scholarly journals TRIMIS: Modular Development of an Integrated Policy-Support Tool for Forward-Oriented Transport Research and Innovation Analysis

2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (23) ◽  
pp. 10194
Author(s):  
Anastasios Tsakalidis ◽  
Konstantinos Gkoumas ◽  
Monica Grosso ◽  
Ferenc Pekár
Keyword(s):  
Modular Design ◽  
Emerging Technologies ◽  
Economic Assessment ◽  
Road Transport ◽  
Policy Support ◽  
Transport Sector ◽  
Support Tool ◽  
Research Areas ◽  
Research And Innovation ◽  
Horizon Scanning

The European Commission’s Strategic Transport Research and Innovation Agenda (STRIA) outlines future transport research and innovation (R&I) priorities towards the decarbonization of European transport. Seven STRIA roadmaps focus on crosscutting research areas. In order to support and monitor their implementation, the Transport Research and Innovation Monitoring and Information System (TRIMIS) was developed. It is an integrated transport policy-support tool with a modular design, serving as a knowledge management system that offers open-access information, as well as an inventory of transport technologies and innovations. TRIMIS provides a holistic assessment of current and emerging technologies and trends and R&I capacities in the European transport sector incorporating foresight capabilities based on transport R&I data collection, innovation capacity mapping, technological status assessment, horizon scanning, and identification of new and emerging technologies and trends. This paper presents an overview of TRIMIS and its benefits as an integrated analytical tool that provides support to sustainable transport governance and decision-making. Moreover, it provides insights on current technology trends in the road transport domain with a focus on smart innovation and identifies emerging trends with a potential future impact through a dedicated case study, combining a techno-economic assessment with findings of a horizon scanning exercise.

scholarly journals Catalyzing Sustainable Transport Innovation through Policy Support and Monitoring: The Case of TRIMIS and the European Green Deal

2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (8) ◽  
pp. 3171 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anastasios Tsakalidis ◽  
Mitchell van Balen ◽  
Konstantinos Gkoumas ◽  
Ferenc Pekar
Keyword(s):  
Alternative Fuels ◽  
Social Impact ◽  
Modular Design ◽  
Policy Support ◽  
Transport Sector ◽  
Sustainable Transport ◽  
Support Tool ◽  
Research And Innovation ◽  
Climate Neutrality ◽  
Transport Emissions

Transport contributes significantly to economic growth and higher quality of life, but its associated externalities have an environmental, economic and social impact and are the main impetus to support innovation towards sustainable transport. The European Commission’s Communication on a European Green Deal sets out the objective of achieving climate neutrality by 2050, for which transport emissions will need to be further reduced. Innovation within the transport sector gains greater prominence, with some anticipating an innovation revolution that would completely transform the sector. In this paper, the barriers that impede such a transition from happening are examined and a tool that aids policymakers and researchers with shaping transport innovation actions is presented; The Transport Research and Innovation Monitoring and Information System (TRIMIS) is an integrated transport policy-support tool with a modular design serving as an open-access information and knowledge management system. This paper provides an overview of its main features and includes a case study on transport electrification and alternative fuels, showing how monitoring efforts can aid transport research and innovation (R&I) policymaking and governance. TRIMIS contributes to identifying evolutionary and revolutionary technologies, their funding and associated policy initiatives, so the anticipated transport revolution can be better monitored, evaluated and shaped.

scholarly journals Low-Emission Alternative Energy for Transport in the EU: State of Play of Research and Innovation

Energies ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 14 (22) ◽  
pp. 7764
Author(s):  
Alejandro Ortega ◽  
Konstantinos Gkoumas ◽  
Anastasios Tsakalidis ◽  
Ferenc Pekár
Keyword(s):  
Natural Gas ◽  
Alternative Energy ◽  
Alternative Fuels ◽  
Sudden Change ◽  
Ghg Emissions ◽  
Road Transport ◽  
Transport Sector ◽  
Research And Innovation ◽  
Low Emission ◽  
The Eu

The 2030 Climate target plan of the European Commission (EC) establishes a greenhouse gases (GHG) emissions reduction target of at least 55% by 2030, compared to 1990. It highlights that all transport modes—road, rail, aviation and waterborne—will have to contribute to this aim. A smart combination of vehicle/vessel/aircraft efficiency improvements, as well as fuel mix changes, are among the measures that can reduce GHG emissions, reducing at the same time noise pollution and improving air quality. This research provides a comprehensive analysis of recent research and innovation in low-emission alternative energy for transport (excluding hydrogen) in selected European Union (EU)-funded projects. It considers the latest developments in the field, identifying relevant researched technologies by fuel type and their development phase. The results show that liquefied natural gas (LNG) refueling stations, followed by biofuels for road transport and alternative aviation fuels, are among the researched technologies with the highest investments. Methane-based fuels (e.g., compressed natural gas (CNG), LNG) have received the greatest attention concerning the number of projects and the level of funding. By contrast, liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) only has four ongoing projects. Alcohols, esters and ethers, and synthetic paraffinic and aromatic fuels (SPF) are in between. So far, road transport has the highest use of alternative fuels in the transport sector. Despite the financial support from the EU, advances have yet to materialize, suggesting that EU transport decarbonization policies should not consider a radical or sudden change, and therefore, transition periods are critical. It is also noteworthy that there is no silver bullet solution to decarbonization and thus the right use of the various alternative fuels available will be key.

scholarly journals Research on the effectiveness of alternative propulsion sources in high-tonnage cargo transport

2021 ◽  
Vol 60 (4) ◽  
pp. 259-273
Author(s):  
Mariusz Wasiak ◽  
Piotr Zdanowicz ◽  
Marcin Nivette
Keyword(s):  
Carbon Dioxide Emissions ◽  
Economic Assessment ◽  
Road Transport ◽  
Operating Conditions ◽  
Environmental Benefits ◽  
Total Carbon ◽  
Transport Sector ◽  
Exhaust Emission ◽  
Emission Standard ◽  
The Eu

The progressive degradation of the environment makes implementing pro-ecological solutions in various areas of our lives more meaningful. These measures also apply to transport, responsible for around 30% of total carbon dioxide emissions in the EU. Implementing ecological solutions in road transport encounters various barriers resulting mainly from the specificity of transport tasks. One of the most promising solutions in the high-tonnage road transport sector seems to be LNG-fueled engines, which allow for similar operating conditions to traditional combustion vehicles. The article aims to identify the environmental benefits of the use of high-tonnage LNG-fueled vehicles in freight transport and to conduct a comprehensive assessment of the economic efficiency of this solution. The article assesses the effectiveness of using an LNG-fueled vehicle and a diesel-fueled vehicle that meets the highest exhaust emission standard in high-tonnage transport, both in terms of economy and an impact of these solutions on the environment. The research was carried out on a given route, taking into account variants of vehicle manning and simulations of transport cycle time. In conclusion, a discussion of the obtained results was carried out, emphasizing the factors determining the profitability of using high-tonnage vehicles with LNG drive or its lack. Regardless of the indicated lack of clarity in the economic assessment of the effectiveness of LNG drives in high-tonnage vehicles, the identified environmental benefits from implementing these solutions seem to be quite unequivocal. Thus, it should be expected that in the event of loss of economic competitiveness of these solutions, appropriate fiscal instruments should be used - especially since LNG drives in the policies of individual countries are considered pro-ecological solutions.

A Ranking of Synthetic Fuel Options for Road Transport Applications in the UK

1987 ◽  
Vol 5 (4) ◽  
pp. 287-314 ◽  
Author(s):  
K. F. Langley
Keyword(s):  
Substantial Reduction ◽  
Economic Assessment ◽  
Road Transport ◽  
Department Of Energy ◽  
Production Costs ◽  
Transport Sector ◽  
Coal Production ◽  
Synthetic Fuel ◽  
The Uk

The paper presents a detailed economic assessment of the synthetic fuel options for the UK transport sector. For the next twenty years, the costs are too high for many options to be regarded as likely supplements to the present fuels. The work was carried out during 1985 and 1986 at ETSU, Harwell, on behalf of the UK Department of Energy. Although the price of oil has dropped dramatically since then and there has been a substantial reduction in coal production costs, the primary aim of the study is to look at long-term petrol substitution and these price variations do not substantially alter either the conclusions or the rationale of this report.

Autonomous vehicles and freight traffic: towards better efficiency of road, rail or urban logistics?

2018 ◽  
Vol 58 (1) ◽  
pp. 41-52 ◽  
Author(s):  
Péter Bucsky
Keyword(s):  
Autonomous Vehicles ◽  
Road Transport ◽  
Transport Sector ◽  
Future Directions ◽  
Car Industry ◽  
Level Of Automation ◽  
Current State ◽  
Freight Traffic ◽  
Levels Of Automation ◽  
Private Car

Abstract The freight transport sector is a low profit and high competition business and therefore has less ability to invest in research and development in the field of autonomous vehicles (AV) than the private car industry. There are already different levels of automation technologies in the transport industry, but most of these are serving niche demands and answers have yet to be found about whether it would be worthwhile to industrialise these technologies. New innovations from different fields are constantly changing the freight traffic industry but these are less disruptive than on other markets. The aim of this article is to show the current state of development of freight traffic with regards to AVs and analyse which future directions of development might be viable. The level of automation is very different in the case of different transport modes and most probably the technology will favour road transport over other, less environmentally harmful traffic modes.

scholarly journals Future Power Train Solutions for Long-Haul Trucks

2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (4) ◽  
pp. 2225
Author(s):  
Ralf Peters ◽  
Janos Lucian Breuer ◽  
Maximilian Decker ◽  
Thomas Grube ◽  
Martin Robinius ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Fuel Cells ◽  
Co2 Emissions ◽  
Value Chain ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
New Technology ◽  
Co2 Reduction ◽  
Road Transport ◽  
Transport Sector ◽  
Long Distance ◽  
Production Of Hydrogen

Achieving the CO2 reduction targets for 2050 requires extensive measures being undertaken in all sectors. In contrast to energy generation, the transport sector has not yet been able to achieve a substantive reduction in CO2 emissions. Measures for the ever more pressing reduction in CO2 emissions from transportation include the increased use of electric vehicles powered by batteries or fuel cells. The use of fuel cells requires the production of hydrogen and the establishment of a corresponding hydrogen production system and associated infrastructure. Synthetic fuels made using carbon dioxide and sustainably-produced hydrogen can be used in the existing infrastructure and will reach the extant vehicle fleet in the medium term. All three options require a major expansion of the generation capacities for renewable electricity. Moreover, various options for road freight transport with light duty vehicles (LDVs) and heavy duty vehicles (HDVs) are analyzed and compared. In addition to efficiency throughout the entire value chain, well-to-wheel efficiency and also other aspects play an important role in this comparison. These include: (a) the possibility of large-scale energy storage in the sense of so-called ‘sector coupling’, which is offered only by hydrogen and synthetic energy sources; (b) the use of the existing fueling station infrastructure and the applicability of the new technology on the existing fleet; (c) fulfilling the power and range requirements of the long-distance road transport.

scholarly journals A Comparative Study of Biofuels and Fischer–Tropsch Diesel Blends on the Engine Combustion Performance for Reducing Exhaust Gaseous and Particulate Emissions

Energies ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 14 (6) ◽  
pp. 1538
Author(s):  
Felipe Andrade Torres ◽  
Omid Doustdar ◽  
Jose Martin Herreros ◽  
Runzhao Li ◽  
Robert Poku ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Diesel Fuel ◽  
Alternative Fuels ◽  
Internal Combustion Engines ◽  
Road Transport ◽  
Oxidation Catalyst ◽  
Transport Sector ◽  
Particulate Emissions ◽  
Gaseous Emissions ◽  
Fischer Tropsch ◽  
Engine Combustion

The worldwide consumption of fossil hydrocarbons in the road transport sector in 2020 corresponded to roughly half of the overall consumption. However, biofuels have been discreetly contributing to mitigate gaseous emissions and participating in sustainable development, and thus leading to the extending of the commercial utilization of internal combustion engines. In this scenario, the present work aims at exploring the effects of alternative fuels containing a blend of 15% ethanol and 35% biodiesel with a 50% fossil diesel (E15D50B35) or 50% Fischer–Tropsch (F-T) diesel (E15FTD50B35) on the engine combustion, exhaust emissions (CO, HC, and NOx), particulate emissions characteristics as well as the performance of an aftertreatment system of a common rail diesel engine. It was found that one of the blends (E15FTD50B35) showed more than 30% reduction in PM concentration number, more than 25% reduction in mean particle size, and more than 85% reduction in total PM mass with respect to conventional diesel fuel. Additionally, it was found that the E15FTD50B35 blend reduces gaseous emissions of total hydrocarbons (THC) by more than 25% and NO by 3.8%. The oxidation catalyst was effective in carbonaceous emissions reduction, despite the catalyst light-off being slightly delayed in comparison to diesel fuel blends.

scholarly journals The Impact of Financial and Non-Financial Work Incentives on the Safety Behavior of Heavy Truck Drivers

2021 ◽  
Vol 18 (5) ◽  
pp. 2759
Author(s):  
Sebastjan Škerlič ◽  
Vanja Erčulj
Keyword(s):  
Financial Incentives ◽  
Structural Equation ◽  
Traffic Accidents ◽  
Positive Impact ◽  
Road Transport ◽  
Truck Drivers ◽  
Driving Ability ◽  
Transport Sector ◽  
Safety Behavior ◽  
The Impact

The goal of the research is to determine how compensation affects the safety behavior of truck drivers and consequently the frequency of traffic accidents. For this purpose, a survey was conducted on a sample of 220 truck drivers in international road transport in the EU, where the results of the Structural Equation Model (SEM) show that in the current state of the transport sector, financial and non-financial incentives have a positive impact on the work and safety behavior of drivers. Financial incentives also have an impact on drivers’ increased perception of their driving ability, while moving violations continue to have a major impact on the number of accidents. The proposed improvements enable decision-makers at the highest level to adopt legal solutions to help manage the issues that have been affecting the industry from a work, social and safety point of view for the past several years. The results of the research therefore represent an important guideline for improvements to the legislature as well as in the systematization of truck driver compensation within companies.

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