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The combined exhaust gas aftertreatment systems (DPF+SCR) are the most efficient way and the best available technology (BAT) to radically reduce the critical Diesel emission components particles (PM&NP) and nitric oxides (NOx). SCR (selective catalytic reduction) is regarded as the most efficient deNOx-system, diesel particle filters are most efficient for soot abatement. Today, several suppliers offer combined systems for retrofitting of HD vehicles. Quality standards for those quite complex systems and especially for retrofit systems are needed to enable decisions of several authorities and to estimate the potentials of improvements of the air quality in highly populated agglomerations. The present paper informs about the VERTdePN *) quality test procedures, which were developed in an international network project with the same name 2007-2011 (VERT … Verification of Emission Reduction Technologies; dePN … decontamination, disposal of PM / NP and of NOx).

The effect of “Start & Stop” and “Gear Shift Indicator” - two widespread fuel saving technologies - on fuel consumption and particle emissions of a Euro 5 passenger car is evaluated in this paper. The vehicle was subjected to a series of different driving cycles, including the current (NEDC) and future (WLTC) cycles implemented in the European type approval procedure at cold and hot start condition and particle number was measured with an AVL Particle Counter. In addition, we have utilized two Pegasor Particle Sensor units positioned in different locations along the sampling line to assess the impact of the sampling location on the particle characteristics measured during highly transient events. The results showed that the particle number emission levels over the WLTC were comparable to the NEDC ones, whereas NOx emissions were more than twofold higher. Both fuel saving technologies can lead to reduced fuel consumption and, subsequently CO2 emissions, in the order of 5%.

The Particle Measurement Programme (PMP) developed an exhaust particle number measurement protocol that has been adopted by current light duty vehicle emission regulations in Europe. This includes thermal treatment of the exhaust aerosol to isolate solid particles only and a number counting device with a lower cutpoint of 23 nm to avoid measurement of smaller particles that may affect the repeatability of the measurement. In this paper, we examine a potential alternative to the PMP system, where the thermal treatment is replaced by a catalytic stripper (CS). This offers oxidation and not just evaporation of the volatile components. Alternative sampling systems, either fulfilling the PMP recommendations or utilizing a CS, have been explored in terms of their volatile particle removal efficiency. Tests have been conducted on diesel exhaust, diesel equipped with DPF and gasoline direct injection emissions.

The aim of the paper is to provide simple and accurate analytical formulae describing the straight motion of a road vehicle. Such formulae can be used to compute either the steering torque or the additional rolling resistance induced by vehicle side-slip angle. The paper introduces a revised formulation of the Handling Diagram Theory to take into account tire ply-steer, conicity and road banking. Pacejka’s Handling Diagram Theory is based on a relatively simple fully non-linear single track model. We will refer to the linear part of the Handling Diagram, since straight motion will be considered only. Both the elastokinematics of suspension system and tire characteristics are taken into account. The validation of the analytical expressions has been performed both theoretically and after a subjective-objective test campaign. By means of the new and unreferenced analytical formulae, practical hints are given to set to zero the steering torque during straight running.

The upcoming Euro 7 regulation introduces the concept of continuous On-Board (emission) Monitoring (OBM), while On-Board Fuel/Energy Consumption Monitoring (OBFCM) is already an integral part of modern vehicles. The current work aims to assess whether on-board data could provide sufficient information to characterize real-world vehicle performance and emissions. Nine Euro 6d-ISC-FCM passenger cars were used, covering a wide range of powertrain technologies, from conventional gasoline and diesel to hybrid (HEV) and plug-in hybrid (PHEV) electric vehicles. Three vehicles were thoroughly tested in the laboratory and on the road, aiming at evaluating in detail the on-board data monitoring system. The evaluation concerned OBFCM device recordings of fuel consumed and distance travelled, as well as tailpipe NOx emissions and exhaust mass flow rate.

Particle emissions have been generally associated to diesel engines. However, spark-ignition direct injection (SI-DI) engines have been observed to produce notable amounts of particulate matter as well. The upcoming Euro 6 legislation for passenger cars (effective in 2014, stricter limit in 2017) will further limit the particulate emissions from SI engines by introducing a particle number emission (PN) limit, and it is not probable that the SI-DI engines are able to meet this limit without resorting to additional aftertreatment systems. In this study, the solid particle emissions of a SI-DI passenger car with and without an installed Particle Oxidation Catalyst (POC®) were studied over the New European Driving Cycle (NEDC) on a chassis dynamometer and over real transient acceleration situations on road. It was observed that a considerable portion of particle number emissions occurred during the transient acceleration phases of the cycle.

Modern ‘DOC-cDPF’ systems for diesel exhaust are employing Pt-, Pd- as well as Pt/Pd alloy- based coatings to ensure high conversion efficiency of CO, HC even at low temperatures. Depending on the target application, these coatings should be also optimized towards NO2 generation which is involved in low temperature soot oxidation as well as in SCR-based deNOx. Zeolite materials are also frequently used to control cold-start HC emissions. Considering the wide variety of vehicles, engines and emission targets, there is no single optimum coating technology. The main target is therefore to maximize synergies rather than to optimize single components. At the same time, the system designer has nowadays a wide range of technologies to choose from, including PGM alloyed combinations (Pt/Pd), multiple layers and zones applicable to both DOCs and DPFs.

Biofuels are a promising alternative to fossil fuels as their availability has been reduced during the last decades and they are the main sources of greenhouse gases emissions. Moreover, the targets of the international regulations include reduction of fossil fuels consumption, and improvement of the sustainability of the vehicle fleet. Blending gasoline with biofuels will result in changes in fuel blending procedures and combustion process especially for the gasoline direct injection (GDI) engines. In this article, flame visualization using chemiluminescence techniques in a Single Cylinder Optical Research Engine (SCORE) is presented, with an adjusted intake pressure of 850 mbar and early intake single injection (280 CAD BTDC), by using 100% hydrocarbon-based gasoline, E10 (90% gasoline - 10% ethanol) and ETBE20 (80% gasoline - 20% ethyl tert-butyl ether). ETBE20 is a potential alternative for E10, as it contains the same amount of renewable fuel and has low water solubility.

A light duty truck with a naturally aspirated engine was equipped with a DPF (changing the exhaust pipe and eliminating the muffler) and operated on fuel doped with a cerium based additive in various concentrations. Tests were carried out on chassis dynamometer using the European urban cycle, but also under city driving conditions with maximum speeds up to 50 km/h and exhaust gas temperature up to 300°C. Under these conditions, it was observed that filter regeneration was always possible at relatively high particulate accumulation in the filter, while the effect on fuel consumption (as measured over the emission test cycles) was not detectable, compared to baseline data of the vehicle. Change in driving conditions from slow urban to highway with highly loaded trap led to spontaneous trap regeneration at higher temperatures, without effect on fuel consumption. This paper documents the operation of a fully passive DPF system for diesel light duty vehicles.

1 Switzerland is enforcing the use of particulate traps for offroad applications like construction as well as for occupational health applications like tunneling. This decision is based on the results of the VERT-project (1994-1999), which included basic aerosol research, bench screening and field testing of promising solutions as well as the development of implementation tools like trap specification, certification scheems and field control measures. On the other hand there is no corresponding regulation for city-buses yet although PM 10 is about 2× above limit in most Swiss cities. Public pressure however is growing and city transport authorities have reacted by retrofitting Diesel city-buses instead of waiting for cleaner engine technology or CNG-conversions. The favored trap system with about 200 retrofits so far is the CRT.

Diesel particle filters (DPFs) efficiently eliminate soot, fuel-, and oil-ash emissions of diesel engines, but little data are available with respect to long term aging or deterioration effects of DPFs under real world operating conditions. Aging of wash coat- and catalyst-materials, catalyst poisoning, ash sintering, adsorption and long lasting storage of semi- or non-volatile substances can take place, which over time may influence filtration and conversion properties of DPFs. Herein we report to what extent DPF aging may affect particle filtration characteristics. We compared particle number concentrations (PN), and particle mass (PM) emissions after a 2000 operating hours endurance test (VFT2). Such a controlled field test is required by VERT verification procedures, which lately were published as a national standard (SNR 277205).

Due to increasing concern about health effects of fine and ultra-fine particles (nanoparticles) from combustion engines, the diesel particle filter technology (DPF) *) was extensively introduced to heavy duty and passenger cars in the last years. In this respect, a very important parameter is the irreversible plugging of the DPF with non-combustible ashes. The quality of lubrication oil, especially the ash content has a certain influence on regeneration intervals of diesel particle filters. In the present study, the effects of different lubrication oils on particle mass and nano-particle size distribution were investigated. The test engine was a modern diesel engine without particle filter system. A main goal was to find out, how different lubrication oils influence the particulate emissions and the contribution of oil to total particle emissions. Moreover, first results of a tracing study will be discussed.

Further efforts to reduce the air pollution from traffic are undertaken worldwide and the filtration of exhaust gas will also be increasingly applied on gasoline cars (GPF1 … gasoline particle filter). In the present paper, some results of investigations of nanoparticles from four MPI gasoline cars are represented. The measurements were performed at vehicle tailpipe and in CVS-tunnel. Moreover, two variants of GPF were investigated on a high-emitting modern vehicle, including analytics of PAH and attempts of soot loading in road application. The modern MPI vehicles can emit a considerable amount of PN, which in some cases attains the level of Diesel exhaust gas without DPF and can pass over the actual European limit value for GDI (6.0 x 1011 #/km). The GPF-technology offers in this respect further poten-tials to reduce the PN-emissions of traffic.

The reduction of CO2 emissions in transport and power generation is currently a key challenge. One particular opportunity of CO2 reduction is the introduction of low CO2 or even CO2 neutral fuels. The combustion characteristics of such fuels are different and require engine settings modification. In addition, emissions characteristics differ significantly among different fuels. In the present study a one cylinder diesel engine was operated with conventional diesel, hydrogenated vegetable oil (HVO) and polyoxymethyl dimethyl ether (OME) as well as a series of blends. Particle filter segments were positioned in the exhaust of the engine and loaded with particles originating from the combustion of these fuels. The filter segments have been regenerated individually in a specifically designed and developed controlled temperature soot oxidation apparatus.

The proposed Euro 7 emission standard foresees that the emission behaviour of Euro 7 vehicles is monitored via an on-board monitoring (OBM) system. In Euro 7 vehicles, OBM systems will monitor the emissions of nitrogen oxides (NOX), ammonia (NH3) and particulate matter (PM) for every trip through a combination of measured and modelled data. Sensors employed to support on-board diagnostics (OBD) in current vehicles may be used to support OBM. According to the Euro 7 OBM concept presented in this paper, OBM will serve a dual purpose: the first is to warn the user of a vehicle about the need to perform repairs on the engine or the pollution control systems when these are needed. If these repairs are not performed in a timely manner, the OBM system will be able to ultimately prevent engine restart, akin to the existing low-reagent driver warning system in some compression ignition vehicles. The second purpose of OBM is to monitor the compliance of vehicle types with the emission limits.

In the present paper some results of investigations of nanoparticles from five DI gasoline cars are represented. The measurements were performed at vehicle tailpipe and in CVS-tunnel. Moreover, five variants of “vehicle - GPF” were investigated. These results originate from the project GasOMeP (Gasoline Organic & Metal Particulates), which focused on metal-nanoparticles (including sub 20nm) from gasoline cars with different engine technologies. The PN-emission level of the investigated GDI cars in WLTC without GPF is in the same range of magnitude very near to the actual limit value of 6.0 × 1012 #/km. With the GPF’s with better filtration quality, it is possible to lower the emissions below the future limit value of 6.0 × 1011 #/km. There is no visible nuclei mode and the ultrafine particle concentrations below 10mm are insignificant. Some of the vehicles show at constant speed operation a periodical fluctuation of the NP-emissions, as an effect of the electronic control.

Stoichiometric natural gas (CNG) engines are an attractive solution for heavy-duty vehicles considering their inherent advantage in emitting lower CO2 emissions compared to their Diesel counterparts. Additionally, their aftertreatment system can be simpler and less costly as NOx reduction is handled simultaneously with CO/HC oxidation by a Three-Way Catalyst (TWC). The conversion of methane over a TWC shows a complex behavior, significantly different than non-methane hydrocarbons in stoichiometric gasoline engines. Its performance is maximized in a narrow A/F window and is strongly affected by the lean/rich cycling frequency. Experimental and simulation results indicate that lean-mode efficiency is governed by the palladium’s oxidation state while rich conversion is governed by the gradual formation of carbonaceous compounds which temporarily deactivate the active materials.

All internal combustion piston engines emit solid nanoparticles. Some are soot particles resulting from incomplete combustion of fuels, or lube oil. Some particles are metal compounds, most probably metal oxides. A major source of metal compound particles is engine abrasion. The lube oil transports these abraded particles into the combustion zone. There they are partially vaporized and ultrafine oxide particles formed through nucleation [1]. Other sources are the metallic additives to the lube oil, metallic additives in the fuel, and debris from the catalytic coatings in the exhaust-gas emission control devices. The formation process results in extremely fine particles, typically smaller than 50 nm. Thus they intrude through the alveolar membranes directly into the human organism. The consequent health risk necessitates a careful investigation of these emissions and effective curtailment.

The latest generation of internal combustion engines may emit significant levels of sub-23 nm particles. The main objective of the Horizon 2020 “DownToTen” project was to develop a robust methodology and provide policy recommendations towards the particle number (PN) emissions measurements in the sub-23 nm region. In order to achieve this target, a new portable exhaust particle sampling system (PEPS) was developed, being capable of measuring exhaust particles down to at least 10 nm under real-world conditions. The main design target was to build a system that is compatible with current PMP requirements and is characterized by minimized losses in the sub-23 nm region, high robustness against artefacts and high flexibility in terms of different PN modes investigation, i.e. non-volatile, volatile and secondary particles.