In the face of escalating prices, technological advances, and stringent emissions regulations, the refuse industry considers specifications to ensure fuel efficiency without sacrificing performance.
As oil prices
continue to climb, the solid waste industry casts a critical eye at operating
costs in an effort to contain expenditures. Reluctant to lose productivity in
the face of budget cuts, private haulers, municipalities, and fleet managers
turn to refuse truck, body, and engine manufacturers for help. They, in turn,
examine spec sheets and revivify research and development and testing in an
effort to respond to those demands.
“There’s a lot
of development starting,” surmises Emile Charest, project manager for Mack
Trucks Inc. in Allentown, PA. “The next five to 10 years will be interesting.”
Things are already pretty interesting, with new directions being sought.
Fueling the Problem
One of the main
concerns of refuse companies, according to Charest, is fuel economy. To reduce
fuel costs, many manufacturers are exploring alternative fuels. In fact, some
trucks can already run on a blend of diesel and biodiesel. “We’re looking at a
20% blend. The big issue is what is biodiesel?” He explains that biodiesel
derives from a variety of sources, with each blend consisting of diverse
ingredients.
Fortunately, he
says, by the end of 2008, ASTM International (formerly American Society for
Testing and Materials) will issue a standard. “The diesel-fuel industry has
strict standards. This industry needs it. All the blends work differently, and
diesel engines are sensitive to different properties.”
Although
Cummins’ 6.7-15L engines are approved for B-20 and are compatible with biodiesel
on-highway market, Christy Nycx, with Cummins Engine Co. in Columbus, IN,
recognizes that various markets have different fuels. But because, unlike
long-haul truckers, the waste industry can be local, Charest says it’s not a
problem to have different technology in different regions, although a refueling
structure needs to be in place. “We’re reaching the point where we use different
fuels in different areas. There’s no one fuel for everybody.” Hybrids use less
fuel, Charest points out, so there’s less difficulty in finding refueling
options.
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| Photo: Heil |
| The Starr System is capable of pulling two trailers to the landfill, thus cutting in half the number of trips needed, for an overall reduction in fuel and tire costs. |
Mack Trucks has
explored hybrid technology in other vehicles and is relying on trucks with a
different flavor of hybrid to explore directions during early development of
hybrid technology for the refuse industry. Similarly, Cummins has developed
“some hybrid technology for certain markets,” Nycx says, in response to pockets
of interest. “It’s market-specific, but there’s growing interest—although it’s
usually a specific business request.”
Heil
Environmental, in Asheville, NC, hopes to focus considerable attention on
hybrids: how the systems work, the rising interest in them, comparisons of
performance and fuel savings with traditional power plants, according to Shannon
Harrop, director of product management. “There is much emphasis on hybrid
technology presently. Residential collection vehicles are constantly stop-and-go
on route. The idea of hybrid systems is to store the energy lost while braking
and reuse it for accelerating to the next stop.”
Heil makes
refuse collection vehicle bodies—the parts that pick up (for automated units)
and pack the trash. They also “upfit” the trucks—mount the bodies onto the
chassis made by truck manufacturers. “As a body manufacturer, we are not
directly developing the technology, but we are working on all the hybrid teams
to ensure compatibility with the hybrid chassis components. With the need to
contain costs in mind, we are looking at fleet specifications for 2010 and
beyond.”
Hybrids also
need regulation, believes Tom Vatter, vice president of sales and marketing for
Autocar, the number-one producer of natural gas vehicles in the country. “States
need to develop regulations so there will be funding and tax credits for
development, but they need to understand the hybrid to write regulations.”
There’s a difference between car and garbage truck hybrid systems, he says. He
thinks that fuel at $4 per gallon is the tipping point that has put hybrids at
the front of everyone’s agenda.
“We’re on the
ground floor,” Charest opines. “There’s a lot of potential for hybrid in
trucks.” As part of the long-range future, he envisions more electrically driven
accessories and plug-in rechargers for hybrids that run the body/compaction on
all-electric power.
Mack, which is
now part of Volvo, is working on some of Charest’s visions. Mack leverages
Volvo’s progress in developing hybrid technology as it builds a hybrid power
train for its MR and LE models. Volvo’s proprietary integrated starter
alternator motor (ISAM) combines an electric automated manual transmission motor
with a diesel engine. Energy stored in the electric motor’s battery assists in
launching the vehicle; then the diesel engine blends in. Able to be tuned to
various applications, the benefits include fuel savings, reduced emissions due
to less fuel usage and better power, thanks to the combination of both electric
and diesel. In addition, as Charest points out, the electric motor has very high
torque at low speeds for good launch capability.
Charest lists
the trade-offs as added weight due to extra components for this complex vehicle.
The electrical components are maintenance-free, but the life cycle is under
development. At this time, the cost is higher. “We’re trying to come up with a
system at the right volume that’s reasonable, commercially viable and has a
payback within several years. It depends on your buying strategy.”
Unfortunately, there are no tax credits for this kind of hybrid system to offset
the cost. Charest explains that cars are certified to meet emissions
requirements, but in this category, only the engine is certified.
Jeffry
Swertfeger, director of marketing communications for McNeilus in Dodge Center,
MN, says his company has experimented with electric hybrid technology in
conjunction with its parent company, Oshkosh Corp., but the expense “makes it
further out.” Instead, they have directed efforts toward developing bodies
capable of functioning on compressed natural gas (CNG) and liquid natural gas
(LNG). “Grants, incentives, and diesel fuel costs are driving development.
There’s huge interest in alternative fuels, and it’s growing every day with the
cost of oil. Alternative fuels like CNG drive down costs and emissions. In
addition, there are many tax benefits and grant money available in several
locations of the country.”
LNG is natural
gas that has been converted to liquid form for easier, more cost-effective
storage and transportation. It produces less pollution than diesel, but costs
more to produce and store. CNG is considered more environmentally clean than
diesel but takes up more space than other fuels, particularly gasoline. Used
extensively in California municipal fleets and public transportation, it is also
becoming popular for personal use throughout other western states.
CNG and LNG can
be obtained from converted landfill gas (LFG. “There has always been a desire to
use landfill gas as an alternative fuel for refuse vehicles,” Harrop claims.
Many Heil customers operate alternative fuel refuse collection vehicles.
“Production of alternate fuels from LFG is an emerging area. Projects to convert
LFG to methanol are in the planning stages, according to the EPA. For landfill
operators to use LFG in their own collection trucks would be a great
sustainability project. Hopefully someone will commercialize the use of LFG by
2010.”
While Nycx
places the burden on the customer to research fuels and costs and to decide
which alternative to adopt, Charest views it as a complicated path in need of
political orchestration. “The engine manufacturers communicate with the fuel
industry to determine the future direction, but we don’t know which way
political support will go. It could be a combination of things, depending on the
location—a blend of biodiesel works well in the Midwest, but California is big
in natural gas.”
Natural gas is
a “big thing,” according to Vatter, who cites environmental issues, its
predominantly domestic origin (97% of natural gas comes from America), and
diesel prices (compared with the price of natural gas, which can be locked in
for five years) as drivers that focus attention on natural gas and help sell it.
“It used to be a California thing, but it’s more prevalent now. You see it
everywhere because there are more municipalities with a green agenda. We built
300 units in 2007 and 500-plus this year.”
A related hot
topic is the natural gas hybrid. “We’re waiting for one that truly delivers
weight neutrality,” Vatter says, which he estimates could deliver fuel savings
of up to 40%. One of the drawbacks, however, is that natural gas and other
alternative fuels, such as biogas, require different engine configurations.
That’s why Charest prefers synthetic diesel and biodiesel: You don’t need to
change the engine to run them.
Battling Soaring Costs
Changes to
chassis or engine design are costly, so manufacturers closely track industry
feedback to gauge any necessary changes and explore other options to boost fuel
economy or at least reduce the cost of operation. Heil relies on its Voice of
Customer program to set priorities. One result of customer input resulted in the
recently updated Starr System automated side-loader. As the world’s only
semitrailer refuse and recycling collection system, the Starr can pull two full
trailers to the landfill, thus cutting in half the number of trips needed, for
an overall reduction in fuel consumption and tire costs in addition to less wear
and tear on the route trucks. It also eliminates the need for a transfer
station, which can significantly reduce costs.
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| Photo: Curotto-Can |
| The Curotto-Can saves energy by keeping the work close to the ground. |
Frank Kennedy,
sales director with Curotto-Can Inc. in Sonoma, CA, has another suggestion. The
Curotto-Can front-loader can do more than any other system, he claims, and can
work in tight spaces thanks to its boom-like arm. It’s also quicker, allowing a
driver to pick up more carts per hour. “From a street-product standpoint, we do
more with automating. You can take one truck off the street, add X amount of
stops per day, and carry more—which means fewer trips to the landfill. That
saves money.”
It’s capable of
collecting a wider range of material, such as bulky items that don’t fit in a
cart. “There’s no need for a second truck to pick up bulky material,” he says.
In addition, it’s suited for commercial use with the attachment off, so refuse
companies can do double duty by collecting commercial routes. That translates
into higher utilization and ROI.
Kennedy admits
the system requires an up-front investment, but people get over that quickly.
The only pushback is familiarity with the old system, fear of change and two-man
contracts.” Attracted by an economical cost-per-hour, private haulers and
municipalities are showing interest in this low-maintenance system. He indicates
that Curotto-Can, which works with any chassis and any type of fuel, is already
the sole supplier of the largest national companies. He says such cities as
Waco, TX, are getting onboard with companies like Autocar, Mack, McNeilus, and
Heil. “Municipalities are a growing market as budgets tighten and managers are
being forced to do more with less.”
He’s not
surprised. He considers the primary concerns in the industry are fuel
consumption and productivity. The Curotto-Can, he says, consumes less energy to
run a container than in a typical auto truck, chiefly because most of the work
is done close to the ground. That means smaller cylinders and lower hydraulic
flow requirements. Tire wear, fuel, and maintenance are comparable with any
Class 8 truck. “Any truck with an arm behind the driver is old technology,”
Kennedy boldly states, noting that the maneuverable front arm helps reduce
accidents.
A million
things can reduce the cost of operation, Swertfeger believes: quality,
reliability, and preventative maintenance are key factors. “You need to
understand the life of a product,” he admonishes. His suggested strategy
combines purchasing the right vehicles and then providing the best quality
replacement parts to meet or exceed the specifications of the original equipment
manufacturer. That’s important, because the refuse industry has the toughest
duty cycle of any market. “Whoever can pick, pack, and dump consistently with
the lowest overall operating cost wins.”
Dependability
is Cummins’ answer to Swertfeger’s call for reducing the cost of operation. Nycx
credits an in-house combustion fuel system, air handling, and after-treatment
for dependable performance. “Our advantage is that all systems (air intake to
exhaust) are produced in-house. We design with that in mind: It helps.”
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| Photo: Heil |
| Heil's Operate-At-Idle is standard on all automatic side-loaders and operational on other rear-, front-, and side-loaders. |
As Cummins’
current production line evolves, expect comparable fuel economy and the same
maintenance intervals, Nycx promises. “Performance and lowest operating cost are
important.” When the ISX is introduced as a 15-L engine (as the platform is
expanded from 11.9 L to 16 L), the power range and power density will be
maintained and the horsepower range will be expanded.
Play It Again: Regenerist Systems
When it comes
to costs, Hagerstown, IN–based Autocar, North America’s oldest truck
manufacturer, keeps a close eye on the price of commodities. “We track the
indices of commodities,” Vatter explains. “If commodities keep increasing, we
could be building at a loss. We have to pass on temporary inflation adjustments
because it costs more to build.” Although sales of Autocar’s Xpeditor trucks
have doubled in the last two years, the century-old Class 8 truck builder
explains uncontrollable costs (commodities in raw materials and other costs
associated with the process) have outstripped its ability to offset them through
lean initiatives. In the first quarter of 2008, the indices that track Autocar’s
uncontrollable costs have increased by more than they did for the entire prior
year.
While Autocar
has had to pass along some costs to its customers, the manufacturer is trying to
help those customers recoup the expense through efficient equipment. The E3
Xpeditor, powered by an innovative hybrid-drive system developed by
Parker-Hannifin, is a “big deal,” Vatter says. Not for sale yet, the
revolutionary prototype’s Cummins engine will offer fuel savings up to 50%.
The integrated
series hydraulic hybrid overcomes the electric hybrid’s challenge of weight
neutrality, as well as its limited hauling capacity, because there are no
batteries to store. As Vatter mentions, weight neutrality significantly
increases brake life—another cost savings. Hydraulic hybrids capture the energy
of a truck stopping and store it in accumulators. Non-compressible hydraulic
fluid is held under pressure by a spring, raised weight, or compressed gas.
During normal driving, the system is not active; under braking, the system kicks
in. The energy is reused to start moving instead of using the engine to turn. In
essence, says Vatter, the engine is a generator.
He estimates
70% efficiency, with 70% energy recovered as pressurized oil. “Energy at 500
pounds per square inch is ready to be reused, delivered through HLA. It adds 175
horsepower just using brake—not engine—power and has good torque. It’s a fast
truck, with fuel savings in economy mode. In the other mode, it offers quicker
productivity enhancement so you can add stops.”
The downside,
he says, is its cost and a slow rate of adoption. However, the high cost of
diesel makes the payback better, which assists sales. Another drawback, however,
is that most people think of electric, not hydraulic, hybrid systems. Vatter
complains that they’re not getting legislative help: Federal help given for
buying hybrids isn’t extended to hydraulic systems.
Yet another
disadvantage is the 1,020 pounds added to the truck. “We’re working on reducing
weight by going to a composite instead of a steel accumulator—that will save 200
pounds,” Vatter says, adding that operators say they don’t feel the extra
weight, and because they see fuel savings of 10% to15% they’re happy now.
Manufacturers
must explore opportunities to recover wasted energy. “Waste management companies
average $92 million per month in fuel costs. Fleet managers have to look at
long-term operating costs,” states Robert Golin, senior product manager for
Eaton Advanced Technologies and System in Eden Prairie, MN.
Regenerist
systems capture previously wasted energy on electric or hydraulic systems.
Recovered energy is stored and used to supplement the engine’s power during
acceleration, on demand. The system is most beneficial in stop-and-go driving
situations. During braking, the vehicle’s kinetic energy drives the pump/motor
as a pump, transferring hydraulic fluid from the low-pressure reservoir to the
high-pressure accumulator. The fluid compresses nitrogen gas in the accumulator
and pressurizes the system. During acceleration, fluid in the high-pressure
accumulator is metered out to drive the pump/motor as a motor. The system
propels the vehicle by transmitting torque to the drive shaft.
Based on duty
cycles, Golin contends, it makes sense to “go one way or the other”—hydraulic or
electric. While he says there’s no overlap or competition between the two
offerings, he believes the stop-and-go cycle of a refuse truck doesn’t allow an
electric system enough time to recharge. A hydraulic system is at full torque at
0 rpm with five seconds to recharge, limited only by the capacity of the
accumulators.
Keeping an eye
on the future, McNeilus, which builds bodies, not chassis, develops strategies
to dovetail with chassis changes. “We’re in tune with what they’re doing,”
Swertfeger says. “Nothing happens in a vacuum.” One thing the builder, with
customers ranging from major fleets like Republic and Allied to small
mom-and-pop fleets and municipalities, has looked at is hydraulic launch assist.
“That’s a technology we’re watching, but we feel there are better solutions,
like CNG, that require far less modification to the body and chassis.” He hopes
for newer technology that is more efficient and poses fewer challenges for body
manufacturers.
Golin, on the
other hand, says HLA provides better acceleration, is quieter, saves brakes,
produces fewer emissions (nitrogen oxides, carbon dioxide, or particulates) and
improves productivity, allowing operators to make more stops in the same amount
of time. “Refuse is a great market for HLA because they stop up to three times
per minute.”
HLA, a parallel
hybrid hydraulic regenerative braking system that supplements the engine,
recovers the majority of the energy normally wasted as heat during braking and
uses it to supplement the engine’s power during acceleration. In contrast, a
series hydraulic system replaces the transmission and provides engine
management. At peak efficiency, an engine generates 33%–34% of the energy it
takes in. With the series system, Golin explains, the way to do engine
management is to always run the engine at optimum speed and let the hydraulic
system manage the torque.
HLA provides
more torque for quicker acceleration and shorter cycle times and still provides
a 20%–25% savings in fuel consumption during refuse collection while reducing
emissions of nitrogen oxides, particulates, and carbon dioxide. Conversely, the
series hybrid provides higher savings.
Proving that
the current financial crunch isn’t new, Golin reveals that Eaton, with an annual
revenue of $12 billion to $13 billion and five divisions, has spent 15 years
developing the HLA technology. “The driving force is efficiency: Less energy to
power equals fewer operating costs.”
Eaton plans to
release the HLA system for use in Peterbilt 320 refuse chassis in the second
half of 2008. It could be retrofitted to other models, Golin speculates, but
requires a lot of integration work. The series system is even more integrated as
it replaces the transmission. “Delivery trucks are a good target for Series.
These trucks last 20 years, so the installed fleet is huge in comparison to new
truck purchases each year.” Peterbilt and other original equipment manufacturers
that install HLA require a payback of about three years. “A truck costs
$150,000–200,000. Our product is $40–$45. The life of a heavy-duty/severe duty
garbage truck is seven to 12 years. It’s used hard.”
Putting It out There: Emissions
Refuse truck
brakes are also used hard. Vatter says the number-one expense in the refuse
industry is fuel, followed by brakes. Their life is usually one month, but he
insists that Autocar’s hydraulic hybrid can extend their life twofold to
threefold. “The maintenance schedule goes from one to three months.”
Autocar focuses
on details like brakes because, as Vatter states, “We know trucks,
manufacturing, and the needs of this market. Others trying to develop technology
aren’t in the truck industry.” They know the market—and that there were
performance deficits in the ’80s —but Vatter says those have been overcome. “The
Cummins has 320 horsepower and 1,000-foot-pounds of torque. The proof is there
now.”
They also know
private companies are watching their carbon footprint and want to go green—and
that many municipalities are insisting they do just that. “There will be more
restrictions on emissions in the future. California offers state grants for
hybrid technology to make adoption quicker,” Vatter says. “There are incentives
to help clean air. Toronto is going green with its non-idle decree.”
That suits
Heil’s Operate-at-Idle system, standard on all automated side loaders and
optional on most rear-loaders, front-loaders and side-loaders. It saves fuel and
increases productivity by enabling the vehicle to perform all of its normal
functions to load and/or compact refuse at standard operating speeds while the
vehicle engine is at idle.
“With 2010
looming, reduced emissions is obviously a focus,” Swertfeger confirms. “Diesel
fuel costs continue to rise and relief seems to be somewhere in the distance.
The thought of alternative fuel is becoming much more attractive. It’s the wave
of the future. A lot of attention is focused on this.”
Charest
verifies that the industry is “working hard to meet emissions regulations: 2010
is the next challenge. After that, it will be tough to get cleaner. There will
be no visible smoke [and] nitrogen oxide will be down to such a low level, it
will be tough to measure.” That, he says will make improving fuel economy very
difficult. “You’re talking a few percentages.”
With
a hybrid, higher percentages can be achieved. Mack is looking at that and other
technical issues, with some financial assistance from the US Air Force to use
four trucks with similar weight rating to dump trucks. “It helps define where
we’re going.” Swertfeger speaks for many manufacturers in the industry when he
says McNeilus will be ready to move whichever way the industry goes. Nycx adds,
“We’ve evaluated 2010 solutions and are focused on the right technology for the
market and various geographical regions.”