Scientists find way to reduce emissions and save money for idling trucks
Scientists say that it is possible to bring down the environmental impact of idling trucks and buses while also saving money for the owner, with a simple second battery system.
Scientists from the University of Waterloo came up with a system for service vehicles that could reduce the environmental impact and also save the owners millions in the long run.
In a study recently published in the journal Energy, Waterloo engineers demonstrate a new way to capture waste energy from service vehicles, such as buses or refrigerated food delivery trucks, as they are slowing down.
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They also show that the energy can be used to replace the fossil fuels that are currently needed to operate secondary systems, such as air conditioning or refrigeration units, when the vehicles are stopped and idling.
“An idling vehicle essentially operates at five percent efficiency, meaning the vast majority of the fuel a bus or delivery truck uses when it is stopped is being wasted,” said Amir Khajepour, the study’s lead author. “By harnessing the energy a vehicle wastes as it is slowing down and redirecting it to a secondary battery system, these vehicles can be turned off without shutting off systems such as refrigeration and air conditioning units.
The scientists used computer models and engines hooked up to secondary battery systems in their lab, they then simulated the routes service vehicles followed to determine how best to collect and use waste energy.
“Given that most companies or governments cannot afford to transition their entire fleets over to cleaner vehicles all at once, this system could represent a cost-effective way to make current vehicles more fuel efficient in the short term,” said Khajepour.
According to the research, in one or two years, the money saved from fuel savings has the potential to pay for the new secondary power system.
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