A major contributor to this article appears to have a close connection with its subject.(May 2020) |
Michael Wang | |
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Alma mater | China Agricultural University (BA), University of California, Davis (PhD) |
Known for | Vehicle & Fuel Technologies |
Awards | SAE Fellow, DOE Joint Hydrogen and Fuel Cells and Vehicle Technologies Programs Award, DOE Hydrogen Program R&D Award |
Scientific career | |
Institutions | Argonne National Laboratory |
Thesis | The Use of a Marketable Permit System for Light-Duty Vehicle Emission Control (1994) |
Website | https://www.anl.gov/profile/michael-wang |
Michael Wang is a distinguished fellow, a senior scientist, and director of the Systems Assessment Center of the Energy Systems Division at the U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE) Argonne National Laboratory. [1] He is also a faculty associate in the Energy Policy Institute at The University of Chicago; a senior fellow at the Northwestern-Argonne Institute of Science and Engineering at Northwestern University.
Wang's research and expertise are in evaluating the energy and environmental impacts of vehicle technologies, transportation fuels, energy systems, and buildings technologies; assessing the market potentials of advanced vehicle technologies and new fuels; and examining transportation development in emerging economies such as China. He developed and applied the life-cycle analysis methods to the transportation sector. [1] His contributions to mobility technology have been recognized by several institutions, including the U.S. Department of Energy [2] and the Society of Automotive Engineers, which named Wang a fellow in 2019. [3] [4]
At Argonne, Wang leads development of the GREET (Greenhouse gases, Regulated Emissions, and Energy use in Technologies) model, a popular modeling tool for full life-cycle analysis of vehicle technologies, transportation fuels, energy systems, and building technologies. [5] Over 43,000 individuals and organizations around the world–including governmental and non-governmental organizations, universities, automotive companies and energy companies–use GREET. [6] [4] [7]
Wang has also advised several boards and committees. He served on the board of the San Francisco–based Energy Foundation [8] and on the board of the Washington D.C.–based International Council for Clean Transportation. [9] He is currently sits on the advisory board of the Institute of Transportation Studies of University of California at Davis. [10] He was also the former chair of the Subcommittee on the International Aspects of Transportation Energy and Alternative Fuels of the U.S. Transportation Research Board. [1]
Wang received his Ph.D. in environmental science from the University of California at Davis in 1992. [11] [12] He also holds a master's degree in environmental science from UC Davis and a bachelor's degree in agricultural meteorology from the China Agricultural University. [11]
Wang completed his postdoctoral studies at the Center for Transportation Analysis in Oak Ridge National Laboratory in 1992. [11] He went on to join Argonne as a scientist in 1993. [1]
Wang leads the ongoing development of Argonne's GREET modeling tool. GREET simulates the energy use, emissions of greenhouse gases and air pollutants, and water use of vehicle technologies, fuel production options, energy systems, and buildings technologies, allowing researchers, government agencies, and companies to evaluate energy and environmental effects of various vehicle and fuel combinations and other technologies on a full life-cycle basis. GREET is being used by over 43,000 registered users worldwide. [6] Users include governmental agencies in North America, Asia, and Europe, who uses GREET to help formulate transportation policies, such as low-carbon fuel and vehicle greenhouse gas emission regulations, and automotive companies developing environmentally sustainable vehicle technologies and fuels. [13]
Wang has studied the energy and environmental effects of petroleum fuels and alternative fuels for use in internal combustion engine vehicles in early 1990s. [14] He examined liquid fuels such as gasoline and diesel and gaseous fuels such as compressed natural gas and liquefied petroleum gas that are produced from petroleum and natural gas. [15] [16] His detailed analyses include oil and natural gas fields, petroleum refineries, and the supply chain of liquid and gaseous fuels. [17] More recently, he has examined high octane fuels for their efficiency and emission performance and methane leakage of the natural gas supply system. [18]
Wang and his team at Argonne published extensively in the area of addressing energy and environmental effects of biofuels and renewable fuels including first-generation biofuels such as corn-based ethanol, [19] [20] soybean-based biodiesel, and sugarcane-based ethanol, second-generation biofuels such as cellulosic biomass-based biofuels, [21] [22] and other biofuels and renewable fuels such as algae-based biofuels, waste-to-energy technologies to produce renewable natural gas. [23] [24] [25] Wang's LCA results for biofuels and renewable fuels are cited extensively by governmental agencies, companies, and researchers, [26] shown by the fact that Wang has been repeatedly ranked among the most influential people in the biofuels field. [27] [28] [29]
Wang first published LCA results of battery electric vehicles in late 1980s when he was in graduate school in University of California at Davis. He identified that the electricity generation types and electric vehicle efficiency were the two most important factors determining energy and environmental performance of battery electric vehicles. He first addressed different hydrogen production pathways and their effects on fuel-cell vehicle energy and environmental performance. [30] [31] More recently, he has worked on battery supply chains to examine energy, environmental, and economic effects of battery production, use, and recycling on the overall energy and environmental performance of battery electric vehicles. [32] [33] [34] [35] [36]
Wang has also studied how new vehicle technologies and new fuels are introduced in the U.S., developed economies and emerging economies like China. [37] [38] [39] His studies explore and suggest technical and policy solutions that could help the public and private sectors in emerging countries on how to manage emissions and mitigate the environmental impact of vehicles. [40] [41] Wang has collaborated with international organizations such as the International Energy Agency, [42] the International Transport Forum, the International Civil Aviation Organization and in individual countries including China, Brazil, Canada, Japan, Korea, and European Union member states. [1]
Biofuel is a fuel that is produced over a short time span from biomass, rather than by the very slow natural processes involved in the formation of fossil fuels such as oil. Biofuel can be produced from plants or from agricultural, domestic or industrial biowaste. Biofuels are mostly used for transportation, but can also be used for heating and electricity. Biofuels are regarded as a renewable energy source. The use of biofuel has been subject to criticism regarding the "food vs fuel" debate, varied assessments of their sustainability, and ongoing deforestation and biodiversity loss as a result of biofuel production.
Ethanol fuel is fuel containing ethyl alcohol, the same type of alcohol as found in alcoholic beverages. It is most often used as a motor fuel, mainly as a biofuel additive for gasoline.
Alternative fuels, also known as non-conventional and advanced fuels, are fuels derived from sources other than petroleum. Alternative fuels include gaseous fossil fuels like propane, natural gas, methane, and ammonia; biofuels like biodiesel, bioalcohol, and refuse-derived fuel; and other renewable fuels like hydrogen and electricity.
The hydrogen economy is an umbrella term for the roles hydrogen can play alongside low-carbon electricity to reduce emissions of greenhouse gases. The aim is to reduce emissions where cheaper and more energy-efficient clean solutions are not available. In this context, hydrogen economy encompasses the production of hydrogen and the use of hydrogen in ways that contribute to phasing-out fossil fuels and limiting climate change.
Energy is sustainable if it "meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs." Definitions of sustainable energy usually look at its effects on the environment, the economy, and society. These impacts range from greenhouse gas emissions and air pollution to energy poverty and toxic waste. Renewable energy sources such as wind, hydro, solar, and geothermal energy can cause environmental damage but are generally far more sustainable than fossil fuel sources.
A fuel cell vehicle (FCV) or fuel cell electric vehicle (FCEV) is an electric vehicle that uses a fuel cell, sometimes in combination with a small battery or supercapacitor, to power its onboard electric motor. Fuel cells in vehicles generate electricity generally using oxygen from the air and compressed hydrogen. Most fuel cell vehicles are classified as zero-emissions vehicles. As compared with internal combustion vehicles, hydrogen vehicles centralize pollutants at the site of the hydrogen production, where hydrogen is typically derived from reformed natural gas. Transporting and storing hydrogen may also create pollutants. Fuel cells have been used in various kinds of vehicles including forklifts, especially in indoor applications where their clean emissions are important to air quality, and in space applications. Fuel cells are being developed and tested in trucks, buses, boats, ships, motorcycles and bicycles, among other kinds of vehicles.
A green vehicle, clean vehicle, eco-friendly vehicle or environmentally friendly vehicle is a road motor vehicle that produces less harmful impacts to the environment than comparable conventional internal combustion engine vehicles running on gasoline or diesel, or one that uses certain alternative fuels. Presently, in some countries the term is used for any vehicle complying or surpassing the more stringent European emission standards, or California's zero-emissions vehicle standards, or the low-carbon fuel standards enacted in several countries.
The United States became the world's largest producer of ethanol fuel in 2005. The U.S. produced 15.8 billion U.S. liquid gallons of ethanol fuel in 2019, and 13.9 billion U.S. liquid gallons in 2011, an increase from 13.2 billion U.S. liquid gallons in 2010, and up from 1.63 billion gallons in 2000. Brazil and U.S. production accounted for 87.1% of global production in 2011. In the U.S, ethanol fuel is mainly used as an oxygenate in gasoline in the form of low-level blends up to 10 percent, and, increasingly, as E85 fuel for flex-fuel vehicles. The U.S. government subsidizes ethanol production.
The United States produces mainly biodiesel and ethanol fuel, which uses corn as the main feedstock. The US is the world's largest producer of ethanol, having produced nearly 16 billion gallons in 2017 alone. The United States, together with Brazil accounted for 85 percent of all ethanol production, with total world production of 27.05 billion gallons. Biodiesel is commercially available in most oilseed-producing states. As of 2005, it was somewhat more expensive than fossil diesel, though it is still commonly produced in relatively small quantities, in comparison to petroleum products and ethanol fuel.
Renewable fuels are fuels produced from renewable resources. Examples include: biofuels, Hydrogen fuel, and fully synthetic fuel produced from ambient carbon dioxide and water. This is in contrast to non-renewable fuels such as natural gas, LPG (propane), petroleum and other fossil fuels and nuclear energy. Renewable fuels can include fuels that are synthesized from renewable energy sources, such as wind and solar. Renewable fuels have gained in popularity due to their sustainability, low contributions to the carbon cycle, and in some cases lower amounts of greenhouse gases. The geo-political ramifications of these fuels are also of interest, particularly to industrialized economies which desire independence from Middle Eastern oil.
An alternative fuel vehicle is a motor vehicle that runs on alternative fuel rather than traditional petroleum-based fossil fuels such as gasoline, petrodiesel or liquefied petroleum gas (autogas). The term typically refers to internal combustion engine vehicles or fuel cell vehicles that utilize synthetic renewable fuels such as biofuels, hydrogen fuel or so-called "Electrofuel". The term can also be used to describe an electric vehicle, which should be more appropriately called an "alternative energy vehicle" or "new energy vehicle" as its propulsion actually rely on electricity rather than motor fuel.
Biofuel is fuel that is produced from organic matter (biomass), including plant materials and animal waste. It is considered a renewable source of energy that can assist in reducing carbon emissions. The two main types of biofuel currently being produced in Australia are biodiesel and bioethanol, used as replacements for diesel and petrol (gasoline) respectively. As of 2017 Australia is a relatively small producer of biofuels, accounting for 0.2% of world bioethanol production and 0.1% of world biodiesel production.
Corn ethanol is ethanol produced from corn biomass and is the main source of ethanol fuel in the United States, mandated to be blended with gasoline in the Renewable Fuel Standard. Corn ethanol is produced by ethanol fermentation and distillation. It is debatable whether the production and use of corn ethanol results in lower greenhouse gas emissions than gasoline. Approximately 45% of U.S. corn croplands are used for ethanol production.
The United States produced 5.2 billion metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in 2020, the second largest in the world after greenhouse gas emissions by China and among the countries with the highest greenhouse gas emissions per person. In 2019 China is estimated to have emitted 27% of world GHG, followed by the United States with 11%, then India with 6.6%. In total the United States has emitted a quarter of world GHG, more than any other country. Annual emissions are over 15 tons per person and, amongst the top eight emitters, is the highest country by greenhouse gas emissions per person.
Issues relating to biofuel are social, economic, environmental and technical problems that may arise from biofuel production and use. Social and economic issues include the "food vs fuel" debate and the need to develop responsible policies and economic instruments to ensure sustainable biofuel production. Farming for biofuels feedstock can be detrimental to the environment if not done sustainably. Environmental concerns include deforestation, biodiversity loss and soil erosion as a result of land clearing for biofuels agriculture. While biofuels can contribute to reduction in global carbon emissions, indirect land use change for biofuel production can have the inverse effect. Technical issues include possible modifications necessary to run the engine on biofuel, as well as energy balance and efficiency.
A low-carbon fuel standard (LCFS) is an emissions trading rule designed to reduce the average carbon intensity of transportation fuels in a given jurisdiction, as compared to conventional petroleum fuels, such as gasoline and diesel. The most common methods for reducing transportation carbon emissions are supplying electricity to electric vehicles, supplying hydrogen fuel to fuel cell vehicles and blending biofuels, such as ethanol, biodiesel, renewable diesel, and renewable natural gas into fossil fuels. The main purpose of a low-carbon fuel standard is to decrease carbon dioxide emissions associated with vehicles powered by various types of internal combustion engines while also considering the entire life cycle, in order to reduce the carbon footprint of transportation.
The indirect land use change impacts of biofuels, also known as ILUC or iLUC, relates to the unintended consequence of releasing more carbon emissions due to land-use changes around the world induced by the expansion of croplands for ethanol or biodiesel production in response to the increased global demand for biofuels.
United States policy in regard to biofuels, such as ethanol fuel and biodiesel, began in the early 1990s as the government began looking more intensely at biofuels as a way to reduce dependence on foreign oil and increase the nation's overall sustainability. Since then, biofuel policies have been refined, focused on getting the most efficient fuels commercially available, creating fuels that can compete with petroleum-based fuels, and ensuring that the agricultural industry can support and sustain the use of biofuels.
Carbon-neutral fuel is fuel which produces no net-greenhouse gas emissions or carbon footprint. In practice, this usually means fuels that are made using carbon dioxide (CO2) as a feedstock. Proposed carbon-neutral fuels can broadly be grouped into synthetic fuels, which are made by chemically hydrogenating carbon dioxide, and biofuels, which are produced using natural CO2-consuming processes like photosynthesis.
Advanced vehicle technology competitions (AVTCs) are competitions sponsored by the United States Department of Energy, in partnership with private industry and universities, which stimulates "the development of advanced propulsion and alternative fuel technologies and provide the training ground for the next generation of automotive engineers."
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