Preliminary Investigation of Nonroad Mobile Source Issues

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Preliminary InvestigationofNonroad Mobile
Source Issues
Rhode Island GHG Process - Phase
IV Transportation and Land Use Working Group -
Meeting 3 March 17, 2005
410-569-0599 www.meszler.com
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Background

• During January TLU meeting, was asked to
  investigate two nonroad mobile source issues.
• Contribution of nonroad sources to RI GHG.
• Potential benefits of rail electrification.
• Initial analysis was undertaken, but due to
  constraints imposed by available budget, results
  should be considered preliminary and subject to
  further refinement.

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Nonroad Sources
Agricultural Equipment Aircraft Airport Ground
Support Equipment Commercial Equipment Constructio
n and Mining Equipment Industrial
Equipment Commercial Lawn and Garden
Equipment Residential Lawn and Garden
Equipment Recreational Marine Commercial
Marine Locomotives Railway Maintenance
Equipment Land-Based Recreational Equipment
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Preliminary Emission Estimates
TPY tons per yearMTPY metric tons per
year AP GHG Action Plan
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Significance of Emission Estimates

• Based on overall estimates from the RI GHG Action
  Plan, nonroad sources contribute about 6 of
  total carbon and about 15 of transportation
  carbon.
• Estimates should be revisited before targeting
  for control.
• Especially those for rail and commercial marine,
  which are based on very sparse data.

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Rail Electrification

• As indicated in previous slides, preliminary
  estimates show rail to be a small contributor to
  RI GHG.
• Rail propulsion is almost exclusively electric in
  nature, but locomotives can derive electrical
  power from onboard diesel generators or from
  stationary power producers (via overtrack
  distribution wires or electrified rail).
• Although only limited effort has been expended in
  this area, it appears that the GHG benefits of
  switching from onboard to offboard power
  generation are limited and depend entirely on
  local power generation characteristics.

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Rail Electrification (continued)

• Onboard diesel generation efficiency is limited
  by internal combustion engine efficiency.
• While electric motor efficiency is much greater,
  the overall efficiency of offboard power
  generation must also consider boiler/turbine
  efficiencies at the production site and
  transmission losses.
• When all factors are considered, overall
  efficiency can actually favor onboard generation
  and GHG performance becomes a function of the
  fuel used to generate offboard power (as compared
  to onboard diesel).

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Rail Electrification (continued)

• Thus, a detailed analysis of local power
  generation characteristics must be conducted to
  fully evaluate potential benefits.
• Other issues that can swing GHG performance
  toward offboard power include lack of idling
  emissions for offboard electrics and improved
  efficiency under part load operations.
• Detailed analysis of local idling time and
  operating characteristics required to fully
  evaluate.

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Rail Electrification (continued)

• Offboard power may have non-GHG emission benefits
  depending on local power producer
  characteristics.
• Offboard power certainly has geographic emissions
  implications.
• Emissions occur at power generation site, while
  onboard power emissions occur coincident with
  locomotive location.