published_or_final_version / abstract / toc / Transport Policy and Planning / Master / Master of Arts in Transport Policy and Planning

High Occupancy Toll (HOT) lanes were recently proposed for I-85 in Atlanta as a way to relieve congestion and provide a reliable commute time for single occupant drivers that are willing to pay a toll. It is important to evaluate the air quality impacts of such a proposal to meet environmental regulations, such as the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) and Transportation Conformity Regulations. The goal of this study is to understand how vehicle mass emissions change as a result of implementing HOT lanes on I-85 in Atlanta . This is done by considering a number of factors affect mass vehicle emissions, such as vehicle activity, vehicle speeds, vehicle age distributions, and vehicle class distributions. These factors are incorporated into a base scenario, which models the current condition on I-85 with HOV lanes, and a future scenario, which models the implementation of HOT lanes on this corridor. The base scenario mainly uses data from a data collection effort by Georgia Tech during the summer of 2007 on the I-85 corridor, while the future scenario makes alterations to these data using information from other cities that have already implemented HOT lanes. The MOBILE-Matrix modeling tool, which was recently developed by Georgia Tech [16], was used to run the emissions analysis using the input factors from these data sources. This tool calculated mass emissions for five pollutants: HC, NOx, CO, PM2.5, and PM10. The results show very small increases in mass emissions for NOx, CO, PM2.5, and PM10, and very small decreases in mass emissions for HC. Therefore, the implementation of HOT lanes on I-85 in Atlanta is unlikely to violate the Transportation Conformity Rule. For NEPA purposes, this analysis could be used to make the case that air quality impacts are not significant, and therefore further detailed analyses are not required.

Orientador: Luiz Felipe Mendes de Moura / Dissertação (mestrado profissional) - Universidade Estadual de Campinas, Faculdade de Engenharia Mecanica / Made available in DSpace on 2018-08-15T06:23:22Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Hildinger_Omar_M.pdf: 10658215 bytes, checksum: 96e20fb021b267ab748663b39b048e94 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2009 / Resumo: medição de consumo de óleo lubrificante em motores de combustão interna tem a característica de ser impreciso e demorado quando se fala no procedimento tradicional de drenar e pesar, ainda muito utilizado pela maioria das empresas de autopeças no desenvolvimento de motores e componentes. Neste trabalho mapeamos os fatores que influenciam na medição e estudamos a possibilidade de mensurar o consumo pelo nível de óleo do motor. Tivemos ótimos resultados quando utilizamos um transdutor de pressão para inferir o nível de óleo no cárter, onde se mediu a altura manométrica que o óleo exerce obtendo boa repetibilidade nos resultados, quando trabalhamos com o amortecimento numérico das medições. O tempo de teste para medição de consumo pôde ser reduzido de 60 para 20 horas de teste com a mesma precisão e, o tempo total dos testes de durabilidade pôde ser reduzido de 6 a 13% em função das paradas para pesagem do óleo que não precisam mais ser realizadas. Com o controle correto dos parâmetros que influenciam a medição, podemos considerar que a complexidade do sistema de medição melhorou em relação ao método de drenar e pesar. Também se diminuiu o manuseio de grandes quantidades de óleo com ganhos em segurança e ergonomia para o operador, além de diminuir riscos para o meio ambiente / Abstract: The measurement of lubricant oil consumption in internal combustion engines is known as inaccurate and too time consuming when used the drain-and-weight method, which is still widely used by several auto-parts companies at engine development. During this research, we studied the parameters that have an effect on this kind of measurement and tested the oil consumption measurement technique, based on the oil level in the oil pan. Great results were achieved by using a pressure transducer to assess the engine-oil level and measuring the oil pressure at the bottom of the oil pan. A good repeatability when damping the measurements with numerical averages was observed. The test duration for oil consumption measurements could be reduced from 60 to 20 hours of testing, with the same accuracy, and the total time of durability tests could be reduced from 6 to 13% due to drain and weight pause that no longer need to be made. After this study, as long as the parameters that have strong influence in the oil measurement are properly controlled, we could consider that the proposed system has lower complexity with respect to the drain-and-weight method, We have also detected improvements regarding safety, ergonomics and environment issues due to the large quantities of oil that is no longer need to be handled with the system proposed / Mestrado / Motores / Mestre em Engenharia Automobilistica

published_or_final_version / Environmental Management / Master / Master of Science in Environmental Management

When confronted with decisions involving the provision of environmental resources, such as clean air, do individuals act cooperatively with societal regulations? This study employs a quasi-experimental design to investigate the cooperative and non-cooperative actions of high-emitting vehicle owners that arose in response to the Inspection and Maintenance (IM) program in the Atlanta airshed. The impact of cooperative and non-cooperative actions of high-emitters on vehicular tail-pipe emissions, such as carbon monoxide (CO), hydrocarbons (HC) and oxides of nitrogen (NOx), is quantified. Furthermore, the hypothesis that high-emitters have significantly higher odds of residing in lower income neighborhoods as compared to the normal emitters is also tested. A remote sensing sample of approximately 1.42 million vehicles observed on-road between 1997 and 2001 is matched with IM program data and vehicle registration data to identify the cooperative and non-cooperative high-emitters. A mixed-pool time-series regression analysis is undertaken to estimate changes in vehicular tail-pipe emissions due to the actions of high-emitters. The information about the socio-economic and demographic contextual conditions of the sampled vehicle owners is ascertained from 2000 census data. Approximately 42% of the high-emitting vehicle owners are found to be cooperative and 58% non-cooperative. The cooperative actions caused a decrease of 47% in HC emission factors during 1997 and 2001. There is no statistical difference between the CO and NO emission factors of vehicles owned by cooperative and non-cooperative high-emitters. Results also suggest that the high-emitters live in 4.4% lower median household income areas as compared to the normal emitters in the Atlanta airshed. Changes in the current IM program rules and vehicle registration laws could improve air quality. Such changes include disallowing IM test failures from registering anywhere in the state of Georgia and requiring an IM test on every change of vehicle ownership inside the IM program area. Better incentive mechanisms for high-emitters can also be designed. The evidence from this study is expected to aid policy-makers to adapt the incentive mechanisms of IM programs, in particular, and environmental regulations, in general, so that public policies are both more effective and equitable in their societal impacts.

Emissions from light-duty passenger vehicles represent a significant portion of total criteria pollutant emissions in the United States. Since the 1970s, emissions testing of these vehicles has been required in many major metropolitan areas, including Atlanta, GA, that were designated to be in non-attainment for one or more of the National Ambient Air Quality Standards. While emissions inspections have successfully reduced emissions by identifying and repairing high emitting vehicles, they have been increasingly inefficient as emissions control systems have become more durable and fewer vehicles are in need of repair. Currently, only about 9% of Atlanta area vehicles fail emissions inspection, but every vehicle is inspected annually. This research addresses explores ways to create a more efficient emissions testing program while continuing to use existing testing infrastructure. To achieve this objective, on road vehicle emissions data were collected as a part of the Continuous Atlanta Fleet Evaluation program sponsored the Georgia Department of Natural Resources. These remote sensing data were combined with in-program vehicle inspection data from the Atlanta Vehicle Inspection and Maintenance (I/M) program to establish the degree to which on road vehicle remote sensing could be used to enhance program efficiency. Based on this analysis, a multi-parameter model was developed to predict the probability of a particular vehicle failing an emissions inspection. The parameters found to influence the probability of failure include: vehicle characteristics, ownership history, vehicle usage, previous emission test results, and remote sensing emissions readings. This model was the foundation for a proposed emissions testing program that would create variable timing for vehicle retesting with high and low failure probability vehicles being more and less frequently, respectively, than the current annual cycle. Implementation of this program is estimated to reduce fleet emissions of 17% for carbon monoxide, 11% for hydrocarbons, and 5% for nitrogen oxides in Atlanta. These reductions would be achieved very cost-effectively at an estimated marginal cost of $149, $7,576 and $2,436 per-ton-per-year for carbon monoxide, hydrocarbons, and nitrogen oxides emissions reductions respectfully.

La catalyse hétérogène influe sur la cinétique des réactions chimiques pour favoriser la formation de produits souhaités. Appliquée à la dépollution atmosphérique, elle permet de réduire considérablement l'émission de polluants. Son plus grand succès public est d'ailleurs sans conteste le pot catalytique pour les moteurs à essence. Malgré ce succès, beaucoup reste à faire pour améliorer la dépollution à basse température et pour des conditions d'utilisations très différentes telles que celles imposées par les moteurs Diesel et "lean burn".<p><p>Lors de ce travail nous nous sommes intéressés à ces sujets. Tout d'abord, nous avons étudié l'effet du SO2 sur la réduction catalytique sélective des NOx sur des catalyseurs Ag/Al2O3 dans les conditions des moteurs Diesel. Le dioxyde de soufre est reconnu comme un poison de catalyseurs. Dans cette thèse, nous avons étudié un effet promoteur du SO2. Les catalyseurs qui ont fait l’objet de ce travail ont été préparés au laboratoire. Nous avons fait varier différents paramètres tels que la température, la nature de l'hydrocarbure ou encore la concentration de SO2 afin de mieux cerner cet effet promoteur. Nous avons mis en évidence que cet effet promoteur est observable lorsque le propène est utilisé comme réducteur, alors qu'avec le propane il s'agit plutôt d'un effet négatif du SO2.<p><p>Le deuxième sujet étudié dans ce travail est l'oxydation du CO sur des catalyseurs Au/TiO2, soit préparés au laboratoire, soit fournis comme référence du World Gold Council. Ces catalyseurs offrent l’avantage de pouvoir oxyder le CO à basse température, ce qui pourrait résoudre le problème de la pollution liée au démarrage à froid des automobiles. Ces catalyseurs subissent une désactivation que nous avons analysée par spectroscopie infrarouge (DRIFT et FTIR). Une étude XPS-SIMS de catalyseurs ayant des activités différentes nous a permis de mettre en évidence des concentrations de sodium différentes sur ces catalyseurs. Dans cette thèse, nous nous sommes plus particulièrement intéressés à l'influence du potassium. Pour mettre en évidence l'influence de celui-ci sur l'activité catalytique, des catalyseurs Au/TiO2 furent préparés en absence stricte d'alcalins et d'alcalino-terreux pour ajouter par après, de manière contrôlée, les quantités souhaitées de potassium. La composition des catalyseurs préparés fut contrôlée par XPS-SIMS. Il s'avère que la présence de potassium permet d'accroître l'activité catalytique, néanmoins il semble y avoir une concentration optimale de potassium qui varie en fonction de la composition/morphologie du catalyseur Au/TiO2 au départ, c'est-à-dire sans modification par ajout de potassium.<p> / Doctorat en Sciences / info:eu-repo/semantics/nonPublished

This thesis reports on the results of a mobile source emissions inventory for the University of Central Florida (UCF). For a large urban university, the majority of volatile organic compounds (VOC), oxides of nitrogen (NOx), and carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions come from onroad sources: personal vehicles and campus shuttles carrying students, faculty, staff, and administrators to and from the university, as well as university business trips. In addition to emissions from daily commutes, non-road equipment such as lawnmowers, leaf blowers, small maintenance vehicles, and other such equipment utilized on campus contributes to a significant portion to the total emissions from the university. UCF has recently become the second largest university in the nation (with over 56,000 students enrolled in the fall 2010 semester), and contributes significantly to VOC, NOx, and CO2 emissions in Central Florida area. In this project, students, faculty, staff, and administrators were first surveyed to determine their commuting distances and frequencies. Information was also gathered on vehicle type, and age distribution of the personal vehicles of students, faculty, administration, and staff as well as their bus, carpool, and alternate transportation usage. The EPA approved mobile source emissions model, Motor Vehicle Emissions Simulator (MOVES2010a), was used to calculate the emissions from on-road vehicles, and UCF fleet gasoline consumption records were used to calculate the emissions from non-road equipment and on campus UCF fleet vehicles. The results of the UCF mobile source emissions inventory are reported and compared to a recently completed emissions inventory for the entire three-county area in Central Florida.

The Atlanta Inspection and Maintenance program ultimately aims to reduce on-road vehicular emission, a major source of air pollution. The program enforces eligible vehicles to be inspected and repaired, if necessary, before the annual registration renewal. However, various factors can influence the program implementation with respect to the motorists, inspectors, and testing technology. This research explores some of these factors by using empirical data from the Continuous Atlanta Fleet Evaluation project, the inspection transaction records, the Atlanta Household Travel Survey, and the U.S. Census Bureau. The study discusses policy implications of findings from the three essays and offers related recommendations. The first essay examines whether the higher income of a vehicle owner decreases the odds of the vehicle failing the first inspection. Findings show that vehicles owned by low-income households are more likely to fail the first inspection of the annual test cycle. However, after controlling for the vehicle characteristics, the odds of failing the first inspection are similar across households. This suggests that the maintenance behaviors are approximately the same for high- and low-income households. The second essay explains the motorists' decisions in selecting their inspection stations using a random utility model. The study finds that motorists are likely to choose the inspection stations that are located near their houses, charge lower fees, and can serve a large number of customers. Motorists are less likely to choose the stations with a relatively high failure ratio especially in an area of low station density. Moreover, motorists do not travel an extra mile to the stations with lower failure ratio. Understanding choices of vehicle owners can shed some light on the performance of inspection stations. The third essay investigates the validity and reliability of the on-board diagnostic generation II (OBD II) test, a new testing technology required for 1966 and newer model year vehicles. The study compares the inspection results with the observed on-road emission using the remote sensing device (RSD) of the same vehicles. This research finds that the agreement between the RSD measurement and the OBD II test is lower for the relatively older or higher use vehicle fleets

A utilização mais eficiente dos recursos naturais tem levado a indústria a aumentar a eficiência dos produtos manufaturados. Veículos de transporte Diesel estão incluídos neste cenário. Nos motores Diesel, um componente importante do sistema de injeção é o bico injetor. Uma legislação recente no Brasil introduziu limites de emissões EURO5. Estes novos parâmetros tiveram impacto no projeto do bico injetor com tolerâncias sendo reduzidas, em especial na área da sede do corpo do bico injetor, alterando o parâmetro funcional de pressão de abertura do produto. Neste cenário, o impacto desta superfície cônica retificada sobre a pressão de abertura é grande, bem como, sobre o desempenho do motor Diesel. Este estudo tem como objetivo analisar o defeito de topografia superficial típico e recorrente no processo de retificação interna cônica da sede do corpo dos bicos injetores. Um experimento planejado foi realizado de acordo com método Taguchi e determinou-se a relação sinal-ruído para dois parâmetros de topografia 2D. A superfície da sede também foi analisada utilizando análise topográfica 3D. Os resultados deste estudo incluem a indicação de possíveis causas do defeito recorrente, caracterização dos principais elementos do processo de retificação, caracterização da superfície retificada e otimização dos parâmetros do processo de retificação. / Industries of manufactured products have increased their efficiency optimizing the natural resources usage and Diesel commercial vehicles are included in this scenario. For Diesel engines, one of the most important components of the injection system is the nozzle injector. In Brazil, EURO5 legislation was recently introduced, bringing new emission limits for Diesel engines. Because of this, the nozzle injector design has changed and some manufacturing tolerances were reduced, in special the body seat geometry. This also changed the nozzle opening pressure. In this new process, the body seat grinded conical surface impacts on this functional parameter and consequently the Diesel engine performance. This study has as target to analyze a recurrent defect in the internal conic grinding process of the nozzle body seat. A trial was performed in this process according to Taguchi method and signal / noise ratio for 2D topographic parameters were defined. The body seat surface was also analyzed using 3D topographic analysis. The results of this study include the possible cause of the recurrent failure, characterization of the ground surface, process main elements integrity assessment and optimization of the grinding process parameters.