Climate and Environmental Protection
The air of the Earth can be divided into different layers, which are defined through clear temperature differences. Two lower layers are important when referring to climate change.
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Climate and Environmental Protection
The air of the Earth can be divided into different layers, which are defined through clear temperature differences. The two lower layers are important when referring to climate change: 1. The troposphere, the layer with weather events and 2. The stratosphere, the layer above the troposphere [1]. The upper limit of the troposphere varies daily and mostly depends upon the season and geographical latitude. In the area of the equator it is at an altitude from 16 to 18 km (from 52,459 to 59,016 ft or 9.94 to 11.19 mi), at the poles it is from 8 to 12 km (from 26,230 to 39,344 ft or 4.97 to 7.46 mi). In the tropopause between the troposphere and the stratosphere the temperature is approximately -60C (-76F). The ozone O3 layer is in the stratosphere at an altitude from 25 to 30 km (from 81,967 to 98,361 ft or 15.5 to 18.6 mi) [2]. The climate has been rapidly changing because of the rise in the concentration of CO2 and other Green House Gases (GHG) in the atmosphere. Global warming on the Earth is the result of emissions of CO2 and other climate changing gases [3].
15.1 Transportation Emissions CO2 is the most important Green House Gas that originates from the burning of hydrocarbons, decomposition of biomass, e.g., from plants as well as from the respiration processes of humans and animals. The combustion of 1l (0.264 gal (US) and 0.220 gal (UK)) of gasoline produces 2.33 kg (5.14 lb) of CO2. The combustion of 1 l of diesel or kerosene emits 2.64 kg (5.82 lb) of CO2. The concentration of CO2 in the air is currently 370 ppm and increasing. CO2 remains in the atmosphere for approximately 100–200 years, depending on the concentration [4].
M. Palocz-Andresen, Decreasing Fuel Consumption and Exhaust Gas Emissions in Transportation, Green Energy and Technology, DOI: 10.1007/978-3-642-11976-7_15, Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg 2013
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Climate and Environmental Protection
The worldwide CO2 emissions increased from 22,500 9 106 t (49,606 9 109 lb) in 1991 to 30,892 9 106 t (68,108 9 109 lb) in 2009. Despite the economic crisis between 2007 and 2010, the average worldwide emissions increased and will continue to rise in the next few decades. On the other hand, CO2 emissions have declined in many countries because of the economic crises in recent years [5]. Water vapor, H2O, is the most important greenhouse gas beside CO2. Without the naturally originating vapor from water, the Earth’s surface would be approximately 20C (68F) colder. Unlike CO2, the water vapor emissions caused by humans are too small in relation to the natural evaporation on the Earth to influence the climate [6, 7]. Natural sources of nitrogen oxides, such as NO, NO2 and other nitrogenous substances, are caused by lightning and microbes in the ground. However, improvements in fuel efficiency have been achieved through the development of modern internal combustion and jet engines, which operate at higher temperatures and higher pressures than in the past. Unfortunately these improvements also increase
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