Search Results

Particle number (PN) emission limits were introduced in the European Union’s regulations for light-duty and heavy duty vehicles in the years 2011-2014. Since then, PN measurements have become a common practice in the automotive sector. Many studies showed that the current methodology, which counts particles >23 nm, misses a large fraction of particles for some engine technologies, such as port fuel injection vehicles or vehicles fueled with compressed natural gas (CNG). However, data for the latest technology vehicles are lacking. For this reason, we measured PN emissions >23 nm and >10 nm of >30 CNG, gasoline and diesel-fueled vehicles. Two systems were measuring in parallel from the full dilution tunnel; one with an evaporation tube and the other with a catalytic stripper. The PN emission levels spanned over three orders of magnitude depending on whether there was a particulate filter installed or not.

Vehicular ammonia emissions are currently unregulated, even though ammonia is harmful for a variety of reasons, and the gas is classed as toxic. Ammonia emissions represent a serious threat to air quality, particularly in urban settings; an ammonia emissions limit may be introduced in future legislation. Production of ammonia within the cylinder has long been known to be very limited. However, having reached its light-off temperature, a three-way catalyst can produce substantial quantities of ammonia through various reaction pathways. Production of ammonia is symptomatic of overly reducing conditions within the three-way catalyst (TWC), and depends somewhat upon the particular precious metals used. Emission is markedly higher during periods where demand for engine power is higher, when the engine will be operating under open-loop conditions.

Ethanol has long been a fuel of considerable interest for use as an automotive fuel in spark ignition (SI) internal combustion engines. In recent years, concerns over oil supplies, sustainability and geopolitical factors have lead multiple jurisdictions to mandate the blending of ethanol into standard gasoline. The impact of blend ethanol content on gaseous emissions has been widely studied; particulate matter emissions have received somewhat less attention, despite these emissions being regulated in the USA. Currently, in the EU particulate matter emissions from SI engines are partially regulated - only vehicles featuring direct injection SI engines are subject to emissions limits. A range of experiments was conducted to determine the impact of fuel ethanol content on the emissions of solid pollutants from Euro 5 passenger cars.

Non-plugin hybrids represent a technology with the capability to significantly reduce fuel consumption (FC), without any changes to refuelling infrastructure. The EU market share for this vehicle type in the passenger car segment was 3% in 2018 and this powertrain type remains of interest as an option to meet the European Union (EU) fleet average CO2 limits. EU legislative procedures require emissions limits to be met during the chassis dynamometer test and in the on-road real driving emissions (RDE) test, while official CO2/FC figures are quantified via the laboratory chassis dynamometer test only. This study employed both legislative test procedures and compared the results. Laboratory (chassis) dynamometer testing was conducted using the Worldwide Harmonised Light Vehicles Test Procedure (WLTP). On-road testing was carried out in accordance with RDE requirements, measuring the concentration of regulated gaseous emissions and the number of solid particles (PN).

In the year 2005, the EURO IV fuel specification came into effect and the requirements for diesel fuel properties have become even more stringent. In this way, the potential of diesel fuel for emissions reduction has already been to a large extent exploited and the most emissions-sensitive fuel parameters can now be changed in a narrow range only. The shortfall in NOx and PM emissions control in diesel engines is, however, so great that more drastic fuel changes will be needed. One of the most promising fuel modifications for exhaust emissions control seems to be oxygenated additives. The objective of the study described in this paper was to analyze under transient conditions the influence of synthetic oxygenated fuel additives on exhaust emissions. The tests were conducted on a Euro IV passenger car. Six oxygenated additives were tested over the New European Driving Cycle (NEDC).

The paper evaluates the possibility of using different biodiesel blends (mixture of diesel fuel and Fatty Acid Methyl Esters) in modern Euro 4/ Euro 5 direct-injection, common-rail, turbocharged, light-duty diesel engines. The influence of different quantity of RME in biodiesel blends (B5, B20, B30) on the emission measurement of gaseous pollutants, such as: carbon monoxide (CO), hydrocarbons (HC), oxides of nitrogen (NOx), carbon dioxide (CO2) and particulate matter (PM) for light-duty-vehicle (LDV) during NEDC cycle on the chassis dynamometer as well as engine performance and reliability in engine dyno tests were analysed. All test results presented have been to standard diesel fuel. The measurement and analysis illustrate the capability of modern light-duty European diesel engines fueled with low and medium percentages of RME in biodiesel fuel with few problems.

The use of biofuels (biodiesel and gasoline-alcohol blends) in vehicle powertrains has grown in recent years in European Union, the United States, Japan, India, Brazil and many other countries due to limited fossil fuel sources and necessary reduction of anthropogenic CO2 emissions. European car manufacturers have approved up to 5 percent of biodiesel blend in diesel fuel (B5 biodiesel blend) which meets European fuel standards EN 14214 and EN 590. The goal for research is to achieve higher biodiesel content in diesel fuel B10 and B20, without resorting to larger diesel engines and fuel feed system modernization. This paper evaluates the possibility of using higher FAME content in biodiesel blends (mixture of diesel fuel and Fatty Acid Methyl Esters) in modern Euro 4 vehicle with direct-injection, common-rail and turbocharged light-duty diesel engine with standard engine ECU calibration and standard injection equipment (not tuned for biodiesel).

The investigations into the emissions from light-duty vehicles have been carried out on a chassis dynamometer (NEDC test in Europe and FTP75 test in the US). Such tests do not entirely reflect the real road conditions and that is why we should analyze the correlation of the laboratory versus on-road test results. The paper presents the on-road test results obtained in an urban and extra urban cycles. For these measurements a portable SEMTECH DS analyzer by SENSORS has been used. The device is an analyzer enabling an on-line measurement of the emission gases concentration in a real driving cycle under real road conditions. The road tests were performed on road portions of several kilometers each. The obtained results were compared with the results obtained for the same vehicle during the NEDC test on a chassis dynamometer. The comparative analysis was performed including the urban and extra-urban cycles.

The motor vehicle is one of the main sources of pollutant emissions, especially in urban areas. Environmentally friendly fuels are regarded as very effective means to decrease emissions. With regard to diesel engines, the reduction in nitrogen oxides and particulates are major problem areas. Although the fuel influence on NOx is comparatively low, the composition and parameters of diesel fuel have a big influence on particulate emissions and composition. Sulphur content is one of fuel proprieties, which has the most considerable influence on particulates. This paper describes results of the research on particulate emissions from diesel engines fuelled with research fuels of differing sulphur content. The sulphur content of the research fuels varied from 2000 ppm through 350 ppm (EURO III) and 50 ppm (EURO IV limit, which will be in force in the European Community from 1 January 2005) up to less than 5 ppm.

Concern over greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and air quality has made exhaust emissions from passenger cars a topic interest at an international level. This situation has led to the re-evaluation of testing procedures in order to produce more “representative” results. Laboratory procedures for testing exhaust emissions are built around a driving cycle. Cycles may be developed in one context but later used in another: for example, the New European Driving Cycle (NEDC) was not developed to measure fuel consumption, but has ended up being used to that end. The new Worldwide harmonized Light vehicles Test cycle (the WLTC) will sooner or later be used for measuring regulated exhaust emissions. Legal limits for emissions of regulated pollutants are inherently linked to the test conditions (and therefore to the driving cycle); inter-cycle correlations for regulated pollutants are an important research direction.

Due to limited fossil fuel resources and a need to reduce anthropogenic CO₂ emissions, biofuel usage is increasing in multiple markets. Ethanol produced from the fermentation of biomass has been of interest as a potential partial replacement for petroleum for some time; for spark-ignition engines, bioethanol is the alternative fuel which is currently of greatest interest. At present, the international market for ethanol fuel consists of E85 fuel (with 85 percent ethanol content), as well as lower concentrations of ethanol in petrol for use in standard vehicles (E5, E10). The impact of different petrol-ethanol blends on exhaust emissions from unmodified vehicles remains under investigation. The potential for reduced exhaust emissions, improved security of fuel supply and more sustainable fuel production makes work on the production and usage of ethanol and its blends an increasingly important research topic.

Cold starts are demanding events for spark-ignition (SI) internal combustion engines. When the temperatures of the engine oil, coolant and the engine block are close to the ambient temperature, start-up can be difficult to achieve without fuel enrichment, which results in significant excesses in exhaust emissions and fuel consumption. In general, the lower the ambient temperature, the more substantial these problems are. Many nations frequently experience sub-zero ambient temperatures, and the European Union (among others) has specified an emissions test at low ambient temperature (-7°C). Passenger cars typically experience one to two cold start events per day, and so both cold starts and the warm-up period that follows are significant in terms of exhaust emissions. This paper examines emissions at low ambient temperatures with a special focus on cold start; emissions are also compared to start-up at a higher ambient temperature (24°C).

This paper evaluates the possibility of using bioethanol blends (mixtures of gasoline fuel and ethanol derived from biomass) of varying strengths in an unmodified, small-displacement European Euro 5 light-duty gasoline vehicle. The influence of different proportions of bioethanol in the fuel blend (E5, E10, E25, E50 and E85) on the emission of gaseous pollutants, such as: carbon monoxide, hydrocarbons, oxides of nitrogen and carbon dioxide was tested at normal (22°C) and low (-7°C) ambient temperatures for a light-duty vehicle during the NEDC cycle on a chassis dynamometer. Engine performance metrics were also tested. All test results are presented in comparison to standard European gasoline (E5). Tailpipe emission data presented here suggest that modest improvements in air quality could result from usage of low-to-mid ethanol blends in the vehicle tested.

Ammonia is a reactive nitrogen compound (RNC - nitrogen-based gaseous molecules with multiple adverse impacts on human health and the biosphere). A three-way catalyst can produce substantial quantities of ammonia through various reaction pathways. This study presents a brief literature review, and presents experimental data on ammonia emissions from seven Euro 5 passenger cars, using different gasoline fuels and a CNG fuel. All vehicles were tested on a chassis dynamometer over the New European Driving Cycle. For six of the vehicles, ammonia was quantified directly at tailpipe (using two different analyzers); emissions from one vehicle were subjected to Fourier Transform Infra-Red (FTIR) analysis. Emissions of ammonia from these vehicles were generally low in comparison to other chassis dynamometer studies, perhaps attributable to the favorable laboratory test conditions and the age of the vehicles.

For over a decade, the EU has required in-service conformity testing of heavy-duty road vehicles. This paper briefly discusses the practical aspects of the test requirements, how they have evolved and how they compare to other precedents, such as the heavy-duty engine dynamometer-based type approval testing procedure, as well as broadly equivalent EU requirements for light duty vehicles. Emissions requirements for heavy-duty vehicles are work-specific, but based on standard test results a range of other parameters can be calculated to yield distance-specific, tonnage-distance specific, CO2-specific and (gravimetric) fuel-specific results. At present, CO2 and fuel consumption are not subject to any limits per se during on-road testing (and this is the case for both heavy and light duty vehicles); nevertheless, the aforementioned parameters must be measured and such results can be of interest for a variety of reasons.

In this study, two vehicles were tested under real driving conditions with gaseous exhaust emissions measured using a portable emissions measurement system (PEMS). One of the vehicles featured a hybrid powertrain with a spark ignition internal combustion engine, while the other vehicle featured a non-hybrid (conventional) spark ignition internal combustion engine. Aside from differences in the powertrain, the two test vehicles were of very similar size, weight and aerodynamic profile, meaning that the power demand for a given driving trace was very similar for both vehicles. The test route covered urban conditions (but did include driving on a road with speed limit 90 km/h). The approximate test route distance was 12 km and the average speed was very close to 40 km/h.

This paper discusses the legislative situation regarding type approval of plug-in hybrid vehicles (also known as off-vehicle charging hybrid-electric vehicles, OVC-HEV) in the range of exhaust emissions and fuel consumption. A range of tests were conducted on two Euro 6d-complaint OVC-HEVs to quantify emissions. Procedures were based on EU legislative requirements. For laboratory (chassis dyno) testing, two different test cycles and three different ambient temperatures were used for testing. Furthermore, in some cases additional measurements were performed, including measurement of emissions of particulate matter and continuous analysis of regulated and unregulated pollutants in undiluted exhaust. Consumption of electrical energy was also monitored. On-road testing was conducted on the test vehicle tested on the chassis dyno in the tests mentioned above, as well as on a second OVC-HEV test vehicle.

Despite an overall trend towards harmonization in vehicle regulations, regional differences persist in the area of exhaust emissions and fuel economy. The test procedure employed can exert a significant impact on the results obtained. In this paper, the EU and US type approval procedures for light duty vehicles are briefly compared and results obtained from several types of test procedure are presented. Specifically, emissions tests were performed on a single SUV which met US Tier III emissions limits. The vehicle featured a conventional, naturally aspirated spark ignition engine with indirect fuel injection and an aftertreatment system consisting of three-way catalysts with no dedicated particulate filtration device. The vehicle’s engine displacement, total mass and power-to-mass ratio were relatively representative of the upper end of the US market, but represented an outlying vehicle in terms of the characteristics of the EU fleet.

Due to concern over emissions of greenhouse gases (GHG; particularly carbon dioxide - CO2), energy consumption and sustainability, many jurisdictions now regulate fuel consumption, fuel economy or exhaust emissions of CO2. Testing is carried out under laboratory conditions according to local or regional procedures. However, a harmonized global test procedure with its own test cycle has been created: the World Harmonized Light Vehicles Test Cycle - WLTC. In this paper, the WLTC is compared to the New European Driving Cycle (NEDC) and the FTP-75 cycle used in the USA. A series of emissions tests were conducted at BOSMAL on a chassis dynamometer in a Euro 6-complaint test facility to determine the impact of the test cycle on CO2 emissions and fuel consumption. While there are multiple differences in the test cycles in terms of dynamicity, duration, distance covered, mean/maximum speed, etc, differences in results obtained over the three test cycles were reasonably limited.

Ethanol has a long history as an automotive fuel and is currently used in various blends and formats as a fuel for spark ignition engines in many areas of the world. The addition of ethanol to petrol has been shown to reduce certain types of emissions, but increase others. This paper presents the results of a detailed experimental program carried out under standard laboratory conditions to determine the influence of different quantities of petrol-ethanol blends (E5, E10, E25, E50 and E85) on the emission of regulated and unregulated gaseous pollutants and particulate matter. The ethanol-petrol blends were laboratory tested in two European passenger cars on a chassis dynamometer over the New European Driving Cycle, using a constant volume sampler and analyzers for quantification of both regulated and unregulated emissions.