Development of a vehicle emissions monitoring system

Abstract

Investigation of vehicle emissions with an on-board emissions measurement system can provide a better understanding of how these emissions contribute to air pollution. This paper discusses the design and development by Imperial College London and industrial collaborators of a vehicle performance and emissions monitoring system, including its installation both on test vehicles allowing an interface with the engine management system and those that do not. Results from preliminary field trials and chassis dynamometer testing of the diesel test vehicle are presented. Good correlation between the monitoring system and reference measurements is observed, with differences in aggregate measurements of between 8% and 18% over a standard test cycle. The remote download and synthesis of navigation, performance and emissions data from an inuse vehicle was successfully achieved. This project has shown that it is possible to produce a system suitable for deployment for simultaneous studies over a wide area. However, the non-standard nature of engine management system interfaces for much of the European vehicle fleet presents a significant barrier to implementation. It is therefore recommended that European legislation be enforced to ensure standard interfaces on all new vehicles.

Examination of Low-cost Systems for the Determination of Kinematic Driving Cycles and Engine Operating Conditions in Dublin, Ireland

“…Recent research papers have reported on using manufacturers' proprietary software and interface systems in order to communicate with the test vehicles [6,19]. Such experimental arrangements have the advantage of being able to potentially communicate with a given make of vehicle, such as Ford or Renault as in the case of the cited studies.…”

“…Other researchers, using external measurement devices, have focused of vehicle speed and acceleration [16,17]. The ability to connect directly to the ECU has allowed other researchers [6,12,19] to examine certain engine operating characteristics such as engine speed, temperature and throttle position, as well as the parameters mentioned above. Connection to the OBD network of sensors also allows for determination of air-and fuel-flow parameters, in order to better estimate fuel consumption and emissions in near real-time [12].…”

“…While air quality in Ireland is generally considered to be good [3], there are concerns over the potential risks to human health, particularly in towns and cities. Vehicular emissions are currently considered to be the most important contributor to poor air quality in urban areas [4][5][6][7]. The combination of narrow streets [8], high traffic volumes and large populations [9] living and working in close proximity to major roads [10] means that both local and national authorities must be proactive in assessing the level of pollutant emissions and employing measures that reduce the negative impacts on human health.…”

The mechanical hybrid vehicle: An investigation of a flywheel-based vehicular regenerative energy capture system

“…Computer simulations of a conventional vehicle and the two versions of the mechanical hybrid were performed for urban and extra-urban driving cycles, using a computational model of a Ford Focus Estate, developed by Diego-Ayala [22] and North [23]. In this model, steady-state engine maps with correction for engine warm up were used.…”