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Emissions from existing diesel-powered urban buses are increasingly scrutinized as local, state, and federal governments require enforcement of more stringent emission regulations and expectations. Currently, visual observation of high smoke levels from diesel-powered equipment is a popular indicator of potential emission problems requiring tune-up or engine maintenance. It is important that bus inspection and maintenance (I/M) operations have a quality control “test” to check engine emissions or diagnose the engine state-of-tune before or after maintenance. Ideally, the “emission test” would be correlated to EPA transient emissions standards, be of short duration, and be compatible with garage procedures and equipment. In support of developing a useful “short-test,” equipment was designed to collect samples of raw exhaust over a short time period for gaseous and particulate emissions.

Exhaust emissions from heavy-duty diesel engines operating at high altitude are of concern. EPA and Colorado Department of Health sponsored this project to characterize regulated and selected unregulated emissions from a naturally-aspirated Caterpillar 3208 and a turbocharged Cummins NTCC-350 diesel engine at both low altitude and simulated high attitude conditions (≈ 6000 ft). Emissions testing was performed over cold- and hot-start transient Heavy-Duty-Federal Test Procedure (HD-FTP) cycles as well as selected steady-state modes. In addition, the turbocharged engine was operated with mechanically variable and (fixed) retarded fuel injection timing to represent “normal” and “malfunction” conditions, respectively. High altitude operation generally reduced NOx emissions about 10 percent for both engines.