Alternative Fuel Sources In Mass Transit

Matt Baker

Eric Reid

Mercer University School of Engineering

Oil Shortage Scare• Alternative Fuel

Sources• Including:

– Biofuels• Ethanol (E-85)• Biodiesel

– Hybrid/Electric– Hydrogen

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The Mass Transit Frontier

• Some economic problems have been associated with alt. fuel sources in personal vehicles

• Mass transit could provide a more efficient market for these fuel sources

• More people using less resources is more cost efficient

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Biofuels

• Ethanol (E-85)– Already in use– Deemed

economically inefficient by some

– Affects food sources

• Biodiesel– In use in some

large vehicles and machines

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Hydrogen

• Idea is viable• Technology and

resources are not advanced enough to implement hydrogen in a cost-effective manner

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Hybrid-Electric

• Already in use in mass transit and personal vehicles– Personal vehicles

• Costly to implement

– Mass Transit• More people

using less vehicles, which makes it more cost efficient

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Cons of Biofuel/Hydrogen

• Biofuel Raising price of corn

due to production of ethanol

Using food resources is creating more problems than it’s solving

• Hydrogen Technology has

potential Fuel cell isn’t ready for

mass production/safety

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IEEE Endorsement for Hybrid-Electric

• Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers

• 6-Step Action Plan to speed up and encourage development of Hybrid-Electric Transportation

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Mass Transit – New York City

• About one in three users of mass transit and two-thirds of the nation's rail riders live in New York City or its suburbs

• New York is the only city in the United States where over half of all households do not own a car

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Mass Transit Action Plan

• Use New York City as a case study for hybrid-electric in mass transit

Highest per person mass transit city in U.S. Provides large-scale experimental data on viability of

hybrid-electric mass transit

• Saves government as well as consumer valuable tax dollars that can be spent elsewhere

Consumer saves by using mass transit rather than personal vehicle

Government saves tax dollars because less is spent on fuel to facilitate mass transit systems

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References

• Bullis, Kevin. (2007). Electric Cars 2.0. Technology Review, (September/October 2007), 100-101.

• Environmental and Energy Study Institute. (2006). Hybrid buses costs and benefits. Retrieved March 11, 2008.

• Fahey, J., Farnham, A., & Muller, J. (2005, April 25). Hydrogen gas. (cover story). Forbes, 175(9), 78-83. Retrieved March 11, 2008 from Academic Search Complete database.

• Hydrogen cars can solve a foreign problem. (May 16, 2007). USA Today. Retrieved March 11, 2008.

• Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE). (2003). Hybrid-Electric Vehicles and Electric Transportation. Washington, D.C.: Staff Contact: Bill Williams.

• Ogden, J. (2006, September). High hopes for hydrogen. Scientific American, 295(3), 94-101. Retrieved March 11, 2008 from Academic Search Complete database. 

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References

• Revkin, Andrew C. (12/08/2007). Hydrogen Car is Here, but Where’s the Hydrogen Economy. New York Times. Retrieved March 11, 2008.

• Spector, Mike. (2007). Environment (A Special Report); The Economics of Hybrids: For most U.S. consumers, they’re still a money-losing proposition. The Wall Street Journal, October 29, 2007, R.5.

• U.S. Department of Energy. (2007). Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy. Washington, D.C.

• Wald, Matthew L. (1/2007). Is ethanol for the long haul. Scientific American, vol 296(issue 1). Retrieved March 11, 2008.

• Will, George F. (2/11/2008). Biofuel follies. Newsweek, vol 151(issue 6). Retrieved March 11, 2008.

• World Public Opinion. U.S. Public Favors Raising Auto Fuel Efficiency (CAFE) Standards.

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References (Images)• http://msnbcmedia4.msn.com/j/msnbc/Components/Photos/070516/070516_ga

s_vmed_4p.widec.jpg

• http://tnjn.com/content/storyimage/2006/11/16/Gas_Prices.512.512.jpg

• http://www.lightrail.com/photos/dallas/cityplacedart2.jpg

• http://bookstore.teriin.org/images/books/Biofuel-Cover.jpg

• www.ornl.gov/.../images/a06_hydrogen_full.jpg

• http://i16.photobucket.com/albums/b43/taurinus88/586x256_EV.jpg

• http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://bp2.blogger.com/_GwDYFxb8piY/RlWzJvABRTI/AAAAAAAAAdM/UeMmQ8MwiDw/s400/20070516RZ1AP-Ethanol.jpg&imgrefurl=http://chasblogspot.blogspot.com/2008/03/rising-food-costs-due-to-ethanol.html&h=303&w=400&sz=26&hl=en&start=13&um=1&tbnid=MYEMRTK8iZKH6M:&tbnh=94&tbnw=124&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dcorn%2Bcost%2Bdue%2Bto%2Bethanol%26um%3D1%26hl%3Den%26safe%3Doff%26rlz%3D1B3DVFA_enUS237US242%26sa%3DG

• http://www.cse.uconn.edu/icde04/IEEE.logo.jpg

• http://www.tsa.gov/graphics/images/pie_chart.jpg

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