Evaluating the Air Emissions from Solid Waste Refuse Trucks

Authors

Lauren D. Hauser, University of Nebraska-LincolnFollow

Date of this Version

Spring 4-24-2015

Document Type

Article

Citation

Hauser, Lauren, Dr. Elizabeth Jones (2015). Evaluating the Air Emissions from Solid Waste Refuse Trucks, 1-291.

Comments

[A Thesis] Presented to the Faculty of The Graduate College at the University of Nebraska In Partial Fulfillment of Requirement For the Degree of Master of Science, Major: Civil Engineering, Under the Supervision of Professor Elizabeth G .Jones. Lincoln, Nebraska: April 2015

Copyright (c) 2015 Lauren Danielle Hauser

Abstract

The air emissions from solid waste refuse trucks is an issue that has not been widely studied, but is becoming an ever increasing issue. In the United States alone they have generated around 251 million tons of waste in 2012. This study in particular will collect data on 24 different refuse trucks (front-load, side-load, and roll-off, and diesel and compressed natural gas fuel) while on real-life routes in the Raleigh, North Carolina area. The collected data will then be aggregated and summarized based on the type of trucks. A regression analysis will also be done to determine the relationship between the vehicle year, engine year, fuel type, vehicle type, and the emission controls and the five collected emissions, CO₂, CO, HC, NOx, and PM. This regression will focus first on the average emissions data, and then split up based on the truck speed and the slope of the road. From the regression analysis, it was found that the more detailed the emissions data became, the more the emissions are affected. The higher vehicle speeds caused all of the emissions to be affected by the factors in some capacity. The diesel fuel significantly affected the emissions more than the CNG fuel. The front-load trucks affected the emissions more than the side-load and roll-off trucks. Further regression analysis should be done on each of the truck drivers driving habits, the specific truck routes, and the traffic patterns within the routes.

Advisor: Elizabeth Jones