Unregulated Emissions Testing

In addition to the currently regulated gaseous emissions and particulates, vehicles and engines emit other materials and compounds that are of interest in terms of aftertreament system engineering as well as for environmental and health reasons with relevance to potential future regulatory control. Ricardo is actively involved in the measurement of unregulated emissions species, both on-line in real-time and off-line in laboratory-based analyses. New instrumentation and novel applications of existing equipment is continuously being researched by Ricardo to address the species of current interest, as is fuel, lubricant, additive, combustion technology and catalyst influences and how these give rise to new components of interest and potential concerns.

Particle measurement capabilities:

• Ricardo had a leading role in development of PMP mass and number legislation for Euro 5+/ Euro 6 and now Euro VI
• Euro 5/6 mass and number capabilities in place
• Real-time particle sizing
• Real-time PM estimate from tailpipe and from pre-DPF locations
• Oil separator size-specific performance
• Fuel, lubricant and catalysis effects on particle size, number and mass
• Simultaneous pre- and post catalyst particle size, number and mass estimate measurements for efficiency determinations

Fourier transform infra red (FTIR) and mass spectroscopy:

• Analysing catalyst performance in real time in terms of mass and volume concentration
• Developing robust calibrations to minimise undesirable emissions, such as NH3 slip from SCR systems and H2S emissions during regeneration of LNT systems
• Dual FTIR systems for real time emissions reduction diagnosis of catalytic systems