A New Approach for Static NOx Measurement in PTI

Eugenio Fernández, Alicia Valero, Juan José Alba and Abel Ortego
Additional contact information
Eugenio Fernández: EINA, Universidad de Zaragoza, 50018 Zaragoza, Spain
Alicia Valero: Research Centre for Energy Resources and Consumption (CIRCE), Universidad de Zaragoza, 50018 Zaragoza, Spain
Juan José Alba: Department of Mechanical Engineering, Universidad de Zaragoza, 50018 Zaragoza, Spain
Abel Ortego: Knowledge Development Area, Motorland Aragon, 44600 Alcañiz, Spain

Sustainability, 2021, vol. 13, issue 23, 1-34

Abstract: NOx emissions in vehicles are currently only controlled through the homologation process. There is a lack of knowledge to assess and control real NOx emissions of vehicles reliably. Even if vehicles in EU-27 are subject to Periodical Technical Inspection (PTI), NOx are not among the pollutants currently being controlled. For PTIs, tests need to be simple, quick, inexpensive, representative, and accurate. Ideally, tests need to be carried out under static conditions, without the need for a power bench or complex equipment. In this paper, a new approach for measuring NOx in PTI is proposed. The method has been developed and validated at a PTI Spanish station to ensure feasibility and repeatability. This method is based on the relationship between the “% engine load” value and exhaust NOx concentration at idle engine speed. Starting from the state of minimum possible power demand in a vehicle (idling and without any consumption), a load state with an average 98% increase in engine power demand is generated by connecting elements of the vehicle’s equipment. The relationship between power demand (through the “% engine load” value) and NOx concentration is then analyzed. The quality and representativity of this relationship have been checked with a p -value lower than 0.01. The method has been compared with a different NOx measurement technique, based on the simulation on a test bench and the ASM 2050 cycle, showing better performance in terms of repeatability and representativeness. The “% engine load” dispersion with the new approach is 7%, which ensures the reliability and repeatability of the method. The results show that the proposed method could be a valuable tool in PTI to detect high NOx emitting vehicles and to obtain information from the diesel vehicles fleet.

Keywords: NOx emissions; diesel vehicles emission test; periodic technical inspections; % engine load (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2021
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (2)

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