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Homogeneous Charge Compression Ignition (HCCI) combustion has the potential to produce low NOx and low particulate matter (PM) emissions while providing high efficiency. In HCCI combustion, the start of auto-ignition of premixed fuel and air depends on temperature, pressure, concentration history during the compression stroke, and the unique reaction kinetics of the fuel/air mixture. For these reasons, the choice of fuel has a significant impact on both engine design and control strategies. In this paper, ten (10) gasoline-like testing fuels, statistically representative of blends of four blending streams that spanned the ranges of selected fuel properties, were tested in a single cylinder engine equipped with a hydraulic variable valve train (VVT) and gasoline direct injection (GDI) system.

Research has shown that there are many factors that affect the long-term performance of nitrogen oxides (NOx) control systems used in diesel engine applications. However, if the NOx emissions can be accurately monitored, it might be possible to restore performance by making adjustments to the control systems. This paper presents results from a study that tested the durability of 25 NOx sensors exposed to heavy-duty diesel exhaust for 6,000 hours. The study, conducted by the Advanced Petroleum-Based Fuels - Diesel Emission Controls (APBF-DEC) project, tested the sensors at various locations in the exhaust stream.

The aggressive reduction of future diesel engine NOx emission limits forces the heavy- and light-duty diesel engine manufacturers to develop means to comply with stringent legislation. As a result, different exhaust emission control technologies applicable to NOx have been the subject of many investigations. One of these systems is the NOx adsorber catalyst, which has shown high NOx conversion rates during previous investigations with acceptable fuel consumption penalties. In addition, the NOx adsorber catalyst does not require a secondary on-board reductant. However, the NOx adsorber catalyst also represents the most sulfur sensitive emissions control device currently under investigation for advanced NOx control. To remove the sulfur introduced into the system through the diesel fuel and stored on the catalyst sites during operation, specific regeneration strategies and boundary conditions were investigated and developed.

This paper reports the test results from the DPF (diesel particulate filter) portion of the DECSE (Diesel Emission Control - Sulfur Effects) Phase 1 test program. The DECSE program is a joint government and industry program to study the impact of diesel fuel sulfur level on aftertreatment devices. A systematic investigation was conducted to study the effects of diesel fuel sulfur level on (1) the emissions performance and (2) the regeneration behavior of a continuously regenerating diesel particulate filter and a catalyzed diesel particulate filter. The tests were conducted on a Caterpillar 3126 engine with nominal fuel sulfur levels of 3 parts per million (ppm), 30 ppm, 150 ppm and 350 ppm.

The Diesel Emission Control - Sulfur Effects (DECSE) program is a joint U.S. government/industry program that studies the impact of diesel sulfur levels on four types of emission control systems. One type of system, Diesel Particulate Filters (DPF), removes particulate matter (PM) from the exhaust stream by collection on a filter. The critical operating issue for DPF technology is the cleaning or regeneration of the control device (by oxidation of the collected PM) to prevent plugging. However, oxidation of sulfur in the exhaust forms sulfates, which are measured as PM. Two types of tests are conducted to evaluate the impacts of fuel sulfur on DPF performance: (1) emissions tests for PM components and gases, and (2) experiments to measure the effect of fuel sulfur on the regeneration temperature required by the filter devices.

Four vehicle fleets, consisting of 3 to 4 vehicles each, were emission tested on a 48″ roll chassis dynamometer using both the FTP urban dynamometer driving cycle and the REP05 driving cycle. The REP05 cycle was developed to test vehicles under high speed and high load conditions not included in the FTP. The vehicle fleets consisted of 1989 light-duty gasoline vehicles, 1992-93 limited production FFV/VFV methanol vehicles, 1992-93 compressed natural gas (CNG) vehicles and their gasoline counterparts, and a 1992 production and two prototype ethanol FFV/VFV vehicles. All vehicles (except the dedicated CNG vehicles) were tested using Auto/Oil AQIRP fuels A and C2. Other fuels used were M85 blended from A and C2, E85 blended from C1, which is similar to C2 but without MTBE, and four CNG fuels representing the range of in-use CNG fuels. In addition to bag measurements, tailpipe exhaust concentration and A/F data were collected once per second throughout every test.

During the fall of 1992, the Michigan Roadside Study was conducted. During this study IM240 tests were conducted on vehicles that had also been emissions tested during on-road operation via two remote sensors that were separated by 100 feet. The use of two remote sensors provided an indication of the short-term real-world emissions variability of a large number of on-road vehicles. This data was used to determine the frequency of flippers, i.e. vehicles that are sometimes high emitters (>4% CO) and at other times low emitters (<2% CO). The data show that the flipper frequency increases for older model year vehicles. Also, the correlations between remote sensor readings of emissions concentrations and IM240 mass emissions rates were determined. The data show that the correlation between remote sensing and IM240 improves with increasing numbers of remote sensing readings. For three remote sensor readings, CO correlates with an r2 of 0.69 and HC correlates with an r2 of 0.54

A running loss test procedure has been developed which integrates a point-source collection method to measure fuel evaporative running loss from vehicles during their operation on the chassis dynamometer. The point-source method is part of a complete running loss test procedure which employs the combination of site-specific collection devices on the vehicle, and a sampling pump with sampling lines. Fugitive fuel vapor is drawn into these collectors which have been matched to characteristics of the vehicle and the test cell. The composite vapor sample is routed to a collection bag through an adaptation of the ordinary constant volume dilution system typically used for vehicle exhaust gas sampling. Analysis of the contents of such bags provides an accurate measure of the mass and species of running loss collected during each of three LA-4* driving cycles. Other running loss sampling methods were considered by the Auto-Oil Air Quality Improvement Research Program (AQIRP or Program).

Evaporative and running loss emissions were measured in a fleet of ten (1 989) current and seven (1983-85) older vehicles with fuels whose compositions varied in aromatic, olefin, and MTBE content and 90 percent distillation temperature (T9O). Emission compositions from each test were analyzed for individual hydrocarbon species. The individual hydrocarbon profiles were used to calculate evaporative and running loss emission reactivities using Carter maximum incremental reactivity (MIR) and maximum ozone reactivity (MOR) scales. Ozone reactivity estimates were expressed as Ozone Forming Potential (gO3/test) and Specific Reactivity (gO3/gNMOG) for both reactivity scales. The data were analyzed by regression analysis to estimate changes in the mass and reactivity of evaporative emissions due to changes in fuel composition. Previous studies have focused on how fuel volatility affects evaporative emissions without regard for the chemical composition of the fuels.