Methodology for Virtual Prediction of Vehicle-Related Particle Emissions and Their Influence on Ambient PM10 in an Urban Environment

Abstract

As a result of rising environmental awareness, vehicle-related emissions such as particulate matter are subject to increasing criticism. The air pollution in urban areas is especially linked to health risks. The connection between vehicle-related particle emissions and ambient air quality is highly complex. Therefore, a methodology is presented to evaluate the influence of different vehicle-related sources such as exhaust particles, brake wear and tire and road wear particles (TRWP) on ambient particulate matter (PM). In a first step, particle measurements were conducted based on field trials with an instrumented vehicle to determine the main influence parameters for each emission source. Afterwards, a simplified approach for a qualitative prediction of vehicle-related particle emissions is derived. In a next step, a virtual inner-city scenario is set up. This includes a vehicle simulation environment for predicting the local emission hot spots as well as a computational fluid dynamics model (CFD) to account for particle dispersion in the environment. This methodology allows for the investigation of emissions pathways from the point of generation up to the point of their emission potential.

The Assessment of PM2.5 and PM10 Immission in Atmospheric Air in a Climate Chamber during Tests of an Electric Car on a Chassis Dynamometer

“…In the context of future environmental policy and the development of electric vehicles, the issue of non-exhaust emissions is becoming increasingly important. The problem of dust emissions from tires, brakes and road surfaces has been the subject of many papers [16][17][18][19][20][21][22][23][24][25][26]. In them, the authors focused on the problem of measuring dust emissions from these non-engine sources under laboratory and road conditions [16].…”

“…Computer simulations: Modern technologies allow the modeling and simulation of brake pad dust emissions, which can contribute to a better understanding of the process and potential environmental impacts [21].…”

A System Coupled GIS and CFD for Atmospheric Pollution Dispersion Simulation in Urban Blocks

“…To study gas diffusion in soil caused by leakage accidents in urban buried natural gas pipelines, some researchers proposed suggestions for the proper utilization of soil near the pipelines by using fluid mechanics theory, porous media theory, and CFD models [7,8]. Using a CFD model, Feißel et al [9] examined how vehicle emissions affect air quality and suggested a simplified prediction method. Schalau et al [10] developed and validated a modified k-ε-turbulence model in OpenFOAM v5.0 for heavy gas dispersion in built-up areas under atmospheric conditions, and the result demonstrates that the model is reliable in prediction.…”