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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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

A vital question for car manufacturers in countries where the temperature over night falls below freezing, is the significant increase of CO (carbon monoxide) and HC (hydrocarbon) emissions during the start and warm-up of spark ignition engines. ECE (Economic Commission for Europe) (UDC) (Urban Driving Cycle) cycles, divided into elementary phases, have been used to determine the level of harmful CO and HC emissions and fuel consumption in the cold start and warm up phase. Tests were undertaken on cars conditioned in temperatures ranging from +22°C to -15°C have shown significant increases in CO and HC as the temperature decreases.

The European driving cycle, deleting the first 40 seconds of idle after the start up phase, and the US FTP 75 cycle are compared in this paper. The paper presents an analysis of emission tests for CO, HC and NOx measured during tests performed on a chassis dynamometer under laboratory conditions. The tests are reviewed and the results discussed. The objective of the study was to determine the influence of the test cycle on the measured emission of CO, HC and NOx, and the changes of fuel consumption at the initial phase of engine operation. Differences in catalyst warm up rates when running NEDC, ECE + EUDC and FTP 75 cycles are demonstrated. Methods of reduction in these harmful emissions and the results of tests with new technologies targeted at the reduction of CO, HC and NOx under cold start are also discussed.

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).

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.

Particulate matter in vehicular exhaust is now under great scrutiny. In the EU, direct injection spark ignition (DISI) engines running on petrol now have limits for particulate emissions set for both mass and number. Current legislative test procedures represent a best-case scenario - more aggressive driving cycles and lower ambient temperatures can increase particulate emissions massively. Ambient temperature is generally the environmental parameter of most importance regarding particulate emissions from an engine, particularly for the reasonably brief periods of operation typical for passenger cars operating from a cold start. Two Euro 5 vehicles with DI SI engines were laboratory tested at three ambient temperatures on two different commercially available fuels, with particulate emissions results compared to results from the same fuels when the vehicles were tested at 25°C.

Spark ignition (SI) engines are susceptible to excess emissions at low ambient temperatures. Direct injection leads to the formation of particulate matter (PM), and direct injection spark ignition (DISI) engines should show greater PM emissions at low ambient temperatures. This study compares excess emissions of gaseous and solid pollutants following cold start at a low ambient temperature and the standard test temperature. Euro 5 passenger cars were tested on a chassis dynamometer within BOSMAL's climate-controlled test chamber, according to European Union legislation (−7°C over the urban driving cycle (UDC), and at 25°C). Two vehicles were also tested over the entire New European Driving Cycle (NEDC). Emissions of regulated compounds and carbon dioxide were analyzed; particulate emissions (both mass and number) were also measured, all using standard procedures.

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.

Direct injection gasoline engines have been gaining popularity for passenger car applications, particularly in the EU. It is well known that emissions of particulate matter are an inherent disadvantage of spark ignition engine with direct injection. Direct injection of gasoline can lead to the formation of substantial numbers of particulates, a proportion of which survive to be emitted from the vehicle's exhaust. EU legislation limits particle mass (PM) emissions; particle number (PN) is soon to be limited, although an opt-out means that dedicated filters will not be required immediately. A range of tests were conducted on a pool of Euro 5 passenger cars in BOSMAL's climate controlled emissions laboratory, using EU legislative test methodology. In addition, further measurements were performed (particle size distribution, tests at multiple ambient temperatures).

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.

This paper discusses the importance of the inclusion of emissions from the cold start event during legislative on-road tests on passenger cars (RDE - real driving emissions tests conducted under real-world driving conditions, as defined by EU legislation). Results from a recently-registered gasoline-powered vehicle are presented, with the main focus on the comparison of exhaust emission results: excluding/including the cold start during the initial phase of the RDE test. Cold start is the most challenging aspect of emissions control for vehicles with spark ignition engines and the inclusion of the cold start event in RDE test procedure has wide-ranging implications both for the testing process and compliance with RDE legislation via optimisation of aftertreatment systems and the engine calibration. In addition to some theoretical arguments, the results of an RDE-compliant test performed using the aforementioned procedures are presented.

European Union RDE (real driving emissions) legislation requires that new vehicles be subjected to emissions tests on public roads. Performing emissions testing outside a laboratory setting immediately raises the question of the impact of ambient conditions - especially temperature - on the results. In the spirit of RDE legislation, a wide range of ambient temperatures are permissible, with mathematical moderation (correction) of the results only permissible for ambient temperatures <0°C and >+30°C. Within the standard range of temperatures (0°C to +30°C), no correction for temperature is applied to emissions results and the applicable emissions limits have to be met. Given the well-known link between the thermal state of an engine and its emissions following cold start, ambient temperature can be of great importance in determining whether a vehicle meets emissions requirements during an RDE test.

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.

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).

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.

Exhaust gas aftertreatment systems can, under certain conditions, create undesired chemical species as a result of their elimination reactions. A prime example of this is ammonia (NH3), which is not formed in the combustion reaction, but which can be formed within a three-way catalyst (TWC) when physicochemical conditions permit. The elimination of NOx in the TWC thus sometimes comes at the cost of significant emissions of NH3. Ammonia is a pollutant and a reactive nitrogen compound (RNC) and NH3 emissions should be analyzed in this context, alongside other RNC species. Examination of the literature on the subject published over the past two decades shows that ammonia, a species which is currently not subject to systematic emissions requirements for road vehicles in any market, is often identified as forming the majority of the RNC emissions under a range of operating conditions.