Environmental Transport Systems
Alternative Transportation Solutions through
Integrated Strategies and Technologies
THE PROBLEM FACING OUR TRANSPORTATION SYSTEM
Road transport is reaching a crisis point as traffic congestion and fuel prices become ever more frequent. This is the result of the inexorable increase in travel demand combined with the gradual depletion of cheap sources of oil.
Whilst in most countries taxation constitutes a substantial proportion of the cost of fuel, it should be remembered that besides the costs of building and maintaining our infrastructure, road transport incurs many indirect costs. For example, securing accessible oil supplies has prompted Western nations to engage in expensive military operations, and road vehicle emissions can also result in poor air quality increasing public expenditure on health services. Of course the human costs are even greater than the financial ones.
Over the longer term, these difficulties may prove to be insignificant compared with the potential effects of transport greenhouse gas emissions on weather extremes, agriculture yields, ecological damage and rising sea levels. Even if these predictions turn out to be exaggerated, some of these effects are inevitable and we still need to insure against the worst possible consequences. Road transport is a major emitter of greenhouse gases, with this sector accounting for 50% of the short term radiative forcing leading to global warming.
So wherever our priorities lie, it is unquestionable that we can't continue to rely on hydrocarbon based fuels and the need for alternative energy sources and more efficient modes of transport are imminent. To solve these problems we don’t only need a sustainable transport system, but also one which provides a level of mobility, convenience and affordability the public and businesses will accept. In the real world motorists will always be reluctant to swap cars for public transport, or even replace internal combustion engined vehicles with expensive battery electric ones. Similarly freight operators will find it uneconomic to switch from road to rail. Although these technologies can be made to work; to be desirable, economic and effective they must be transformed into a flexible and competitive mode of transport fit for the 21st century.
THE SOLUTION
This site describes a scoping study called Environmental Transport Systems (ENTRANS) which shows how by using new integrated transport concepts and by coordinating how the vehicle and infrastructure are used together, we can both satisfy the mobility aspirations of the public and meet environmental targets. The study incorporates several key concepts:
First, our public transport system needs to be radically overhauled, since it can’t deliver significant environmental benefits or a cost and time competitive service compared with the car outside metropolitan areas. However, private car journeys due to their high frequency and diverse nature could easily be transformed into an environmentally advantageous, flexible and efficient public transport service by coordinating how drivers and passengers travel together. This concept is called Coordinated Shared Transport (COAST).
Secondly, modern cars have become far too large and complex for short journeys and they are often used to carry only one person. This means the volume inside the vehicle is typically 100 times greater and the weight 20 times greater than the driver it carries. This is a grossly inefficient method of transporting people both environmentally and logistically. Much smaller vehicles could be used to attain a much cheaper mode of travel with very low environmental impact. However, to be commercially attractive, a method of traffic priority must be provided for such vehicles via extra lanes, special access points and underpasses providing a comprehensive parallel road infrastructure. These would allow them to by-pass traffic jams and bottle-necks so drivers can achieve reduced journey times relative to those driving larger vehicles. This system is called the Low Profile Vehicle with Complimentary infrastructure (LOCI) and is shown in figure 3.
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Thirdly, while conventionally sized electric cars have the potential to solve many environmental problems they still lack the range to cover many journey's. A car ferrying and charging system could provide a means to extend the range of conventionally sized cars for longer journeys without increasing emissions, net fuel consumption or resorting to the use of extortionately expensive batteries in the cars. This concept is called the Electric Car Transporter (ELECAT) and is illustrated in figure 4. This ferrying system could also pay for itself by avoiding the need to build extra highways and allowing drivers to utilise their time more efficiently during the journey.
Finally, dedicated tracks could be built, or possibly parts of the disused rail network could be modified, to accommodate electric powered trucks and buses enabling them to be charged in transit and thereby extending their range. The use of a track would take heavy traffic off the roads and allow them to carry multiple trailers, thereby combining the logistical flexibility of road transport with the environmental benefits of heavier loads and electric power. This concept is called the Integrated Infrastructure for Road and Rail Transport using Electrification (INITIATE) shown in figure 5.
These four concepts supplement one another, reduce the energy required for transportation and can potentially acquire this from low carbon sources such as overnight nuclear power stations. It is suggested this approach represents our best opportunity to attain an affordable, practicable, and sustainable transport solution without resorting to extortionately expensive technologies.
Reducing UK Road Transport CO2
Emissions From Low Carbon Sources - 19 July 2010
As explained in the Environmental Transport Systems report, the key to overcoming the range and cost disadvantages of electric batteries is by integrating road vehicles with the road infrastructure. However, to achieve a significant reduction in greenhouse gases the electricity to charge them must still originate from a low carbon sources. In this post, we examine the potential of increasing nuclear and renewable generating sources to reduce the carbon emission from the UK's transport fleet through electrification.....
It is assumed that 15% of the total electric generating capacity would be required to power road transport, consistent with that reported in the UK governments low carbon strategy report. The default setting in the spreadsheet also assumes that 15% of total electricity from wind is used, similar to that currently achieved in Spain and our Nuclear component is also increased to 40% of the total.
This overall strategy reduces coal based electricity from 24% to 2%, eliminates the need for petroleum for transport, and reduces the CO2 from electricity generation and transport combined by 80% .....
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Figure 4: Electric Car Transporter (ELECAT)
Vehicle to ferry & charge electric cars over long journeys
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