Clean Air Equipment
There’s an increasing global concern over air quality and sustainable development. Ports, in particular, are feeling pressure from nearby communities to curb port-related air pollution from trucks, ships, locomotives, and other equipment. In response, companies are developing a variety of products to provide cleaner air and a healthier environment.
Here are just a few of the products on the market — or coming soon.

Company: Capacity of Texas, Inc.
Product: Terminal tractor
Function: Movement of trailers and/or containers
Special Features & How it Works: Each model is now offered in alternative fuel platforms that include CNG, LNG, LPG, and a hybrid-electric version to be unveiled 2nd quarter 2009. Capacity is currently the only terminal tractor supplier in North America that offers 2010 emission compliant yard trucks within the Cummins ISLG platform, in both LNG and CNG fuel options, says the company. The ISLG is a 250 HP engine with 730 lb. ft. torque, which allows Capacity products to reduce Nox by 83% and leave a 25% smaller carbon footprint. The PHETT® Trailer Jockey (Pluggable Hybrid Electric Terminal Tractor) is based on an internal, 40 HP, combustion engine to turn the generator. The generator will supply power to the electric motor to drive the wheels and charge the batteries. It is a charge sustaining, grid charge when idle and AC traction motor-based product. All of these fuel sources are offered in the TJ5000 (80,000 lb. GCW), TJ7000 (125,000 lb. GCW) and TJ9000 (242,000 lb. GCW) models, and both off-road and DOT versions.
Clients: Capacity supplies products all over the world in various applications, including warehouse-distribution, port, rail and heavy industrial. The Trailer Jockey serves many types of customers where the movement of goods is crucial.
Website:
www.capacitytexas.com

Company: Wittmar
Product: Duel Frequency Multi Voltage (DFMV) Cold Ironingâ„¢ (Patent Pending)
Function: Provides temporary electrical power to stationary locations and/or moveable locations. It allows changing frequency/voltage of electrical power provided by a power module. It can provide power from a port to a ship electrical system, and it can provide temporary power from a generator to an electrical system.
Special Features: The system is modular — positioning on the dock is not fixed, so accommodating of any length or configuration is assured. Another advantage of the modular system is that it can be located on the dock and minimize any impact to the ship loading and unloading process.
How it works: Utilizes a turbo charged natural gas or LPG engine to generate the electricity. The engine is specially designed and engineered to generate either 50 Hz or 60 Hz and 380 volts to 480 volts so that it can be utilized with any ship that may call on the port complex.
Website: www.wittmarengineeringconstruction.com

Company: Port of Los Angeles, Balqon Corporation
Product: Nautilus E-30, heavy-duty electric drayage tractor
Function: Designed specifically for short-haul container drayage or terminal operations, this electric tractor can pull a 60,000-lb. cargo container at a top speed of 40 mph, and has a range between 30 to 60 miles per battery charge. The battery charger can charge up to four electric trucks simultaneously in four hours and can also provide up to 60% of the charge in one hour to meet demands during peak periods of operation — the first of its kind at any port worldwide, says the company.
Special Features: Zero tailpipe emissions vehicle, with total reduction potential of 35,605.6 tons per year in emissions — including 21.8 tons Diesel Particulate Matter (DPM), 427.7 tons of localized Nitrogen Oxide (NOx) emissions, 168.5 tons of Carbon (CO), and 34,987.6 tons of Carbon Dioxide (CO2).
All-electric drayage trucks substantially reduce the emissions generated by an estimated 2 million or more very short-haul truck trips that occur each year between the port complex and local rail and warehouse facilities.
How it Works: On a kilowatt hour of energy cost-basis, this electric truck costs roughly 20 cents a mile to operate. On a per-mile cost-basis, a common diesel truck could cost anywhere from four to nine times as much, depending on fluctuating fuel costs and actual duty-cycle activity (100% duty cycle equals zero percent truck idling).
Clients: Port of Los Angeles terminal operators.
Website: www.portoflosangeles.org, www.balqon.com

Company: VYCON, Inc.
Product: REGEN Flywheel Energy Storage System for RTG Cranes
Function: VYCON’s REGEN system was designed to reduce both fuel consumption and emissions from Rubber Tyred Gantry (RTG) cranes. The REGEN system can convert any standard RTG crane into a Green Eco-friendly system and is available for new cranes or as a retrofit for existing RTG cranes in operation.
Special Features: What makes VYCON’s REGEN flywheel energy storage system unique is its patented technology of a permanent magnet generator, active magnetic bearings and integrated control schemes that allow REGEN to be a reliable, low maintenance, compact, plug and play system, when compared to other types of energy storage systems.
How it Works: The REGEN system is a flywheel based energy storage device that operates by capturing and storing regenerated energy that is normally wasted during the lowering portion of a hoist cycle. The energy that is captured is then delivered back when a peak load during the lift portion of the hoist cycle is encountered, reducing the power required from the diesel generator set, effectively reducing fuel consumption and emissions. By using VYCON’s REGEN flywheel technology, the diesel generator set is not subjected to peak loads during hoisting; therefore, the size of the diesel generator set can be reduced to further reduce fuel consumption and emissions.
Clients: RTG crane manufacturers, port operators, Port Authorities worldwide.
Website: www.vyconenergy.com

In This Issue

New Items

Time for the Tough to Get Going

Supply Chain
Real Estate Responds to Supply Chain Shifts

Taking Your Ship to an IP Environment

Compliance Corner: SOPs, the Foundation of Trade Compliance

New Applications for RFID

Features
Gateway at a Glance ­– Canada

Moving Goods in a Slower Economy

Ports & infrastructure
National Gateway — a Public-Private Partnership in Progress

California River Ports

Port Products
Clean Air Equipment

Commentary
Contract Negotiations Approaching

Who, What, Where, When

Final Say