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The California Environment Protection Agency Air Resources Board (ARB) yesterday hosted an Air Pollution Seminar regarding Emission Control Technologies for Ocean Going Vessels (OGVs).

The seminar, which was presented by Hamid Rahai from the Department of Aerospace and Mechanical Engineering at California State University, aimed to explore emission control technologies that are deemed applicable to existing and new ocean going vessels.

The focus of the research carried out by Rahai was on present technologies and technologies under development by maritime as well as other industries. It encompassed literature searches, other available information sources and surveys of academic, government and industry sources. The information compiled included a description of the technologies, their applicability to existing and new OGV’s, their strengths, limitations, and corroborating data and documentations when available.

Major California ports such as Los Angeles and Long Beach are among the busiest in the United States, handling more than 43% of the total U.S. seaborne cargo. They are also responsible for nearly a quarter of diesel emissions in the region. Ocean going vessels contribute significantly to the local and regional air pollution.

A number of approaches have been proposed for reducing OGVs emissions, including cold ironing, switching to low sulfur fuel during their operation at the port complexes, water-in-fuel homogenization and emulsification (H/E), and exhaust gas seawater scrubbing.

According to the California Air Resources Board, it is imperative as an environmental regulatory body to stay abreast of developments in emission control technologies for ocean going vessels and to have a clear and concise view of various technologies available or planned, and their effectiveness as well as their limitations.

Hamid Rahai, Ph.D., is professor of Mechanical & Aerospace Engineering and director of the Center for Energy and Environmental Research and Services (CEERS) at California State University in Long Beach. His areas of expertise are Air Pollution and Industrial Aerodynamics, Diesel Emissions Assessment and Control, Renewable Energy, Convective Heat and Mass Transfer and Turbulence.

Dr. Rahai has authored or coauthored more than 60 scientific papers, and is currently working on improving the performance of a SCR filter for reducing diesel NOx and is carrying out an assessment of a combined emulsion system and a scrubbing system for reducing emissions of ocean going vessels.