Fuel Consumption and Vehicle Emission Models for Evaluating Environmental Impacts of the ETC System

Jiancheng Weng,Ru Wang,Mengjia Wang,Jian Rong

doi:10.3390/su7078934

Jiancheng Weng, Ru Wang + Show 2 more

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.3390/su7078934

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Abstract

The environmental outcome of the Electronic Toll Collection (ETC) system is an important aspect in evaluating the impacts of the ETC system, which is influenced by various factors including the vehicle type, travel speed, traffic volume, and average queue length of Manual Toll Collection (MTC) lanes. The primary objective of this paper is to develop a field data-based practical model for evaluating the effects of ETC system on the fuel efficiency and vehicle emission. First, laboratory experiments of seven types of vehicles under various scenarios for toll collection were conducted based on the Vehicle Emissions Testing System (VETS). The indicator calculation models were then established to estimate the comprehensive benefit of ETC system by comparing the test results of MTC lane and ETC lane. Finally, taking Beijing as a case study, the paper calibrated the model parameters, and estimated the monetization value of environmental benefit of the ETC system in terms of vehicle emissions reduction and fuel consumption decrease. The results shows that the applications of ETC system are expected to save fuel consumption of 4.1 million liters and reduce pollution emissions by 730.89 tons in 2013 in Beijing.

Highlights

As one of the most widely used sub-systems of the Intelligent Transportation System (ITS), the operation of the Electronic Toll Collection (ETC) system will greatly improve the capacity of freeway toll plazas, and it has obvious social and economic benefits including saving journey time of travelers, saving gasoline consumption, decreasing vehicle emissions and reducing labor cost [1].The vehicles equipped with the ETC on-board unit (OBU) can pass the ETC tollbooths at an acceptable speed without any queue or stop
Two evaluation indicators were proposed to measure the quantitative benefit and the emission test and field experiments based on seven different vehicle types were conducted on the Vehicle Emissions Testing System (VETS)
The indicator calculation model was put forward to estimate the comprehensive benefit of ETC system

Summary

Introduction

As one of the most widely used sub-systems of the Intelligent Transportation System (ITS), the operation of the Electronic Toll Collection (ETC) system will greatly improve the capacity of freeway toll plazas, and it has obvious social and economic benefits including saving journey time of travelers, saving gasoline consumption, decreasing vehicle emissions and reducing labor cost [1]. The vehicles equipped with the ETC on-board unit (OBU) can pass the ETC tollbooths at an acceptable speed without any queue or stop. It has obvious advantages over the conventional. The environmental impacts of the ETC system are much more difficult to determine than the traffic performance improvement (congestion and delay, capacity, safety) and financial or fiscal outcomes, because it is influenced by various factors (the vehicle type, travel speed, traffic volume, and queue length). How to accurately measure the environmental influence differences between the ETC and MTC modes, as well as establish the quantitative environmental impact models of the ETC system, become a key point for ETC projects’ post evaluation

Literature Review

Research Framework and Evaluation Indicators

Emission Test and Experiment Design

Test Vehicle Types Survey

Speed Characteristics Survey of Vehicles at Toll Plazas

Experiment Design and Implementation of Vehicle Emissions

Experiment Data Analysis

Indicators Calculation Model

Environmental Impacts Evaluation of ETC System—A Case Study of Beijing

Findings

Discussion and Conclusions