Breathing fresh life into urban mobility - Veolia Environnement

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Veolia Environnement
36-38, avenue Kléber
75116 Paris Cedex, France
Tél. : +33 (0)1 71 75 05 44
www.veolia.com TRANSPORTATION
Veolia Environnement - Research & Innovation
Communications Department - 36-38, avenue Kléber 75016 Paris, France
com-recherche.ve@veolia.com - Website: www.veolia.com - Intranet: http://portail.veolia.net - Tel.: +33 (0)1 71 75 05 44
Photo credits: Veolia Environnement photo library, Salah BENACER, Guillaume Daveau, Christophe Majani d'Inguimbert, Nicolas Vercellino, Jean Marie Ramës.
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ANNAPURNA 8000
TRANSPORTATION
THE EUROPEAN BUS SYSTEM
OF THE FUTURE P. 3
• Standardizing bus equipment
and operating systems for 2010-2015
ASSISTED DRIVING P. 5
• Developing a speed regulation system
PASSENGER SERVICES ON CELL PHONES P. 7
• Developing ticketing and passenger
information on NFC cell phones
THE CLEAN ELECTRIC VEHICLE P. 9
• Assessing energy performances
of our electric and hybrid vehicles
Breathing fresh life
into urban mobility
2011

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Buses often suffer from an old-fashioned
image and although investment and
operating costs are relatively low, the
possibilities buses offer are currently underused
in urban public transportation systems. Buses
need to be more in tune with current needs
and to be cleaner, quieter, more efficient,
more user-friendly and more communicative.
This is a key factor if we want to redress the
balance between mass transit systems and
private cars and deliver increased mobility
alongside urban decongestion, while bringing
down fuel consumption as well as related
greenhouse gas emissions and atmospheric
pollution.
The solution does not stop at developing
an improved passenger compartment, but also
involves considering the bus, right from the
design stage, as an integral part of a passengerfocused
operating system and as a structuring
element of the urban environment. The bus of
the future will also make full use of information
and communication technologies for delivering
a broad range of quality services to passengers,
in tune with contemporary lifestyles and at an
optimal financial and environmental cost.
Current concerns with climate change and the
improvement in air quality, along with the rising
price and future scarcity of oil means that we
have to come up with solutions for optimizing
the performances of hybrid and electric vehicles,
including light rail systems.
Passenger train services saw an upsurge in popularity in the 1980s with the
high-speed train and light rail systems and in the 1990s with low-floor vehicles,
improved design and urban insertion. In the current context of energy transition, the
saturation of urban areas and the imperative of sustainable development, engineers
are working on solutions which could breathe fresh life into buses.
The longitudinal assisted driving system currently being developed
by Veolia Environnement Research and Innovation is based on telematics
technology: the Bus-FMS standard interface, on-board computer, human machine
interface (HMI), optical scanner, GPS and specific algorithms.
There are 50 million cell phone users in France and 2.5 billion worldwide.
Near Field Communication (NFC) is a contactless technology that can be used
in cell phones to facilitate use of public transportation. With a keyboard, a screen
and a secure connection for payment, the cell phone can be used for teleticketing to replace
paper tickets and for scanning digital labels displayed, for example, at bus stops,
to receive information on bus times and traffic conditions.
Both operating costs and greenhouse gas emissions can be brought down
by reducing light rail-system electricity consumption and recovering the energy
released during deceleration. This is equally applicable to electricity produced from
fossil fuels or by nuclear power plants (which means fewer new power plants
and related indirect emissions).
THE EUROPEAN BUS SYSTEM OF THE FUTURE
CHALLENGES
• Modernize buses to make them more attractive, by increasing
the number of services and improving operating conditions.
• Develop new features to make buses:
- More efficient: reducing energy consumption and maintenance
needs, improving commercial operating conditions.
- More accessible: facilitating access for people with special
needs, improving comfort, making the system easier to
understand, improving station design and layout.
- More communicative: passenger information system, assisted
driving system, remote diagnostic systems, etc.
- More respectful of environmental protection and safety.
• Maintain operating flexibility: surface bus stops, fast creation
of new lines or diversions, vehicle maneuverability, scalable
vehicle capacity and combinations to meet variations in
demand throughout the day.
• Draw up standards as regards bus bodies and on-board
instruments and also for infrastructures and operating systems.
• Put forward recommendations for changes in road traffic law
to authorize the use of new vehicles.
Summary
We have been working alongside a number
of partners since 2002 to define functional innovations
for integration in bus design. These include both better
services for passengers (accessibility, information,
comfort, etc.) and improved operating conditions
(modularity in bus body design, inclusion at the earliest
stages of the design process of protection of the
environment and safety and maintenance requirements).
These orientations formed the specifications for the
design competition organized with the International
Association of Public Transport (UITP) in 2005.
They now form the basis for the research program for
the European Bus System of the Future, launched under
UITP leadership and supported by the European Union.
The program involves a consortium of 51 European
bus-sector organizations, including manufacturers,
operators, research centers and experts.
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PROJECT DETAILS
STAGE 1
• Identification of user needs as regards vehicles,
infrastructures and operations.
STAGE 2
• Development of standardizable systems and equipment.
STAGE 3
• Prototype tests and validation.
Bus - light rail system nerve-centre in Nice, in South-Eastern France.
Passenger boarding, ticket-check and information
Interview
Jean-Laurent Franchineau,
Head of Research
at Veolia Transport.
“The Intelligent
Transport System
will give certain
operators the edge.”
What is the aim of the European Bus System of the future
research project?
« This is a project with a budget of €30 million, 50% of which is
funded by the European Union, and which involves a consortium of
51 partners within the transportation sector. Work carried out by the
consortium will lead to new technical standards. In the medium
term, this means that most buses coming off the production lines
will be able to benefit from these standards to offer passengers
multi-modal information and handle network operating events in
real time. »
How is Veolia Environnement R&I involved in this project?
« We're involved both in the technical groups which are working
on the "vehicle" part and also in the groups working on the
"infrastructures and operations" part. We head 2 subgroups. The first
of these deals with on-board telematics, in other words all the
information systems on board the vehicle: ticketing, passenger
information system, CCTV, assisted driving system, operations and
event tracking systems (location, times, emergency calls, vehicle
alarms) and a remote diagnostic system to optimize vehicle maintenance.
The second subgroup deals with back-office software and,
more specifically, remote systems. We will be developing new software
for extracting, tracking and analyzing data collected on board. »
What results have the workgroups produced so far?
« What is quite clear is that communication is the linking factor between
operations and services for users. The importance of
the intelligent transportation system is becoming increasingly
apparent, especially as regards event tracking and maintenance. The
way operators use ITS data will give certain companies a clear edge
over their competitors. The innovative concept of a modular bus
seems to be shared by the whole of the sector. At peak demand
periods, bus capacity has to be increased. The idea is to fit buses with
automatic systems, which allows them to form up into platoons,
where they can be coupled up or uncoupled, virtually or physically,
according to demand. »
When will these developments move into the test stage?
« In 2010, we'll have an ITS test bench with a full-scale on-board
architecture prototype. All the systems will be able to communicate
with each other. The driver will have a multifunctional console, able
to handle, for example, passenger information, ticketing, remote
diagnostics, operations and fleet management assistance system.
We will also have 2 pilot sites, one in the Greater Paris Region for
testing the remote diagnostic system, and the second in Rouen in
North Eastern France for testing vehicle accessibility. »
ASSISTED DRIVING
CHALLENGES
DELIVER REAL-TIME INFORMATION TO DRIVERS
allowing them to adjust their speed profile to optimize fuel consumption
and passenger comfort.
FACTOR IN THE LONGITUDINAL ASPECT OF DRIVING
with acceleration, deceleration and braking phases.
Summary
We are developing an assisted driving system
to help bus drivers adopt a rational driving profile
to optimize passenger comfort, fuel economy
and vehicle environmental impact.
Initially designed for segregated service transit
systems for buses and light rail systems (Ango Enhanced),
the solution has now been extended for use on buses
and coaches (Ango Light) and cars (Ango Smart).
Experiments carried out on coaches and buses
demonstrate that it reduces fuel consumption.
Ango Light has entered the production phase.
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PROJECT DETAILS
ANGO ENHANCED
Final trials in Rouen, western France, on the TEOR (Transport Est-
Ouest Rouennais) T1 bus route, in preparation for certification of
the system by the French National Technical Agency STRMTG.
ANGO LIGHT
System trials have already been carried out
on several different operating systems
Intercity (Saint-Brieuc: CAT),
Greater Paris urban (Argenteuil: TVO),
Other cities in France urban (Saint-Etienne: STAS),
Bus lane urban (Valence: STRAV),
International urban (Haagladen, Holland and Pforzheim, Germany).
ANGO SMART
Demonstration of the use of Ango Light applications
on PDA cell phones.
Interview
Emmanuel de Verdalle,
Head of the Assisted
Driving project
“We are developing
a system that can
be used on all types
of vehicles.”
What's the difference between the 3 assisted driving systems
that you are developing?
« Ango Enhanced is a driving efficiency system.
It gives drivers information on their actual driving profile, compared to
an optimal speed profile for passenger comfort, fuel consumption and
journey time. The optimum profile factors in a number of parameters,
including vehicle load, route topography, vehicle characteristics and
journey time.
The system has been designed for both bus and light-railway
segregated service transit systems, where journey times can be
accurately calculated. »
The human machine interface (HMI) was developed in association
with economists, instructors and drivers. It features a scale made
up of lights, which, in Ango Enhanced, gives an intuitive display
of the difference between the actual driving profile and the
optimal profile. In Ango Light, it tells drivers whether they are
driving rationally or aggressively.
And the Ango Light version?
« Ango Light is designed for use with bus and coach systems which
operate outside of bus lanes.
With these systems, conditions (traffic lights, pedestrian crossings,
traffic jams, etc) are too unpredictable for defining an optimum driving
profile and so the system simply features a speed profile, whereby drivers
can see in real time if their driving is rational or aggressive. »
And Ango Smart?
« We are seeking to develop a system that can be used on all types of
vehicles, but more specifically on light vehicles (cars, utility vehicles).
The system is being designed for use on a consumer device such as a
PDA phone (HTC, iPhone, etc.). Like Ango Light, the idea is to show drivers
their actual speed profile, to allow them to adjust to conditions. »
CUSTOMER SERVICES ON CELL PHONES
CHALLENGES
USE THE NFC CELL PHONE FOR TICKETING AND
PASSENGER INFORMATION SERVICES
• Interface with existing ticketing and passenger information
systems.
• Provide transaction security of at least the same standard
as the existing system.
• Participate in drawing up standards and ensure our solutions
are interoperable.
• Base our systems on the most efficient and most widely used
technologies and industries, with the best future prospects.
• Develop its application across all transportation services.
DEVELOP THE USE OF PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION
SYSTEMS AND OPTIMIZE THE RESOURCES APPLIED
• Develop attractive new services.
• Optimize the costs of issuing tickets and delivering information.
• Drive new revenue sources.
• Create a range of standout services for the Group.
• Partner up with the most dynamic companies in the sector
to expand and gain a wider market for our services.
• Reach agreement with our partners for a balanced business
model.
• Standardize the key technical components for these services
across Europe.
Summary
We have been carrying out pilot ticketing projects
based on NFC cell phones since 2004.
After taking part in an international experiment on
passenger information and ticketing for both urban
and regional systems, involving telecom and
transportation operators, we are currently preparing
the commercial rollout of a cell-phone-based
passenger information and ticketing service in Nice,
southeastern France.
We are also developing new functionalities
to add to these services.
Ticketing and passenger information on cell phones
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PROJECT DETAILS
• Rollout of the commercial pilot project on the Ligne d’Azur
public transportation system in Nice in Southern France
• Addition of new functionalities to the BPass solution:
simplified ticket purchase for visually impaired passengers,
travel-card top-ups through an NFC cell phone, inclusion
of "cities and mobility" information
After paying an annual subscription fee, the customer's password
for the information service is texted directly to their cell phone.
On the way to the city, the customer receives information about
changes to bus times.
Interview
Dominique Descolas,
Head of the BPass project.
“Everyone wants
to organize their
travel better.”
What is the purpose of BPass?
« BPass allows you to use your NFC cell phone to buy and
validate your ticket and also to receive information. Basically,
the system can be summed up as "I can buy my ticket and get
the information I want, where and when I want it". Right now,
everyone wants to organize their travel better.
The services that we are developing, based on NFC cell phones,
will certainly help passengers. Buying a ticket, for example,
will be much quicker. »
What kind of information can you get?
« It's possible to get real-time information on bus times and
traffic problems, or to find out the best way of getting from A
to B. You can stay logged in during the trip and get local news,
read an e-book or play games. These innovations are not just
designed to simplify travel, but also to make it more enjoyable. »
Will BPass provide other services in the future?
« Yes, we have other functionalities in the pipeline, some of
which are being developed as part of a project funded by the
Ministry of Industry. Passengers will soon be able to use their
NFC cell phone to top up their "classic" metro tickets.
The service also features an interactive vocal server, making it
ideal for the visually impaired. At stops, passengers will be able
to receive information given out by the local council, local
shops, museums and other organizations, etc.
BPass will also help to build up closer customer relations: it can
be used for giving out system information, personalized
recommendations, satisfaction surveys, etc. A longer term aim
is to use the "traces" left by the cell phones to map movements
in virtual real-time over a given area. »
THE CLEAN ELECTRIC VEHICLE
CHALLENGES
ACQUIRE TECHNOLOGICAL EXPERTISE
In electric and hybrid vehicles:
For high-capacity electric energy storage systems (batteries and
super capacitors), for the vehicles themselves (electric and hybrid
bus, light rail system), and their operational use.
COME UP WITH INNOVATIVE SOLUTIONS
For enhancing hybrid and electric vehicle performance. The objective
for hybrid vehicles is to bring down costs by 40% and energy
consumption by 5% compared to current hybrid vehicles.
Hybrid’s energy consumption is already 25 to 30% lower than
conventional thermal vehicles in the same category.
Assisted-driving human machine interface (HMI)
on the Rouen light rail system
Summary
We are seeking to acquire technological expertise
so we can advise transportation systems in their choice
of clean vehicles (light rail systems, electric and hybrid
buses), with regard to local considerations.
OUR AIM IS:
• To gain a better understanding of how
these vehicles work.
• To optimize energy performance of light rail
systems and hybrid buses.
• To make all-electric buses a viable operation.
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PROJECT DETAILS
TESTS AND DATA
• Testing, collecting data and assessing electric vehicles
for public transportation.
• Testing 3 electric buses (La Rochelle – western France).
• State-of-the-art knowledge of energy storage and
power-supply systems.
HYBRID BUS
• Test campaigns on hybrid buses (diesel and electric).
• Measuring energy performances for different types of use
(inner-city, commuter, mileage, etc.) and comparing them
with a diesel equivalent (Argenteuil, Toulon, La Rochelle – France).
• Benchmarking manufacturer solutions and support for
transportation systems (assessing consumption over different
routes and for different hybrid technologies).
MEASUREMENTS ON LIGHT RAIL SYSTEMS
• Implementing an on-board data logger and extraction tools.
• Measurement campaigns for developing a comprehensive
energy balance for the total electricity consumption of light
rail systems (Saint-Etienne, Rouen, Dublin…).
• Measuring the impact of ancillaries (heating, batteries, door
opening, lighting).
• Highlighting energy savers and proposals for better regulation.
ECOTRAM
• Assessment of performances and energy savings resulting
from the use of an assisted driving system on light rail systems.
WATT
• Project for an electric bus with an automated arm
for automatic docking to a fast-charging station.
• Setting out operational and vehicle requirements.
• Electric bus energy performance tests both on a test circuit
and under real operating conditions.
Measurement campaigns have demonstrated that the way
a light rail system is driven has an impact on electricity
consumption. Veolia researchers are developing an assisted
driving system which will help drivers optimize energy
consumption and which will assess the results.
Interview
Alexandre Dubourg,
Head of the Clean Electric
Vehicle project
“We are working on
a project for an
autonomous electric bus.”
Is the all-electric bus a viable concept?
« Energy storage is the obstacle we have to get over to give a
bus enough autonomy to complete its route.
The all-electric bus is currently only able to run on specific,
low-mileage routes, such as in city centers. »
What pathways are you exploring to resolve the autonomy
issue?
« We are working with three partners (PVI, Robosoft and MDO)
on opportunity charging, as part of the ADEME-funded WATT
project.
Opportunity charging means giving the bus a charge at every
or every other station so it can safely reach the next charging
station. We are working on a technology for transferring
a large amount of electricity in a short time. This means
the charging station, like the bus, needs to be fitted with super
capacitors. »
What is Veolia Environnement's role in the WATT project?
« We have set out specifications as to operating and vehicle
needs in terms of autonomy. The next step is testing a vehicle
on a test circuit and then under actual operating conditions.
We will be assessing whether the vehicle is cost-effective
compared to a conventional vehicle and also calculate the
energy savings it can bring when in operation, in addition to
its low environmental impact. »
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