A fleet of six 2001 International Class 6 trucks operating in southern California was selected for an operability and emissions study using gas-to-liquid (GTL) fuel and catalyzed diesel particle filters (CDPF). Three vehicles were fueled with CARB specification diesel fuel and no emission control devices (current technology), and three vehicles were fueled with GTL fuel and retrofit with Johnson Matthey's CCRT™ diesel particulate filter. No engine modifications were made.Bench scale fuel-engine compatibility testing showed the GTL fuel had cold flow properties suitable for year-round use in southern California and was additized to meet current lubricity standards. Bench scale elastomer compatibility testing returned results similar to those of CARB specification diesel fuel. The GTL fuel met or exceeded ASTM D975 fuel properties.Researchers used a chassis dynamometer to test emissions over the City Suburban Heavy Vehicle Route (CSHVR) and New York City Bus (NYCB) cycles. The GTL-fueled vehicles were tested with and without the CDPFs to isolate fuel and aftertreatment effects.All emission changes are compared to the CARB specification diesel baseline. Over the CSHVR cycle, GTL fuel (no filter) reduced all regulated emissions, with oxides of nitrogen (NO x ) reductions of 8% and particulate matter (PM) reductions of 33%. Over the NYCB cycle, GTL fuel (no filter) reduced NO x and PM by 16% and 23%, respectively. Combining GTL and CDPF further reduced all regulated emissions, with NO x and PM reductions of 14% and 99%, respectively, on the CSHVR cycle. Vehicles tested over the NYCB cycle on GTL fuel and CDPF produced NO x and PM reductions of 20% and 97%, respectively.

In 2014, the United States National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) utilized unique partnerships with the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), and the US Coast Guard for the first comparative testing of two unmanned aircraft systems (UAS): the Ikhana (an MQ-9 Predator B) and a Puma All-Environment (Puma AE). A multidisciplinary team of scientists developed missions to explore the application of the two platforms to maritime surveillance, marine resource monitoring and assessment. Testing was conducted in the Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument (PMNM), a marine protected area in the a NOAA Fisheries Pacific Islands Regional Office. 1845 Wasp Blvd., Bldg. 176, Honolulu, Hawaii 96818.

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In the early morning of 15 November 2005, the unmanned Altair aircraft returned to Gray Butte Airfield, north of Los Angeles, Calif., after completing an 18.4‐hour mission over the eastern Pacific Ocean. The flight was the last in a series undertaken by the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) in its Unmanned Aircraft System (UAS) Demonstration Project. The successful flight series has helped start the era of unmanned flights in service of environmental goals. Altair cruised at altitudes in the lower stratosphere (13 kilo‐meters; ∼43,000 feet), collecting atmospheric data with a 140‐kilogram payload of both remote and in situ instruments.

Six 2001 International Class 6 trucks participated in a project to determine the impact of gas-to-liquid (GTL) fuel and catalyzed diesel particle filters (DPFs) on emissions and operations from December 2003 through August 2004. The vehicles operated in Southern California and were nominally identical. Three vehicles operated "as-is" on California Air Resources Board (CARB) specification diesel fuel and no emission control devices. Three vehicles were retrofit with Johnson Matthey CCRT® (Catalyzed Continuously Regenerating Technology) filters and fueled with Shell GTL Fuel. Two rounds of emissions tests were conducted on a chassis dynamometer over the City Suburban Heavy Vehicle Route (CSHVR) and the New York City Bus (NYCB) cycle. The CARB-fueled vehicles served as the baseline, while the GTL-fueled vehicles were tested with and without the CCRT filters. Results from the first round of testing have been reported previously (see 2004-01-2959). The second round results were compared to the CARB specification diesel fuel baseline. Over the CSHVR cycle, the GTL Fuel (no filter) reduced oxides of nitrogen (NO x), hydrocarbon (HC), and particulate matter (PM) emissions by 13%, 46%, and 21%, respectively, and increased carbon monoxide (CO) by 11%. The GTL Fuel and the CCRT filter virtually eliminated the HC, CO, and PM emissions and reduced NO x emissions by 22%, a statistically significant reduction. Testing over the NYCB cycle also revealed emission reductions are possible with GTL Fuel. Compared to the CARB specification diesel fuel, the GTL Fuel provided statistically significant reductions in NO x , HC, and PM emissions by 11%, 58%, and 16%, respectively. A 10% increase in CO emissions was also noted, although not statistically significant. With the CCRT filter, the HC, CO, and PM emissions were reduced by over 95%. A statistically significant NO x reduction of 20% was observed. Reductions from round 2 were notably larger than those in round 1. To determine if the changes observed between rounds were "real", a statistical analysis was performed. The analysis found that CO emissions were higher without the filter in round 2, while no changes were observed for HC or PM emissions. The NO x emissions were significantly higher in round 1 for the NYCB cycle only. The fleet was followed for operability for 6 months and accumulated ~20,000 miles. Driver feedback for the vehicles operating on the GTL Fuel and CCRT filters was very positive. An analysis determined that the fuel economy with the combination of GTL Fuel and CCRT filters decreased by 8%. Evaluation of the maintenance NREL/CP-540-38221. Posted with permission.

National and international policies and treaties require the protection and exploration of the Arctic. The maritime services play a primary role in pursuing responsible Arctic stewardship by protecting the environment and the personnel conducting operations and research in this harsh environment. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) is an important partner to the U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) in hazard response and mitigation (including oil spills and search and rescue). During Arctic Shield exercises, as part of the USCG Research and Development Center's Arctic Technology Evaluation, manned and unmanned systems including the AeroVironment Puma™ All Environment (AE) (Puma) Unmanned Aircraft System (UAS), were used to provide real-time information for maritime domain awareness and oil spill response in the Arctic. Real-time information distribution and maritime domain awareness are critical to prepare for and respond to potential environmental disasters in the Arctic. Additionally, the Puma was assessed for shipboard operations capabilities, Arctic air space coordination, deconfliction and safety issues, and real-time data visualization through the Arctic Environmental Response Management Application ® as part of a larger data management plan. The results are provided from the successful Puma testing during the Arctic Shield 2013 and 2014 exercises aboard the USCG Cutter (USCGC; Icebreaker) Healy. An overview of these operations is given with recommendations for future testing and technology assessments of small UAS platforms for Arctic shipboard operational deployments. These findings are put into context for utilization in the field to support operations and decision making in the case of a real oil spill in the Arctic region.

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