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The next generation of cabin air filters will include the ability to remove not only particulate matter, but odors as well. A key element in the development of odor removal filters is the design of laboratory tests to predict in-service performance. The studies described in this report used a combination of subjective and objective test methods to evaluate a series of odor-removal filters for their ability to remove environmentally significant reduced sulfur compounds. The work was performed in two parts. In the first part the detection, recognition, and annoyance thresholds for hydrogen sulfide and methyl mercaptan were measured using a 37-member odor panel. The second part consisted of a group of tests in which the contaminant concentrations upstream and downstream of six types of filters were measured using an instrumental method.

New regulations from the state of California have established, for the first time, reactivity-based exhaust emissions standards for new vehicles and require that any clean alternative fuels needed by these vehicles be made available. Contained in these regulations are provisions for “reactivity adjustment factors” which will provide credit for vehicles which run on reformulated gasoline. The question arises: given two fuels of different chemical composition, but both meeting the criteria for CA Phase 2 gasoline (reformulated gasoline), how different might the specific reactivity of the exhaust hydrocarbons be? In this study we explored this question by examining the engine-out HC emissions from a single-cylinder version of the 5.4 L modular truck engine run on two different CA Phase 2 fuels.

Recent changes in regulatory practices have brought about a need for speciated analysis of the volatile organic components of vehicle exhaust. The purpose of this study was to allow interested laboratories to participate in a Round Robin so that each could assess their speciation methodologies. “Synthetic exhaust” samples were prepared of mixed DNPH-carbonyl standards deposited on DNPH cartridges, and solutions of alcohol in water. The fifteen participating laboratories included automotive, contract, petroleum and regulatory organizations. The results described in this paper consider only variability associated with the analytical measurement of samples that have already been collected in impingers or on cartridges. In general, alcohols (methanol and ethanol) were quantified without difficulty. With the exception of acrolein and crotonaldehyde, the quantitation of the carbonyl samples was very good considering the variety of analytical methods that were used.

A 1990 Ford Taurus operated on reformulated gasoline was tested under three modes of malfunction: disabled heated exhaust gas oxygen (HEGO) sensor, inactive catalytic converter, and controlled misfire. The vehicle was run for four U.S. EPA UDDS driving schedule (FTP-75) tests at each of the malfunction conditions, as well as under normal operating conditions. An extensive set of emissions data were collected. In addition to the regulated emissions (HC, CO, and NOx), a detailed chemical analysis was carried out to determine the gas- and particle-phase non-regulated emissions. The effect of vehicle malfunction on gas phase emissions was significantly greater than it was on particle phase emissions. For example, CO emissions ranged from 2.57 g/mi (normal operation) to 34.77 g/mi (disable HEGO). Total HCs varied from 0.22 g/mi (normal operation) to 2.21 g/mi (blank catalyst). Emissions of air toxics (1,3-butadiene, benzene, acetaldehyde, and formaldehyde) were also significantly effected.

It is frequently useful to calculate the theoretical composition of the major components of vehicle exhaust. A software program has been written in Basic (or Quick Basic) which allows the convenient calculation of volume percents of CO, CO2, O2, H2, and H2O from fuel composition (H/C and O/C ratios), the water content (dew point) of the combustion air, and a chosen stoichiometry (air/fuel ratio). The program considers the Water Gas Shift reaction and the production of hydrogen under fuel rich conditions. The program is valid for both standard gasolines and oxygenated blends. Vehicle emissions data, collected to compare values calculated by the program with actual experimentally determined values from vehicle exhaust, show good agreement for measurements made at a series of air/fuel ratios ranging from lambda of 0.85-1.2.