Identifying Roadway Physical Characteristics that Contribute to Emissions Differences between Hybrid and Conventional Vehicles

US Transportation Collectionhttps://doi.org/10.7922/G2S75DHF2019PDFTech ReportSullivan, JamesSentoff, KarenUniversity of Vermont. Transportation Research CenterUnited States. Department of Transportation. Office of the Assistant Secretary for Research and TechnologyNational Center for Sustainable Transportation (NCST) (UTC)United StatesEmissions testingExhaust gasesHighway traffic control systemsHybrid vehiclesInternal combustion enginesSignalized intersectionsSecond-by-second emissionsroad gradeintersection controlspeedhorizontal curvaturehybrid electric vehiclesK-S testNCST-UVM-RR-19-05USDOT Grant 69A3551747114Final Report (September 2017 \u2013 July 2018)In this study, a second-by-second (SbS) data set obtained from monitoring vehicle emissions over a series of 75 test runs from 2 test vehicles (a conventional vehicle (CV) and a hybrid-electric vehicle (HEV)) over an 18-month period in 2010-2011 during realworld on-road operations on a specified 32-mile route in Chittenden County, Vermont was used in an innovative new method of analysis to assess emissions differences between the two propulsion systems and attribute these differences to physical roadway/infrastructure characteristics. The K-S test was used to assess the difference between the cumulative distributions of the CV and HEV emissions samples on each link, and the K-S test statistic was regressed against the full set of roadway link characteristics. The regression results allowed the team to identify specific roadway characteristics that contribute to emissions differences between the vehicle types. Overall, the models that included maximum grade and intersection control type performed best, however speed limit and horizontal curvature were also shown to be important. The performance differences identified in this project confirm that engine controls that are responsive to roadway characteristics are necessary.143