative fuel vehicles to aid market development. KSC has worked hard to meet these requirements.
The Base Operations Contractor Alternative Fuels Office was created in Spring 1993 to implement the necessary changes to meet E.O. 12759 and 12844. After a thorough study of available alternatives, natural gas was chosen as KSC's alternative fuel.
For KSC, natural gas has many benefits and no real drawbacks. The cost of natural gas tends to be lower than gasoline or diesel fuel oil. In dedicated vehicles, natural gas also burns cleaner than gasoline or diesel, which means less air pollution and reduced maintenance costs. Ninety percent of the natural gas used in America comes from North American sources. This means that using natural gas results in less dependence on foreign sources of fuel and a potential reduction in the trade deficit.
With the goal of setting the standard for alternative fuels, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) at KSC is taking a pro-active approach to alternative fuel vehicles. Through a partnership with Dresser-Rand Corporation, NASA has constructed a self-contained compressed natural gas (CNG) fueling facility in the KSC Industrial Area that will be able to support itself independent of the electric power grid.
The main energy source of this natural gas compressor station is natural gas, and the compressor is driven by a natural gas engine. The electrical power to operate the control systems will initially be from the Center's power grid, but NASA has applied for a grant from the Environmental Protection Agency's Environmental Technology Initiative to aid in the installation of an array of photovoltaic (solar) cells to supply the electrical needs of the station. Once the solar cells are in place, the station will operate independent of the electric power grid.
Currently, the NGV fleet consists of 26 eight-passenger vans, 15 six-passenger minivans, and one 44-passenger bus, all of which operate on natural gas.
In addition to these dedicated NGVs, there is one bi-fuel sedan that operates on natural gas or unleaded gasoline. The vehicle fleet is being fueled by a 200 CFM compressor and 1000 cf pressure vessels which can fill a vehicle to 3000 psi in about one to two minutes.
Over the next year, KSC engineers will begin evaluating the Center's heavy equipment fleets for conversion to alternative fuels. The heavy equipment fleet consist of over 1000 trucks, forklifts, cranes, and generators. When a piece of equipment is scheduled for replacement, it will be replaced with equipment powered by an alternative fuel if it is cost-effective. The most common conversion will likely be of forklifts from gasoline and diesel to CNG.
The Air Quality Task Force of the American Lung Association (ALA) of Gulfcoast Florida has held a series of meetings over the past several months with interested individuals from the automotive repair industry. These meetings have lead to the formation of the Committee for Automotive Repair and Education (C.A.R.E.).
The goal of C.A.R.E. is to improve air quality by forming partnerships with individuals and organizations who are concerned about air pollution as it relates to the automotive industry. Endorsed by the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles, the Florida Suncoast Clean Cities Coalition, Gordon-Darby (the state's motor vehicle inspection contractor), the Environmental Protection Commission of Hillsborough County, and the Florida Department of Environmental Protection, C.A.R.E. has made the following concerns their top priorities:
Initiating action in high schools and vocational schools that will improve the chances of attracting more viable student candidates into automobile repair and service.
Working towards improving the general public's negative perception of the automotive repair industry. This concern will be addressed in a variety of ways, including exploring activities that involve doing positive work in the community, such as working together on air quality issues through affiliation with the American Lung Association.
Collaborating on projects that will bring automobile dealers, repair shops, vocational and secondary schools, and other groups concerned about air quality together for the purpose of educating the general public in a variety of areas. These areas include how to choose a repair shop, how to care for your car, and what types of career opportunities are available within the industry.
Consider branching out into other areas such as working together to reduce automobile thefts.
If you are interested in becoming more involved, or would like more information, contact ALA of Gulfcoast Florida's C.A.R.E. Program Administrator Debra Noel at (813)962-4448 or your local American Lung Association.
During the 1991-93 model years, the U.S. General Services Administration purchased 6,237 alternative fuel vehicles (5,435 methanol [M85], 727 CNG, and 75 ethanol [E85]).
Sunrayce '95, the solar car race across middle America, was won by a car from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) team. The winner covered the 1,150-mile course in 33 hours, 37 minutes, 11 seconds. A total of 38 cars started in Indianapolis, and 34 finished at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory in Golden, Colorado.
Chrysler and Ford are introducing their 1996 models of dedicated and bi-fuel compressed natural gas production vehicles at events in both the Goldcoast and Suncoast Clean Cities Coalition areas during later winter 1996. Look for media reports highlighting these manufacturers' alternative fuel vehicles during the roll-out period.
The library is the delivery room for the birth of ideas--
a place where history comes to life.
Norman Cousins
As part of its mandate to bridge the knowledge gap regarding alternative fuel vehicles, the Alternative Fuel Information and Training Center ("AF Center") at the Center for Urban Transportation Research (CUTR) is compiling a library of AFV-related information. The AF Center will serve as an information clearinghouse stocked with comprehensive and up-to-date materials.
Since the publication of the first issue of Clean Fuels Florida, the Center has acquired 143 additional AFV-related publications. The current list of publications includes:
Alternative Fuel Price Summary by William J. Sheppard of Battelle Memorial Institute.
Alternatives to Traditional Transportation Fuels: An Overview by the Energy Information Administration
The Road to Clean Cities, a primer on how to get a Clean Cities Coalition started in your area.
Official U.S. Government Printing Office copies of Clean Air Act Amendments of 1990 and the Energy Policy Act of 1992.
Built to Endure, a videotape published by a manufacturer of compressed natural gas cylinders showing the cylinders subjected to various reliability tests.
Training manuals on the use of CNG and methanol, written by the staff at Battelle Memorial Institute and published by the Federal Transit Administration.
Safe Operating Procedures for Alternative Fuel Buses, a Transit Cooperative Research Program (TCRP) synthesis report published by the Transportation Research Board.
Keys to the Car: Electric and Hydrogen Vehicles for the 21st Century, by James McKenzie of the World Resources Institute.
Alternative Fuel Transit Buses: Interim Results from the National Renewable Energy Laboratory Vehicle Evaluation Program (NREL), USDOE, 1995.
Initiation and Implementation of an Alternative Fuels Program. Society of Automotive Engineers, SAE, 1995.
To date, the AF Center is subscribes to 36 AFV-related periodicals, including:
Alternative Fuel Insider
BioDiesel Report
Butane-Propane News
Clean Fuel Report
Clean Fuel Vehicle Week
Electric Vehicle News
Fuel Cell News
Green Car Journal
Liquefied Natural Gas Express
Natural Gas Fuels
Natural Gas Vehicle
New Fuels Report
Some periodicals focus on specific fuels; others cover issues concerning the wide spectrum of AF technologies. The AF Center has subscribed to these periodicals to make timely AFV-related information available to Florida fleet operators.
The Center also has some materials available for copying and distribution at no cost to interested public agencies. These public information documents include:
a list of alternatively-fueled light-duty vehicles (passenger cars and trucks) currently available from original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) such as Ford, General Motors and Chrysler. (Compiled in 1994 by the U.S. Department of Energy)
a list of alternatively-fueled heavy-duty vehicle engine models currently available from engine manufacturers such as Detroit Diesel, Cummins and Caterpillar. (Compiled in 1994 by the U.S. Department of Energy)
a list of AFV conversion kits approved by the California Air Resources Board (CARB)
a survey among the members of the American Public Transit Association (APTA) listing buses, vans and trolleys of over 100 transit agencies in the U.S. & Canada by fuel type (Also available on disk in Lotus 1-2-3 spreadsheet form).
the Florida School Bus Alternative Fuel Manual published by the Florida Department of Education. (Required reading for organizations in Florida wishing to convert school buses to alternative fuels)
One publication available for general distribution to the public is an Alternative Fuel Information Kit published by the U.S. Department of Energy, which includes a list of alternative fuel information sources, a state-by-state profile of AF requirements and incentives, a comparative summary of both the Clean Air Act Amendments of 1990 and the Energy Policy Act of 1992 and a primer on CNG and LPG conversion.
If you know of a particularly helpful publication, periodical, or video, please contact the AF Center. The library has completed about 90 percent of its acquisitions, but any new publications and periodicals will also be considered. All materials in the AF Library are catalogued in an electronic database for easy information retrieval. If you would like to browse through the library, located at CUTR on USF's Tampa campus, or wish to request a "keyword" search through the database, contact CUTR Resource and Information Assistant Nevine Georggi at (813)974-3120.
When Sunrise, Florida, first introduced its natural gas-powered vehicle (NGV) fleet a few years ago, it was committed to keeping its air clean. The city is one of four Florida locales nominated by the state's Energy Office to compete for the United States Department of Energy's (USDOE) National Awards Program for Efficiency and Renewable Energy. Recently, Sunrise was presented with the USDOE's national energy conservation award.
"There really aren't a lot of places in Florida or the southeast United States that offer alternative fuel vehicles." said Tim Bottcher of Florida's Department of Community Affairs (DCA). "Not only was Sunrise the first to offer a natural gas fueling station in Florida, but its fleet of vehicles has grown by significant bounds since it was created in 1990."
According to Susan Fleming, Operations and Management Consultant for the DCA, "Sunrise is innovative. It is putting in a large sum of money to match the state grant funds it received, and is very committed to the project."
Sunrise has elected to fuel City fleet vehicles with compressed natural gas because it considers the fuel a clean, efficient, and economical choice. The city has two fueling stations operating 24 hours a day on a code card system, with a third, mobile station on the way.
For more information, call Harry Zehender, at (305) 572-2294.
Anyone caught behind a diesel bus knows the feeling. The fumes can be stifling, and the noise deafening. Now there is an alternative to typical mass transit in Pinellas County: the electric bus. The county's first one hit the road recently as a part of Pinellas Suncoast Transit Authority's (PSTA) promise to operate "exhaust free."
The PSTA's new solar-recharged, battery-powered electric bus is the only one of its kind in Florida. The vehicle will be used as a research tool. Manufactured by Advanced Vehicle Systems, Inc. (AVS), the bus is driven via its rear axle by an alternating current electric motor manufactured by General Electric, which receives its power from two on-board lead-acid battery packs. Each pack contains 81 individual cells that produce two volts, each for a total of 324 volts.
"The electric bus produces almost no emissions, so it will serve as a clean, environmentally-safe means of transportation in our county," said Roger Sweeney, PSTA's Executive Director. "The bus is part of a demonstration project, that will determine the future purchases of other alternative-fuel vehicles."
PSTA's new 22-seat electric bus can go as fast as 70 mph, but the agency installed a 49 mph governor on its vehicle. On a recent spin around the PSTA parking lot, Sweeney did not accelerate it to more than about 20 mph as Sweeney said, "It has a lot of pickup and go."
The length of the bus is 22 feet; the height, 99 inches; the width, 92 inches; the total weight is 12,000 pounds. It is equipped with a low floor and a maintenance-free wheelchair ramp, with a door opening of 36 inches. This makes it convenient for people with disabilities and complies with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). Senior citizen riders will appreciate the low floor and single, sloped step at the entrance door. The bus costs 70 percent less to maintain because it does not need repairs or maintenance on exhaust, cooling, fuel, emission systems and on transmissions. Tune-ups and oil changes are also eliminated. The average cost to operate the bus is 4.5 to 5.7 cents a mile, versus 18 cents a mile for diesel buses.
The Model 5122 bus uses an integral chassis and body construction and reaches speeds up to 70 mph through AC induction. AVS provided three days of extensive training for PSTA's safety and training staff and maintenance department on how to operate and maintain the vehicle. Only one or two drivers will be assigned to drive the bus initially, since driving characteristics make a significant impact on the efficiency of the vehicle.
Supporters of the bus recognize its challenges. "The problem with electric buses is the battery and its range," said Elias Stefanakos, chair of the Department of Electrical Engineering at the University of South Florida. "Short range is always a problem. There is a significant amount of research and development going on now to develop better batteries." The battery packs (which weigh approximately 3,000 pounds) will run for an estimated 6 to 8 hours or 80 to 100 miles (also known as duty cycle). While it takes the same amount of time to recharge the batteries, a second pair can be switched out in 15 minutes tore place the original ones when they are recharging.
The bus and ancillary equipment (spare batteries, charger, photovoltaic structure) cost approximately $240,000 and were funded by the Federal Transit Administration and PSTA. PSTA expects many benefits from the electric bus. PSTA installed the photovoltaic array early this winter, which generates power to help charge the bus batteries. The PV array is mounted on a superstructure at the south end of the bus maintenance garage. The array resembles a large carport or awning. A total of 18 kilowatts will be produced and fed into the PSTA distribution system. This amount will be enough to recharge the bus batteries and provide the additional power needed to offset other electrical uses in the garage.
The photovoltaic array consists of 90 panels and measures 17 feet wide by 136 feet long. Each module is 50« inches by 74« inches by 2 inches and weighs 105 pounds. It was designed by Mobile Solar Energy Corporation in Billerica, Massachusetts, and engineered by Massachusetts-based Ascension Technology. Based on the facility's location and direction by longitude and latitude, a 15-degree angle was determined to be the most optimal angle for the maximum sun exposure for the panels. The PV array has an approximate value of $120,000 and was made available to PSTA through Florida Power and the Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI).
The electric bus also has environmental benefits. Emissions from electricity, natural gas, or alcohol powered vehicles can be as much as 90 percent lower in toxic and smog-forming hydrocarbons than emissions from vehicles fueled with conventional gasoline.
"The installation will be part of a nationwide solar electric project to test clean PV technology on a wide range of commercial and industrial buildings," Sweeney said. "Through a cooperative effort, the electric bus, "a living laboratory" may catch on and help us move into a cleaner and quieter future in mass transit."
For more information, call Roger Sweeney, Executive Director, or Jill Cappadoro, Director of Marketing, at PSTA, (813) 530-9921, or John Bradley at CUTR, (813) 974-3120.
For all of you Net surfers out there, the following is a list of sites that are sources of alternative fuel information:
1995 HEV Challenge-- http://www.asee.org
ARPA Electric and Hybrid Vehicle Technology Program-- http://eve.ev.hawaii.edu/ARPA/about.html
Californians for Jobs and Clean Air (CAL-JCA)-- http://www.well.com/user/pse/cal-jca.htm
Cornell's Hybrid Electric Vehicle Team-- http://www.ee.cornell.edu/~hev
DOE's Alternative Fuels Data Center-- http://www.afdc.nrel.gov/
DOE's Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy Network-- http://www.eren.doe.gov
Yahoo Electric Vehicles-- http://www.yahoo.com/Business/Corporations/Automotive/Electric_Vehicles/
Green Wheels' WWW EV Resource List-- http://northshore.shore.net/~kester/websites.html
DOE's National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL)-- http://www.nrel.gov
Solar Car Page-- http://www-lips.ece.utexas.edu/~delayman/SOLARmisc.html
Texas State Energy Conservation Homepage-- http://www.gsc.state.tx.us/energy/energy.html
University of California at Irvine Hybrid Electric Vehicle Project-- http://www.adcom.uci.edu/indiv/mrkim/hev.html
