TSRC

Wind-Assist Marine Demonstration for Ferries: Prospects for Saving Diesel Fuel With Wind Power

Tim Lipman
Jeffrey Lidicker
2019

These sailing vessel testing, data collection and analysis project examined the real world potential for a novel carbon-fibre 'wingsail' technology to reduce fuel use in potential passenger ferryboat applications. The project involved building a carbon fibre, computer-controlled wingsail that was then mounted on a 14-metre trimaran test vessel with a complete instrumentation package. The vessel was then operated on the San Francisco Bay over a three-month period. The test results were conclusive that, for a test vessel travelling at seven knots though water on a particular ferry route, up...

Emerging Technologies for Higher Fuel Economy Automobile Standards

Tim Lipman
2017

Transportation systems contribute significantly to air pollution and ∼15% globally and ∼25% in the United States to emissions climate-changing gases. In the United States, the Corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFE) standards for motor vehicles were significantly raised in 2012 for the first time in almost three decades. The standards now call for an average across manufacturers of 54.5 miles per gallon (mpg) for new passenger cars by 2025, or 163 grams per mile (g/mi) of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, and of 47 mpg (196 g/mi) by 2021. The light truck standards, which include minivans and...

A Direct Manufacturing Cost Model for Solid-Oxide Fuel Cell Stacks

R Scataglini
M Wei
A Mayyas
S. H. Chan
Tim Lipman
M Santarelli
2017

This work details efforts to estimate the direct manufacturing cost of solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC) stack components for combined heat and power applications. The main research goals are to identify the major contributors to fuel cell stack manufacturing costs, examine the influence of both production volume and stack size on cost, and compare the results of the cost trajectories with the U.S. Department of Energy SOFC stack manufacturing cost target of $238 kWe−1 (in 2015) and industry reported cost projections and to identify critical areas for manufacturing research and...

A Total Cost of Ownership Model for Low Temperature PEM Fuel Cells in Combined Heat and Power and Backup Power Applications

Max Wei
Tim Lipman
Ahmad Mayyas
Joshua Chien
Shuk Han Chan
David Gosselin
Hanna Breunig
Michael Stadler
Thomas McKone
Paul Beattie
Patricia Chong
Whitney Colella
Brian James
2014

A total cost of ownership model is described for low temperature proton exchange membrane stationary fuel cell systems for combined heat and power (CHP) applications from 1-250kW and backup power applications from 1-50kW. System designs and functional specifications for these two applications were developed across the range of system power levels. Bottom-up cost estimates were made for balance of plant costs, and detailed direct cost estimates for key fuel cell stack components were derived using design-for-manufacturing-and-assembly techniques. The development of high throughput,...

Driver Response to Hydrogen Fuel Cell Buses in a Real-World Setting: Study of a Northern California Transit Bus Fleet

Tim Lipman
Ananda Gray-Stewart
Jeffrey Lidicker
2015

This study examined bus drivers' acceptance of fuel cell electric buses in Alameda–Contra Costa Transit in the San Francisco Bay Area of California. Of the 145 surveys issued, 47 drivers completed a written survey, for a 32% response rate. The study focused on a key attribute for potential success of alternative urban bus technology: the driver acceptance factor. Technology performance flaws that are undesirable or annoying to the bus drivers may also be disruptive to passengers. Furthermore, because of using the buses throughout their full duty cycle, drivers are in a unique position to...

Wind-Assist Marine Demonstration for San Francisco Bay Ferry Districts: Prospects for Saving Diesel Fuel with Wind Power

Tim Lipman
2015

This sailing vessel testing, data collection and analysis project examined the “real world” potential for a novel carbon-fiber “wingsail” technology to reduce fuel use in potential passenger ferryboat applications. In the study, a series of controlled tests were performed, accomplished by using a wingsail wind-assist technology developed by Wind+Wing Technologies. The project involved building a carbon fiber wingsail that was then mounted on a 42-foot (14-meter) trimaran test vessel. The test vessel was outfitted with a complete instrumentation package with data-recording capability. The...

Optimizing Fermentation Process Miscanthus-to-Ethanol Biorefinery Scale under Uncertain Conditions

Matthew Bomberg
Daniel L Sanchez
Tim Lipman
2014

Ethanol produced from cellulosic feedstocks has garnered significant interest for greenhouse gas abatement and energy security promotion. One outstanding question in the development of a mature cellulosic ethanol industry is the optimal scale of biorefining activities. This question is important for companies and entrepreneurs seeking to construct and operate cellulosic ethanol biorefineries as it determines the size of investment needed and the amount of feedstock for which they must contract. The question also has important implications for the nature and location of lifecycle...

Evaluating the Public Perception of a Feebate Policy in California Through the Estimation and Cross-Validation of an Ordinal Regression Model

Elliot Martin
Susan Shaheen
Tim Lipman
Madonna Camel
2014

Understanding the key factors influencing policy perception can be critical for informing the design of public policies. Feebates is a unique public policy that is meant to influence vehicle purchases. It presents buyers with a rebate for purchasing low-emission vehicles and a fee for purchasing high-emission vehicles. Because feebates directly impacts the consumer, understanding the dynamics of public perception, support, and opposition is important. This study explores the public perception of a potential feebate policy within California, and evaluates the robustness of an ordinal...

Lessons Learned from the Installation and Operation of Northern California's First 70-MPa Hydrogen Fueling Station

Tim Lipman
Maggie Witt
Matthew Elke
2013

A hydrogen dispensing facility capable of providing rapid 70-MPa vehicle fills became operational in May 2011 as the first such hydrogen dispensing facility in Northern California. The facility is operated by the University of California – Berkeley in support of fuel cell vehicle research with automakers, regional and state agencies, and industrial groups. In addition to storing and dispensing high-pressure hydrogen fuel, the station also incorporates a number of key advances in hydrogen refueling system capabilities, including novel fuel pre-cooling, fuel storage, and system safety...

Renewable Energy: Now a Realistic Challenge to Oil

Tim Lipman
Kammen, Daniel M.
2003

Conventional energy sources based on oil, coal and natural gas have been highly effective drivers of economic progress but at the same time damaging to the environment and to human health. Furthermore, they tend to be cyclical in nature, due to the effects of oligopoly on production, distribution and other factors. These traditional fossil fuel-based energy sources are facing increasing pressure on a host of environmental fronts, with perhaps the most serious challenge confronting the future use of coal, given the Kyoto Protocol greenhouse gas (GHG) reduction targets. It is now clear that...