Overview
This project is the UK contribution to an international programme aimed at developing test protocols for particulate/particle emissions appropriate for the type approval testing of future low-emissions vehicle/engine technologies.
It builds on the results of the previous phase, project S0110/VB, and addresses test procedures and measurement instrument performance for a range of candidate measurement systems selected on the basis of recommendations from national projects within Phase I of the international programme. It includes measurement systems for a range of mass- and number-based metrics with varying degrees of particle size discrimination capability.
The new systems are being assessed against a range of criteria, including their compatibility with world-harmonised regulations and existing test facilities. The main output of this phase of Particles Measurement Programme (PMP) will be draft regulatory test protocols which will form the basis of a subsequent phase of round robin testing prior to the recommendation of appropriate type approval limit standards.
The objective of this programme is to support the development of a new measurement system that will enable accurate, repeatable and reproducible measurement of particles present in the exhaust stream and at stringency levels below those currently set down in legislation.
In addition the programme will evaluate the potential for improvement to the mass measurement approach. The output will be draft text for use as a proposal that may replace or supplement the current systems set out in UNECE Regulations 83 and 49. The output from this programme will:
- critically review the particulate measurement approach employed by regulation;
- critically review the measuring instruments identified from earlier work;
- critically review the sampling system(s);
- critically review the function, maintenance and performance of the thermodenuder;
- critically review the test methodologies;
- provide a technical description of the measurement system (i.e. sampling, conditioning and measurement systems) written in performance terms;
- provide a comprehensive protocol for a round-robin exercise to refine the technical description and also to characterise the vehicle/engine technology.