01152873

Component

Public service fleets offer an attractive option for introducing new renewable fuels and alternative technologies on a large scale, which allow for the reduction of both greenhouse gas emissions and exhaust air pollutants. This study examines the use of biomethane, or upgraded biogas, for part of the bus fleet in Dublin. The emissions produced from the 2008 fleet based at one of the cities seven depots were compared to use of new diesel and biomethane buses, which were modeled using COPERT 4. The optimum feedstock for biomethane production in Ireland was then investigated, as well as the quantity of feedstock needed to produce the required biomethane to fuel the bus fleet examined. The merits of producing biomethane in Ireland were analyzed in order to determine the best policy. As expected the results showed a substantial decrease in all exhaust emissions from the use of biomethane buses compared the 2008 fleet. Grass silage was chosen as the optimum feedstock for production of biomethane in Ireland, and it was calculated using a sensitivity analysis that 1,349 ha is the land take needed to produce the grass silage for biomethane required to run the bus fleet examined.

01147878

10-0222

English

13p

2010

Transportation Research Board 89th Annual Meeting

DVD

References (25) ; Tables (9)

Alternate fuels; Biomass fuels; Bus transportation; Buses; Diesel engine exhaust gases; Environment; Public transit; Renewable energy sources

Feedstocks

Dublin (Ireland)

Energy; Environment; Public Transportation; I15: Environment

Transportation Research Board Annual Meeting 2010 Paper #10-0222

TRIS, TRB

Jan 25 2010 10:10AM