the national alternative fuels training program

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The National Alternative Fuels Training Program

A. Marie Smith,Reda Bata, Larry McLaughlin, Donald Lyons

West Virginia University

Morgantown, WV 26506-6106

Abstract:

Alternative fuel vehicles are becoming more and

more popular due to many different reasons. The

increasing use of these vehicles has created a demand

for trained technicians who are familiar with the new

technology. The National Research Center for Coal and

Energy at West Virginia University, with funding from

the Environmental Protection agency and other

supporters, has developed the National Alternative FuelsTraining Program in order to meet this increasing

demand. Using a train the trainer approach, they

have successfully implemented a alternative fuel training

program. This paper focuses on the various aspects of

the training program including, but not limited to, their

philosophy, training methods and external services.

Introduction

In recent years, there has been an increased

interest in alternative transportation fuels. Some factors

affecting this trend include the concern for ecological

system degradation due to pollution from conventionalfuels, new and more stringent environmental protection

laws and legislation, declining worldwide petroleum

reserves and the growing need for economic and energy

independence.

The Clean Air Act Amendments (CAAA) of

1990 and the Energy Policy Act (EPAct) of 1992 have

both been established to help increase the use of

alternative fuels. The CAAA is designed to improve the

quality of air throughout the United States by reducing

harmful pollutants such as ozone, carbon monoxide and

particulate matter produced by conventional fuels. This

is done by requiring fleets of ten or more automobiles in

severely polluted areas to begin purchasing alternativefuel vehicles (AFV) as 30% of their new fleet purchases,

beginning by model-year 1998. This percentage rises

each year until 70% of new fleet purchases will be AFVs

by the year 2000. [1]

The EPAct is designed to help reduce the United

States dependence on foreign oil by establishing a firm

energy policy. The EPAct requires Federal , State, fuel

providers and private fleets in metropolitan areas to

purchase a certain percent of AFVs as part of their new

fleets. For fleets to be considered under EPAct, they

must have at least 20 vehicles that are centrally-fueled

and 50 vehicles nationwide. The EPAct effects the four

types of fleets differently. Each fleet category starts at a

particular year with a unique percentage of fleet vehicles

which must be an AFVs. EPAct also provides federal tax

deductions to those who purchase AFVs or AFV

refueling stations. [1]

Since there is a growing need for alternativetransportation fuels, there is also a growing need for

trained technicians to work with the new vehicle

technology. The National Research Center for Coal and

Energy (NRCCE) at West Virginia University has

realized this need and implemented a National

Alternative Fuels Training Program (NAFTP) in

conjunction with the Environmental Protection Agency

(EPA), the American Gas Association (AGA), the

Department of Energy (DOE) and the Clean City

Program.

The NAFTP has adopted a policy of train the

trainer in order to directly reach the automotive

technical trainers across the country. At the NAFTP,trainers learn how to teach the material covered so they

can take the information back and teach it to their

students. By training those who will train others,

standardized curriculum is produced. This

standardization benefits industry due to the fact that the

balance of curriculum review and lab activity allows for

the professional trainers within industry to customize the

curriculum without concern of radical deviation from the

base curriculum message. Curriculum standardization

also allows WVU to provide the training management of

any given program the training materials as a platform

that is flexible enough to support integration of the

alternate fuels message into an existing degree program,or support the in service format currently favored by the

industrial clients.

The courses offered by NAFTP are designed to

assist automotive instructors that work in a variety of

areas. The material covered is designed to give

automotive trainers skills and training resources to

conduct a similar course ... in their own training


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environments[2]. The courses offered are considered a

foundation by which to build additional skills.

Types of Alternative Fuel:

There are many different types of alternativefuels available today, each with its own advantages and

disadvantages. Methanol, which is an alcohol fuel, is

produced form natural gas, coal, residual oil or biomass.

It is clean burning and can increase horsepower by 10%.

However, methanol creates greater carbon dioxide

emissions than refined gasoline. Like methanol, ethanol

is another alcohol fuel which is produced by energy crops

and solid waste. Although it too is clean burning, the

conversion to ethanol is rather expensive.

A third type of alternative fuel is liquefied

petroleum gas (LPG). This type of fuel already has a

developed distribution infrastructure. Like the others, it

is clean burning and it also has good cold weatherstarting capabilities. However, the vehicle range is

reduced when running on LPG.[2]

Electricity is also growing in popularity as an

alternative fuel. Electric vehicles offer extremely low

noise and emission levels as well as little maintenance.

The long recharging time and relatively new battery

technology are the main drawbacks. [3]

The final type of alternative transportation fuel

is natural gas. Available in two forms, liquefied or

compressed, it is widely available and requires no fuel

enrichment. Liquefied natural gas (LNG) is produced by

lowering the temperature of natural gas to the cryogenic

region (below -65.5o C) [4]. However, compressed

natural gas (CNG) is more widely used. CNG is formed

by compressing natural gas to 3000 psi and storing it in a

high pressure fuel tank.

CNG burns clean, has a higher octane ratings

than conventional fuels and costs less than gasoline per

gallon equivalent [2]. CNG is also one of the safest

alternative fuels. CNG dissipates into the air quickly and

there is less chance of ignition in case of an accident.

The storage containers have also been shown to be

extremely safe. The disadvantages of CNG include the

conversion costs, power loss, less cargo space due to the

cylinders and it cannot be optimized for both fuels in abi-fuel vehicle.

Curricula and Training Techniques:

The NAFTP offers a variety of courses to help

automotive technical trainers better understand the

technical aspects of the alternative fuel conversion. A

one day overview course is offered to introduce the

various types of alternative fuel vehicles. A three day

course is taught on natural gas vehicle (NGV) system

integration and emissions. Another four day course

covers NGV electronic systems and diagnostic methods.

The fourth course is a four day course that covers LPG

system integration and emissions. The NAFTP is

continually updating their courses and adding additional

courses as the need arises.The NAFTP utilizes proven contemporary

standards for their training methods which incorporates

adult learning processes to assure student retention and

interest. The usual daily curriculum consists of a pre-

test, lecture, lab and post-test. The lecture section of the

course uses video and transparencies to help visually

relate the daily course content.

A training manual is also used so students can

preview the next days lecture notes or read along as the

instructor reviews the material. Included in the manual

are transparencies, instructors notes, activity sheets,

pre/post tests and job aids to help the trainer better relate

the information to those he/she is teaching. A sectionlisting resource contacts is also included as part of the

manual.

The lab section uses hands on experience so the

student gets tangible experience as well as theoretical

information. The lab is set up so that every person can

work individually, yet ask classmates questions and offer

each other advice. An activity sheet goes along with

each lab which asks basic as well as open ended question

about the apparatus the student is working with.

The courses are designed for Vo-Tech

instructors, Community College faculty, fleet managers

or instructors, military support personnel, utility

technicians or anyone involved in alternative fuel vehicle

infrastructure development. They are limited to

approximately 12 students per session to assure

maximum personal attention and hands on interaction.

[5] The courses are held approximately every month at

Morgantown, WV but can be held on-site if a particular

audience is gathered. [5]

Material Covered:

Although each of the three or four day courses

are specific in content, there is some general information

that applies to them all. The basics include: Overview of the five prominent alternative fuels-

CNG, LPG, ethanol, methanol and electric;

Regulatory and safety policies;

Conversion components;

Vehicle conversion compatibility;

Installation of parts, tanks, regulators, carburetors

and fuel-injection systems, fuel lines, valves and

electrical wiring ;


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Emissions safety, diagnosis, testing, tuning and

inspection;

Technician and trainer certification requirements;

Suppliers and manufacturers; and

Coaching skills. [6]

The course becomes even more valuable to theparticipants when realizing that the curriculum was made

compatible with the National Institute for Automotive

Service Excellence (ASE) certification requirements for

NGV systems. This gives the technician and the

company he/she is affiliated with greater credibility

since ASE is a national recognized organization.

Although completing this course does not guarantee ASE

certification, it prepares the participants to successfully

pass the certification test.[6]

Much of the course time goes into helping the

automotive technician teach the material in a concise an

efficient manner. Since the instructors of the NAFTP

courses have worked in private industry, they have a vastknowledge of many different types of alternative fuels,

conversion packages and teaching skills. They willingly

answer any type of question that may be directed towards

them and encourage discussing amongst the group.

Other Services:

Even after the course is over, the learning

continues. Past attendants of NAFTP are supported with

updated training, technical materials, training aids and

on-line information [5]. They are encouraged to keep in

touch with NAFTP and contact them if any question or

problems may arise. In this manner, the automotive

trainers are never outdated or uninformed of new and

upcoming technology.

The web site for West Virginia Universitys

National Alternative Fuel Training Program has a great

deal of information dealing with the NAFTP and

alternative fuels in general. The address for this site is

http://naftp.mae.wvu.edu. Once on the site, information

can be found on a variety of subjects including:

Technical Information About Alternative Fuels;

EPA and Clean Air Act Requirements;

Calendar of NAFTP events;

Calendar of related events - nationwide; NAFTP monthly newsletters;

NAFTP staff listing;

West Virginia NGV Infrastructure Map;

Natural Gas Equipment Vendors;

Troubleshooting; and

Jobs Posted.

Satellite teleconferencing is another method

used by NAFTP to expand the outreach and continue the

education program. These two hour teleconferences

bring together vendors, technicians and other experts into

the Morgantown studio to discuss current trends and new

technologies. These teleconferences give viewers the

most up-to-date information possible. [5]A monthly newsletter keeps trainers and the

NAFTP in close communication with each other. The

newsletter consists of four main parts. The

Administrators Notes focuses on what is happening with

the faculty and staff involved with working with the

training program as well as the upcoming teleconference

topics. The Calendar of Events lists upcoming events

nationwide that deal with alternative fuels. The

Technical Tips are bits of information that vendor have

submitted concerning their particular equipment.

The final and most important feature of the

newsletter is the Training Tips. Each month a different

topic is covered concerning teaching methods. Some ofthese topics have included:

Constructive and destructive teaching methods;

Differences between teaching an adult and an

adolescent;

Making students feel comfortable about taking tests;

Where to find the most up-to-date information; and

Ways to make better presentations.

This information helps keep trainers motivated and

focused. It also gives him/her advice that may not have

been covered in the training program.

Regional Training Centers:

The NAFTP has thirteen regional training

centers located throughout the United States. These

centers act a satellite campuses for the NAFTP. They

provide both the short courses, as offered on the WVU

campus, and also degree track type programs. These

regional centers allow service technicians in the area the

same type of curriculum and support without having to

make the sometimes tedious trip to West Virginia. One

of the regional training centers, Northwest College, has

begun to offer an Alternate Fuel Technician degree. The

regional centers, where they are located and a phonenumber are listed below.

New England Institute of Technology

Warwick, RI (410) 739-5000/3422

Northwestern College

Lima, OH (419) 227-3141

Portland Community College

Portland, OR (503) 244-6111


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Ranken Technical College

St. Louis, MO (314) 286-4880

Tarrant Country Junior College

Fort Worth, TX (817) 531-6088

Weber State University

Ogden, UT (801) 626-7830

Wentworth Institute of TechnologyBoston, MA (617) 442-9010/294

Bronx Community College

Bronx, NY (718) 289-5335/5336

Central Community College

Columbus, NE (402) 562-1280

College of the Desert

Palm Desert, CA (619) 773-2596

Francis Tuttle Vo-Tech Center

Oklahoma City, OK (405) 722-7799

Gateway Community Technical College

North Haven, CT (203) 234-3318/722

Louisiana Technical College

Baton Rouge, LA (504) 359-9215

Future Goals:

The NAFTP has a very aggressive future

planned. The nature of the Alternate Fuels business is

still very dynamic. For this reason, the potential for the

development of new products to serve existing needs as

well future technological developments is promising.

The courses by nature must remain living

documents in that as technology and the marketplace

change, so must the literature and training messages

change and grow with it. The existing training programswill require constant revision to support the growing

service segment of the AFV marketplace. The growth of

the regional training center network will also provide a

demand for new and relevant information that can

support the needs of the regional customers demands for

training.

The latest potential training modules that will

carry the NAFTP program even further into the future

are:

Heavy Duty Alternative Fuel Training Courses;

LPG Basic and Advanced Training Courses;

Electric/Hybrid Basic and Advanced Training

Courses; and Transient Emissions Basic and Advanced Training

Courses.

These programs are current projects or potential projects

that have great implications for the transportation

industry and the professional trainers that support it.

Another program of note would be the

development of a National Standard for the certification

of service professionals within the alternate fuel vehicle

service discipline. The certification process would

include a standardization of training curriculum and test

pool questions that would lead a service professional

towards the award of a uniform patch signifying the

successful completion of the national training program.

References

1. American Gas Association.Natural Gas Vehicles:

The Decision Starts Here. Thomason & Associates,

Inc. 1995.

2. WVU AFVTP.NGV System Integration and

Emission Training. West Virginia University

Research Corporation. 1995.

3. Winn, Jennifer L. The Role of Government and

Industry in the Development of the Electric

Vehicle, SAE Paper N. 941035

4. Tunali, Izmen. Evaluation and Comparison of

Alternative Fuel Vehicle Technologies and anEducational Forum for Dissemination of this

Information. Masters Thesis. 1996.

5. deJong, Remco and Bata, Reda. WVUs NAFTP

Web Site. http://naftp.mae.wvu.edu.

6. Donald, Rhonda Lucas. Is There an NGV

Technician in the House?,American Gas. Sept.

1994.

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