Clean Biodiesel Technology

From the November/December 2006, GREEN@WORK magazine, www.greenatworkmag.com, Sustainable Cities: Change at the grassroots level, page 26, an article about the benefits of biodiesel technology:


From SUPPLY TO DEMAND
The values of heightened respect for the environment and prudent use of natural resources have become increasingly central in the transportation sector.
Special to Green@Work

For most of the century, the main concern of transport planners and policy makers was the "supply" of transportation, specifically in ensuring that the supporting infrastructure was going to be adquate. It was the uspply and efficient operation of vehicles that got attention. Analysts claim most cities overbuilt their physical transportation infrastructures, leading to unsustainable levels of traffic. As a result, the sustainable transportation movement has gradually been gaining in force. However, the movement is still in a minority.

Actual expenditures in the urban transport sector are determined by criteria other than sustainability. But, gradually, there has been a shift in public spending away from building and supply, to management and demand. the values of heightened respect for the environment and prudent use of natural resources have become increasingly central.

The Benefits of Clean Diesel Technology

Green Diesel Technology vehicles developed by International Truck and Engine Corp. and IC Corporation, International's wholly-owned affiliate, are the wave of the future. Through the use of development of new clean technologies, the diesel industry is expected to cross a historic milestone in 2007; one that will put diesel on par with some of the most advanced, clean and energy-saving solutions of the future. In January, U.S. truck and engine manufacturers wlll begin producing the most advanced, clean technology ever produced for heavy-duty trucks and buses. Ultra-low sulfur diesel (ULSD) fuel will play a leading role in helping cities and states meet strict new air quality goals set by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

The EPA's rules for heavy-duty engines mandate a 90 percent reduction in particulate matter (PM) emissions from today's standards, and a 95 percent reduction in nitrogen oxides (NOx). The guidelines also require reductions in emissions of hydro-carbons (HC). While NOx standards and HC standards will be phased in between 2007 and 2010, it is feasible to retrofit recent model diesel vehicles with filters to reduce PM. Factors that affect retrofitting include geographic location, duty cycle and engine type. International is exmining the best way to provide retrofit options to its customers.

The development of the hydraulic hybrid is the reslt of the partnership between the EPA, U.S. Army, United Parcel Service (UPS), International and Eaton Corporation. UPS is the world's largest package-delivery company and a global leader in supply chain services, offering an extensive range of options for synchronizing the movement of goods, information and funds. Headquartered in Atlanta, UPS and funds. Headquartered in Atlanta, UPS serves more than 200 countries and territories worldwide. The EPA and UPS plan to evaluate the vehicle's fuel economy performance and emissions during a series of tests in 2006. In laboratory testing, the EPA's patented hydraulic hybrid diesel technology achieved a 60- to 70-percent improvement in fuel economy, and more than a 40-percent reduction in carbon dioxide emissions, compared to a conventional UPS vehicle.

The deevlopment of the hydraulic hybrid is the result of a partnership between the EPA, U.S. Army, United Parcel Service (UPS), International and Eaton Corporation.