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This paper examines the issues concerning particulate matter (PM) emissions measurement at the 3 mg/mi level proposed as the future LEV III standard. These issues are general in nature, but are exacerbated at the low levels contemplated for upcoming emissions standards. They are discussed in the context of gasoline direct injection (GDI) engines, where they can have an important impact on the continued development of this technology for improved fuel economy. GDI particulate emissions, just as engine-out diesel PM, contain a high fraction of soot. But the total PM mass is significantly lower than from diesel engines, and there can be significant variations in emissions rate and apparent PM composition between cold-start and running emissions. PM emissions levels depend on sampling method and location. As a result, there can be substantial differences in PM sampled and diluted directly at the exhaust pipe, as opposed to measurements from a dilution tunnel.

Particle number emissions are measured with two instruments according to the upcoming European emission regulations for light-duty diesel passenger vehicles and compared to data from other methods, including the current regulatory total particulate matter (PM) mass, photo-acoustic soot sensor (PASS) and engine exhaust particle sizer (EEPS). At the very low emission levels of diesel particulate filter (DPF) equipped vehicles, the solid particle number data correlate well with soot mass and with particle number measured by EEPS, if only those particles belonging to the accumulation mode are considered in the latter case. PN differences of ≻100% between tests of the same vehicle are observed. Comparison of the two PN instruments and the photoacoustic soot sensor show that these are systematic differences which originate primarily with the vehicle and not from instrument uncertainties.

This paper presents an alternative and relatively simple method which allows the use of ordinary ejector-type diluters over a wide range of sample inlet conditions including elevated pressures and temperatures. After calibration of the ejector diluter, the dilution can be accurately characterized using only the pressures at the inlet and the outlet of the diluter and the sample temperature. The method is based on a semi-empirical, stationary model taking into account the critical parameters needed to predict the dilution factor. Under steady state operation it achieves accuracies estimated to be below ±8% (95% confidence interval) for diluter inlet pressures in the range of 1000 - 4000 mbar absolute and temperatures between 20 - 200°C. Performance under actual vehicle testing conditions is evaluated upstream of the DPF for a diesel vehicle run on a chassis dynamometer.

This work studies the formation of nucleation mode (NM) particles from a Euro 3 passenger car operating on 280 ppm wt. sulfur fuel, during on-road plume chasing and in the laboratory. The vehicle produced a distinct NM when its speed exceeded 100 km/h in both sampling environments. A higher particle number (up to 8 times) after 4 min at constant speed was measured when this speed was approached from a lower than from a higher speed. The variability in the measurement of NM particles was explained using literature information on sulfur-to-sulfate conversion over a catalyst and, in particular, on the extent and rate of sulfate storage and release mechanisms. All evidence led to the conclusion that storage and release processes take several minutes to conclude after a step-wise change in speed and have significant implications in the total particle number measurements during steady-speed testing.

Vehicle exhaust particles from diesel passenger vehicles were studied in terms of volatility and chemical composition. Condensation of semi-volatile compounds leads to particle growth during exhaust dilution and cooling. The particle growth was observed to be particle surface related. At higher vehicle speed and load some of the semi-volatile material forms nucleation particles that are dominating the particle number concentration. The nucleation mode is completely volatile at 180°C and consists mainly of sulfate. The amount of organic material is smaller. The organics/sulfate ratio is larger for the soot mode indicating an earlier condensation process of organics before they are incorporated in the nucleation process. Under typical atmospheric dilution conditions most of the semi-volatile material is present in the soot mode. The semi-volatile material evaporates at temperature between 130°C and 180°C.

This paper presents a novel partial flow sampling system for the characterization of airborne exhaust particle emissions. The sampled aerosol is first conditioned in a porous dilutor and then subsequent ejector dilutors are used to decrease its concentration to the range of the instrumentation used. First we examine the sensitivity of aerosol properties to boundary sampling conditions. This information is then used to select suitable sampling parameters to distinguish both the nucleation and the accumulation mode. Selecting appropriate sampling parameters, it is demonstrated that a distinct nucleation mode can be formed and measured with different instruments. Using these parameters we examine the performance of the system over transient vehicle operation. Additionally, we performed calculations of particle losses in the various components of the system which are then used to correct signals from the instruments.