Propane Vehicle Research Articles

Modeling of Future-Year Emissions Control Scenarios for the Lower Fraser Valley: Impacts of Natural Gas and Propane Vehicle Technologies

The MC2–CALGRID photochemical modeling system is used to simulate the impact of two fuel substitution scenarios on ozone levels for a future year in the Lower Fraser Valley of British Columbia, Canada. The relative impacts of selected natural gas and propane vehicle technologies are compared for the year 2005. The chosen natural gas technology imposes large reductions in nonmethane hydrocarbon emissions with moderate reductions in nitrogen oxide emissions, while the propane technology greatly lowers nitrogen oxide emissions with only small changes to nonmethane hydrocarbon emissions. The model results showed that replacing the entire light-duty gasoline car and truck fleet with the selected natural gas vehicle technology in the year 2005 in the Canadian portion of the Lower Fraser Valley yielded significant benefits in terms of reducing potential exposures to elevated ozone levels in suburban and rural areas. Sites closer to the urban core were less affected. For the propane fuel substitution, benefits were realized in terms of lowering ozone concentrations and ozone exposures in the rural areas. Within the urban and suburban areas, ozone exposures tended to increase. The exposures to peroxyacetyl nitrate were universally smaller in the alternative fuel scenarios. The nature of an effective control strategy for the Lower Fraser Valley is discussed, and it is suggested that in addition to the propane fuel substitution, moderate controls on the primary NOx sources in conjunction with moderate nonmethane hydrocarbon controls could be the preferred route to lower ozone exposures.

Gaseous Emissions from Vehicles in a Traffic Tunnel in Vancouver, British Columbia

ABSTRACT In August 1995, measurements of CO, NOx, speciated nonmethane hydrocarbons (NMHC), and CO2 were made in Vancouver's Cassiar Connector, a 730-m-long level-grade highway traffic tunnel. Two characteristics of the Vancouver setting are the presence of many propane vehicles and a mandatory inspection and maintenance (I/M) program. Although the driving conditions and vehicle fleets are otherwise outwardly similar to those of recent Tuscarora-tunnel studies, CO/NO ratios at the Cassiar Connector are significantly lower than those measured at Tuscarora. The Cassiar measurements are consistent with the MOBILE5A mobile emissions model predictions. The Canadian version of MOBILE5A—known as MOBILE5C—gives nearly identical results, indicating that differences in Canadian and U.S. emission standards cannot explain differences between Cassiar and U.S. tunnels. Considering the modeling results as well as measured ethene/acetylene ratios indicative of noncatalyst vehicles, it appears that vehicle deterioration remains the major issue in in-use vehicle emissions—even in Vancouver, where there is a mandatory loaded-mode I/M program.

Comparison of methane and propane rockets

Martin (1983) compared methane and propane fuels for a single-stage-to-orbit vehicle, demonstrating a significant advantage for propane. Attention is presently given to the ways that this comparison changes when both methane and propane vehicles are optimized. It is found that while the difference is slightly reduced, propane remains the better hydrocarbon fuel for dry mass minimization.