Technical Paper
Demonstration of Alternative Fuels Technology in Diesel-Powered Cargo Handling Equipment
1995-12-01
952752
A methanol-fueled DDC 4L-71TA engine was designed and developed for off-road “yard hostler” operations at a seaport container terminal. Three methanol-powered yard hostlers were placed into service at the beginning of 1994. Some early fuel-related problems were investigated and dealt with, with the result that vehicle downtime decreased to nil in the latter stages of the project. The vehicles' acceleration performance, while less than that of the control diesel hostler, was deemed adequate for this application. The methanol hostlers' exhaust emissions were significantly lower than those of the control diesel hostler in all regulated categories. This project demonstrated the technical feasibility and emission benefits of the use of methanol fuel in off-road vehicles.
