Fuel Efficiency & Emissions
The mission of NTRCI’s research in Fuel Efficiency and Emissions is to provide the industry with research that can improve the operational efficiency of commercial vehicles and have a positive effect of the environment. A key focus with improved efficiency is the reduction in GHG emissions as well as the demand for oil. In a broader sense new research produced in this area could reduce the United States’ dependency on foreign oil and potentially provide local technological advantages, and lead to the creation of “green” jobs. Our work has ranged from developing new engine technologies and aftermarket devices to investigating technologies that aid in tracking vehicles through urban areas to improve flow and provide information for accident area avoidance. We also investigate other technologies that would reduce engine idling at truck stops
Demonstration of Low-Cost Technology for Traffic Management and Clean Air Enhancement
The primary objective of this demonstration project was to assess the viability of estimating important traffic management information from technologies that are minimally infrastructure invasive, and which have the potential for generating such information at a fraction of the cost of more traditional approaches.
Evaluation and Testing of EconoPlug Technology
The EconoPlug® is a patented engine–cooled pre-ignition device with directional ports oriented towards the intake and exhaust values that, when optimized via ECU settings, increases power, improves fuel economy and lowers emissions in all gasoline-powered engines.
Evaluation of Freight Vehicles in Short-Haul Intermodal Lanes
The further development of intermodal truck-rail freight services is a leading strategy in the mitigation of growing highway congestion. Unfortunately, the effectiveness of this policy alternative is limited by the dominance of “short-haul” truck movements that cannot be economically diverted to intermodal service under current business models and practices.
Evaluation of Technology for Improvement of Air Quality at Truck Stops
The United States Department of Transportation (DOT) requires truck drivers to rest for 10 hours after every 14 hours of driving. During this time and while waiting for loading and unloading of their trucks, many truck drivers idle their engine to provide heat or air conditioning for the cab and sleeping compartment, keep the engine warm during cold weather, and provide electrical power for their onboard appliances. Truck idling affects the environment and energy consumption.
The Legacy engine is a planetary rotary diesel engine that offers significant advances over conventional internal combustion engines in fuel economy, environmental compliance, power to weight ratio and lower cost of ownership. These advantages are achieved through a combination of innovative design geometry, rotary motion, aspiration simplicity, and manufacturing/part simplicity.
License Plate Recognition
License Plate Recognition (LPR) technology has been used for off-line automobile enforcement purposes. The technology has seen mixed success with correct reading rate around 60 to 70% depending on the specific application and environment. This limitation can be, and is often, remedied through human verification after the fact and before a citation is issued. Armed with advanced text-mining algorithms, this study enables LPR technology for real-time enforcement by matching plates whether correctly or incorrectly read at various locations in a network or along a corridor and, hence, tracking the movement and speed of vehicles.
Sustainable Resource Supply and Environmental Implications
Process to evaluate the impact of the environmental bio-refinery system