Search Results

In this study, tailpipe-sampling was used to sample the exhaust aerosol of a Stage IV tractor equipped with Diesel Oxidation Catalyst (DOC) and Selective Catalytic Reduction (SCR) aftertreatment systems. The particle emissions were characterized in terms of number concentration (particle size of > 2.5 nm), mass concentration (particle size of 6-612 nm) BC mass concentration and chemical composition (particle size of > 30 nm). The measurements were conducted on-road by setting a mobile laboratory on a trailer and pulling it with the tractor. In addition to driving, heavy-lift work cycles were tested, where separate lifts of a 1000 kg weight were conducted with the front fork of the tractor with two minutes of idling between consecutive lifts. Both a Porous Tube Diluter (PTD) with ambient temperature dilution air as well as an ejector diluter with hot dilution air were used to sample the exhaust aerosol.

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.

Particle number emissions from an off-road diesel engine without exhaust after-treatment were studied by using five different heavy-duty lubricating oils in the engine. The study extends understanding on how the properties of lubricating oil affect the nanoparticle emissions from an off-road diesel engine. The lubricants were selected among the performance classes of the European Automobile Manufacturers Association, at least one lubricant from each category intended for heavy-duty diesel engines. Particle size distributions were measured by the means of an engine exhaust particle sizer (EEPS), but soot emissions, gaseous emissions and the basic engine performance were also determined. During the non-road steady state cycle, the most of the differences were detected at the particle size range of 6-15 nm. In most cases, the lowest particle quantities were emitted when the highest performance category lubricant was used.

In this article we present a design of a new miniaturized sensor with the capacity to measure exhaust particle concentrations on board vehicles and engines. The sensor is characterized by ultra-fast response time, high sensitivity, and a wide dynamic range. In addition, the physical dimensions of the sensor enable its placement along the exhaust line. The concentration response and temporal performance of a prototype sensor are discussed and characterized with aerosol laboratory test measurements. The sensor performance was also tested with actual engine exhaust in both chassis and engine dynamometer measurements. These measurements demonstrate that the sensor has the potential to meet and even exceed any requirements around the world in terms of on-board diagnostic (OBD) sensitivity and frequency of monitoring.

During the past few decades the exhaust emissions of diesel engines have significantly decreased due to efficient emissions regulation. Compared to the situation in the 1990s, the nitrogen oxide (NOx) and particulate matter (PM) emissions, the main challenges for diesel engines, are now reduced 80-95 % in many industrialized countries. To meet the demanding requirements, engine technologies have been updated and improved step by step. These improvements have also kept Specific Fuel Consumption (SFC) figures at a low level or they have even improved. The latter issue is of great significance for consumers (cost) and also for the environment (CO2). Nowadays many diesel engine fuel injection strategies rely on the use of exhaust after-treatment systems. Efficient and clean combustion is obtained by utilizing high injection pressure and advanced injection timing.

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.

The effect of SCR on nanoparticle emissions has been a subject for some recent diesel particle emission related studies. In this study, the effect of after-treatment (DOC and SCR) on particle emissions was studied with a heavy-duty off-road diesel engine (emission level stage 3b with an SCR). A special “transient cold test cycle” (TCTC) was designed to describe the SCR system operation at low exhaust gas temperatures. The particle instrumentation made it possible to measure on-line the particle number concentration, particle size distribution and chemical composition of particles. The largest particle number concentrations were measured after the exhaust manifold. The exhaust after-treatment was observed to reduce the total particle number concentration by 82.5% with the DOC and 95.7% with the DOC+SCR.

The aim of this paper is to analyze the quantitative impact of fuel sulfur content on particulate oxidation catalyst (POC) functionality, focusing on soot emission reduction and the ability to regenerate. Studies were conducted on fuels containing three different levels of sulfur, covering the range of 6 to 340 parts per million, for a light-duty application. The data presented in this paper provide further insights into the specific issues associated with usage of a POC with fuels of higher sulfur content. A 48-hour loading phase was performed for each fuel, during which filter smoke number, temperature and back-pressure were all observed to vary depending on the fuel sulfur level. The Fuel Sulfur Content (FSC) affected also soot particle size distributions (particle number and size) so that with FSC 6 ppm the soot particle concentration was lower than with FSC 65 and 340, both upstream and downstream of the POC.

Under on-road driving conditions, the engine load and speed and the cooling effect of ambient air may affect the functioning of exhaust aftertreatment devices. In this paper, we studied the effects of these parameters on the functioning of the combination of a Diesel Oxidation Catalyst and a Particle Oxidation Catalyst (DOC+POC). In the engine tests, the engine load and speed were observed to affect the nonvolatile particle reduction efficiency curve of the DOC+POC; while the nonvolatile core particle (Dp ≺ 15 nm) reduction was high (97-99%) in all the engine test modes, the reduction of soot varied from 57% at low load to 70% at high load. Because the change in engine load and speed affected both the exhaust temperature and flow velocity, the effects of these parameters were measured separately in an aerosol laboratory.

The effect of a novel particle oxidation catalyst (POC®) on diesel particle emissions is studied in heavy duty and light duty applications. Regulated particulate matter (PM) emission measurement is followed by analyzing either soluble organic fraction (SOF) or volatile organic (VOF) fraction. In addition, in heavy duty diesel application, size distributions are measured. Results show that PM reductions as high as 48-79% can be achieved when using POC in combination with a conventional diesel oxidation catalyst (DOC). As expected, the volatile fraction of the PM was very effectively reduced, but also the non-volatile fraction (i.e. soot) was reduced. In tested steady state driving modes soot reduction was found to be 31-55%.

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.

Electrical low pressure impactor ELPI was modified to measure particles below 30 nanometers in aerodynamic diameter. This was accomplished by adding a filter stage to collect and measure nanoparticles. The charging unit of the instrument was modified to increase the charging efficiency of the smallest, nanometer sized, particles. The modified charging unit was calibrated and the new construction of the ELPI was tested in laboratory and in vehicle dynamometer test cell. Measurements performed in the engine test cell showed that modifications improve the size range and measurement capability of the ELPI for engine emissions.

New method to define the particle effective density as a function of particle size has been applied to diesel vehicle exhaust particles. The results show that, the effective density of agglomerated diesel particles decreases as a function of particle size. The density of primary particles varies from 1.1 to 1.2 g/cm3. Also the effect of used dilution method and fuel type on particle density was studied. The dilution effect seems to have stronger effect on particle effective density and structure than the fuel type.

This paper describes a new sampling concept for particle emission measurements. The purpose is to produce repeatable and reproducible conditions for nucleation phenomena. The exhaust is sampled and instantaneously diluted by inserting a porous tube diluter inside the tailpipe. This is carried out in order to prevent uncontrolled sample transformations in sampling lines. The sampling system was tested in size distribution measurement of light duty diesel vehicle. The tests showed a clearly bimodal size distribution with distinguished nuclei and accumulation modes.

Number concentration of particles emitted by combustion engines has recently attracted attention, due to the fact that particles of the size range found in tail pipe emissions are suspected of being hazardous to human health. This paper describes the application of an Electrical Low Pressure Impactor (ELPI) to the measurement of number concentrations of diesel exhaust particles. The size distribution of particles as fine as 30 nm is determined using the aerodynamic diameter as the characteristic dimension. Results were obtained on both the engine and chassis dynamometer, in real-time, for steady state and transient tests. Swedish Environmental Class 1 diesel fuel was used, having a sulfur content of less than 10 ppm wt. A scheme for the calculation of particle losses in the sampling system was developed, showing high penetration of particles under the conditions examined.