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Title:

Changes Needed to Enable Use of Hydrogen as Alternative Fuel in Commercial Motor Vehicles

Accession Number:

01122128

Record Type:

Component

Availability:

Transportation Research Board Business Office

500 Fifth Street, NW
Washington, DC 20001 United States

Abstract:

This paper provides a brief overview the results of a two-year project undertaken to ascertain changes needed for the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) to enable the use of hydrogen as an alternative fuels in commercial motor vehicles. At present, there are no general guidelines to assist commercial motor vehicle fleet managers who are considering hydrogen as an alternative fuel. Thus, the primary purpose of DOT’s two-year project was to compile general guidelines in lay language on the proper operation, maintenance, and inspection of hydrogen fuel systems in commercial motor vehicles (i.e., trucks and motorcoaches). Several major changes are needed to enable the use of hydrogen in commercial motor vehicles. The first is dissemination of general guidelines in lay language to fleet managers who are considering the use of hydrogen as an alternative fuel in commercial motor vehicles. The guidelines are intended to assist commercial motor vehicle fleet managers who supervise drivers on the road as well as operations and maintenance personnel at fleet terminals. The guidelines are not intended as in-depth specifications for use by original equipment manufacturers and other vendors/suppliers in order to actually design and build hydrogen fuel systems. Second, several major regulatory revisions are needed based on the potentially hazardous properties of hydrogen. Needed changes in the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations (FMCSRs) are discussed in this paper. Because changes in the FMCSRs affect the North American Standard (NAS) inspection procedures and NAS Out-Of-Service Criteria, changes in the NAS inspection procedures and Out-Of-Service Criteria are also needed.

Monograph Accession #:

01120148

Report/Paper Numbers:

09-2707

Language:

English

Corporate Authors:

Transportation Research Board

500 Fifth Street, NW
Washington, DC 20001 United States

Authors:

Kwan, Quon
Chernicoff, William

Pagination:

13p

Publication Date:

2009

Conference:

Transportation Research Board 88th Annual Meeting

Location: Washington DC, United States
Date: 2009-1-11 to 2009-1-15
Sponsors: Transportation Research Board

Media Type:

DVD

Features:

References (10) ; Tables (1)

Subject Areas:

Energy; Freight Transportation; Highways; Motor Carriers; I96: Vehicle Operating Costs

Source Data:

Transportation Research Board Annual Meeting 2009 Paper #09-2707

Files:

TRIS, TRB

Created Date:

Jan 30 2009 7:04PM