Blog Series Emissions #3a Carbon Reporting

After presenting the different Carbon Calculation standards and approaches in our last post, we will now see how to generate specific Carbon Reports with the PTV xRoute Server. This topic is divided into two parts. In this post the carbon reporting is shown for the comprehensive approach. Next Wednesday in our next post (#3b), we show the calculation with factor-based approaches.

Just as reminder, comprehensive emission calculation approaches include both, consumption default values and emission factors. PTV xRoute Server supports two comprehensive approaches: HBEFA and COPERT Australia.

What you need to have

• PTV xRoute Server
• PTV Map including the area where emissions are calculated
• PTV xServer License for emission calculation (can be obtained via sales representatives)
• Additional data content (can be obtained via sales representatives)
• Height data (should be included in map)

What you need to do

You need to send a PTV xRoute request for either the method calculateExtendedRoute or calculateAdvancedTour. The route must at least contain two waypoints and you have to specify the data standard type you want to use e.g. HBEFA_3_2. As a result you receive the values for the available greenhouse gases supported by the standard.

Sample Request

In the PTV xRoute request you specify at least two waypoints and your vehicle routing profile. In this sample request the method calculateExtendedRoute is used to illustrate the workflow.

Set the hbefaType attribute in the ResultListOptions element according to the emission standard you want to use. Don’t be confused about the naming. Here, you can also choose COPERT although it is called ‘HBEFAType’. All comprehensive approaches will be set via this HBEFAType even if they are not HBEFA. Just use the following HBEFAType for COPERT Australia: COPERT_AUS_1_2. If you want to use HBEFA Version 3.2, as done in this sample, set the HBEFAType to HBEFA_3_2.

...
  "details": {
    "hbefaType": {
      "$type": "HBEFAType",
      "version": "HBEFA_3_2"
    },
...

Then, set the granularity of the emission information returned in the response with the emissions element in the ResultListOptions . Possible levels are:

• BASIC, if you only need the total emissions of the route
• STATIONS, if you want to obtain the emission per part of the route
• SEGMENTS, if you additionally want to obtain the emissions per segment.

...
    "emissions": {
      "$type": "EmissionType",
      "emissionLevel": "STATIONS"
    }
  }
}

Sample Response

Depending on the configuration of the emissionType defined in in the request, the total emissions can be found in the emissions element at the route, stations, or segments. As emissionType ‘stations’ was chosen in the sample request, the result can be found in the ‘stations’ part of the response. As shown in the following code snippet on the first station, which is the starting point, there was no emission caused. At the second station, which is the destination, there are the total emission values available like for example a carbon monoxide value of 2.11.

"stations": [
 {
 "$type": "WayPoint",
...
 }
 },
 "matchCoord": {
...
 }
 },
 "wayPointType": "START",
 "countryCode": "",
 "emissions": {
 "$type": "EmissionsHBEFA32",
 "hydrocarbons": 0,
 "methane": 0,
 "hydrocarbonsExMethane": 0,
 "carbonMonoxide": 0,
 "carbonDioxide": 0,
 "sulphurDioxide": 0,
 "nitrogenOxides": 0,
 "nitrousOxide": 0,
 "ammonia": 0,
 "benzene": 0,
 "toluene": 0,
 "xylene": 0,
 "lead": 0,
 "particles": 0,
 "fuel": 0,
 "nitrogenDioxide": 0,
 "fossilCarbonDioxide": 0,
 "particleNumber": 0
 },
 "cenEmissions": {}
 },
 {
 "$type": "WayPoint",
...
 }
 },
 "matchCoord": {
...
 }
 },
 "wayPointType": "DEST",
 "countryCode": "",
 "emissions": {
 "$type": "EmissionsHBEFA32",
 "hydrocarbons": 0.0603818366050992,
 "methane": 0.005072089236725982,
 "hydrocarbonsExMethane": 0.05530971621159914,
 "carbonMonoxide": 2.1107392738620776,
 "carbonDioxide": 0.8928940383413909,
 "sulphurDioxide": 0.004286388382447229,
 "nitrogenOxides": 0.2833865763444304,
 "nitrousOxide": 0.0025272859038527355,
 "ammonia": 0.07925412943867832,
 "benzene": 0.00780739623326566,
 "toluene": 0,
 "xylene": 0,
 "lead": 0,
 "particles": 0.006720581536712771,
 "fuel": 0.2848059641170425,
 "nitrogenDioxide": 0.014169325941225244,
 "fossilCarbonDioxide": 0.8398899786980175,
 "particleNumber": 2941965707152.8
 },
...

In our PTV xServer Codesample Browser you can find some examples for emission calculation according to Comprehensive Approaches. There, the result is visualized like this:

Conclusion

• PTV xRoute Server allows calculating emissions for the methods calculateExtendedRoute or calculateAdvancedTour
• For comprehensive approaches additional data and license keys are required
• In the request you specify route, vehicle type and emission standard type
• As a response you receive the values for the available greenhouse gases supported by the standard. HBEFA offers a wide range of gases.

An use case documentation can be found here. Please remember that COPERT Australia is only available with the new PTV xServer 1.20.1 release, which will be available next week. Then, the use case description will be updated containing the COPERT Australia information and other improvements. Just take another look on the use case docu next week.

After getting to know how comprehensive approaches can be used with PTV xRoute, you will learn about the usage of factor-based standards in our next ‘Emission Wednesday’ post.