Real world emissions data is key to improving air quality
Phil Stones, head of powertrain – emissions and fuel economy at Millbrook tells us why traditional regulated drive cycles are no longer enough for emissions testing and explains the importance of real world data in improving air quality.
In the past heavy concern with vehicle emissions has been on melting ice caps and global warming; however with recent reports into the rise of death rates due to poor air quality the focus has inevitably shifted.
Vehicles are developed and approved by manufacturers to a strict set of regulations, which define how to test for emissions and fuel economy and identify the standards required to comply. The drive cycle - New European Driving Cycle (NEDC) in Europe - is established and all settings, including the ancillary equipment and ambient temperature are considered. The NEDC is a stylised cycle that does not operate the engine over its full operating region and therefore it is possible that the vehicle is not designed to meet the emissions requirements over the full region.
At Millbrook we are currently running a number of projects to evaluate the real air quality impacts of petrol and diesel vehicles. We are testing both light and heavy duty vehicles, over a wide variety of real world drive cycles and then comparing this data to how they perform over the regulated NEDC.
In 2013 Millbrook recognised the need for real world emissions testing in order to improve air quality and became an early adopter of Portable Emissions Measurement Systems (PEMS). Adding PEMS to our 45 plus years’ experience of emissions
testing in a comprehensive range of laboratories and test cells, and on our network of test tracks gives Millbrook a new opportunity to gather increased real world emissions data, which can then be correlated back to testing on the chassis dyno.
Using PEMS allows a much wider drive cycle route, driving style, gradient, ambient temperature and ancillary loading settings to be assessed and therefore gives a much better picture of how the vehicle performs in the real world.
Understanding real world emissions data must be the key focus for improving air quality. Use of the latest PEMS technology together with its regulatory approved vehicle emissions test laboratories will enable Millbrook to accurately and repeatedly gather this data, and there is no doubt that programmes such as those being carried out at Millbrook will help shape future technologies and fuels.
LINK
www.millbrook.co.uk
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LUBE MAGAZINE NO.125 FEBRUARY 2015
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