Potenial for air quality improvement in the tokyo metropolitan area from use of hydrogen fuel

摘要

A revised estimation has been made of the local air quality improvement that can be achieved in Tokyo as a hyproduct of a world-wide hydrogen energy reconomy based on global reduction of CO2 emission from fossil fuels. The study for the WE-NET Project in japan examined the potential for reduction in nitrogen oxide emision with hydrogen fuel in the Tokyo metropolitan area where sufficient data exist on trends in population, vehicle registrations, traffic activity, and exhaust emissions, A dynamic model was developed to extrapolate the trends in these data to estimate future NOx emission rates in comparison to regulatory scenarios based on policy and technical descisions of the Tokyo Metropolitan Government for improvement of air quality in the metropolitan area. The results of the model show significant potential for reduction of NOx emission by the year 2020 with a concomitant reduction in mean roadside NOx concentration.