Working with Vehicle Emission Testing Research Team at Poly U
Bimalka November 2008- January 2009
Prof. Wing-tat arranged my self to engage with the research team of Mechanical Engineering Department. This was a project carried out by the University of Polytechnic with collaboration of Environmental Protection Department Hong Kong (HKEPD). Research was focused on diesel, light goods vehicles/trucks and LPG taxis. Vehicles with manufacturing date 2, 4, 6, and 8 years old will be testing in this project. There is another similar research project for other vehicle types such as cars and vans also carried out by the University of Polytechnic with collaboration of EPD HK.
In this research project automated instruments/ real time monitoring equipments are used and they are very expensive including GPS system. Instruments are borrowed from the EPD for the research proposes. Exhaust pipe is fixed with the instruments and after fixing the instruments, on-going measurements were carried out. Emission Factor Model is used. (PEMS Operation -SEMTECH-DS). Measurements includes: CO, CO2, NO, NO2, total HC. At the beginning it was planned to measure PM also, however due to error occur in the instruments, EPD had to send it back to USA to replace certain parts and to carry out necessary calibration. Apart from the pollutant measurements, metrological factors such as Temperature, Humidity, Pressure of outdoor air is also measured. All these data are connected to a laptop during on-road measurements and every time data is appearing on the laptop screen. Power supply for the instruments was given by a generator and from two batteries and every hour we stop the vehicle for few minutes to check the fuel of the generator and check whether instruments are in order.
To measure the speed of the vehicle, there are three instruments used; 1.Microwave Sensor-this gives most accurate results; 2.GPS- which fixed on rooftop of the vehicle and it need at least 4 satellite signals to give accurate results, when the vehicle is passing through tunnel there will be no satellite signals and data will be lost for that period, GPS system is connected to another laptop and pathway can be observed; 3. Camera which is fixed on the front windscreen it also records the traffic flow in front of the vehicle in a memory card for later clarifications and cross-check.
Prof. Wing-tat arranged my self to engage with the research team of Mechanical Engineering Department. This was a project carried out by the University of Polytechnic with collaboration of Environmental Protection Department Hong Kong (HKEPD). Research was focused on diesel, light goods vehicles/trucks and LPG taxis. Vehicles with manufacturing date 2, 4, 6, and 8 years old will be testing in this project. There is another similar research project for other vehicle types such as cars and vans also carried out by the University of Polytechnic with collaboration of EPD HK.
In this research project automated instruments/ real time monitoring equipments are used and they are very expensive including GPS system. Instruments are borrowed from the EPD for the research proposes. Exhaust pipe is fixed with the instruments and after fixing the instruments, on-going measurements were carried out. Emission Factor Model is used. (PEMS Operation -SEMTECH-DS). Measurements includes: CO, CO2, NO, NO2, total HC. At the beginning it was planned to measure PM also, however due to error occur in the instruments, EPD had to send it back to USA to replace certain parts and to carry out necessary calibration. Apart from the pollutant measurements, metrological factors such as Temperature, Humidity, Pressure of outdoor air is also measured. All these data are connected to a laptop during on-road measurements and every time data is appearing on the laptop screen. Power supply for the instruments was given by a generator and from two batteries and every hour we stop the vehicle for few minutes to check the fuel of the generator and check whether instruments are in order.
To measure the speed of the vehicle, there are three instruments used; 1.Microwave Sensor-this gives most accurate results; 2.GPS- which fixed on rooftop of the vehicle and it need at least 4 satellite signals to give accurate results, when the vehicle is passing through tunnel there will be no satellite signals and data will be lost for that period, GPS system is connected to another laptop and pathway can be observed; 3. Camera which is fixed on the front windscreen it also records the traffic flow in front of the vehicle in a memory card for later clarifications and cross-check.
We have carried out testing for two diesel light goods vehicles/trucks; manufacturing year of 2007 and 2005 already. Truck with manufacturing year 2007 has Euro IV standard with catalytic converter and Truck with manufacturing year 2005 has Euro III standard. On-road testing for each vehicle/truck need to carry out for 12 hours cycle that include quite lot of hard work. For taxis it is even more difficult and has to carry out for 24 hours. When on-road measurements are carry out, every three hours we had to come back to Poly U to calibrate the instruments by the standards gas. For this study, two type of standard gas were used. Again next day research was carrying out for the hours that miss during calibration period of the previous day and complete the 12 hour cycle of 7am to 7pm. It is also interesting to see when on-road measurements were carried out; always the vehicle/truck was following a similar type of a light good vehicle/truck which was on-road to get the natural truck driving speed. Research vehicle will only be driving in the urban area of Kowloon and if the followed vehicle/truck changed it’s route, then research vehicle/truck will find a similar truck again and follow it’s path and speed. This will increase the accuracy of the testing. There was a check list made by EPD and relevant details were noted during the process such as weather observations, vehicle weight, fuel consumption, equipment used etc… Based on the data obtained from this research emission rate and emission factor calculations are carried out and findings of this study will lead for future policy decision.I got friendly with the research team and learn many things. It gives me more knowledge about related research work of the VET programme. This also gave me understanding of which pollutants emit more when the vehicle is idling and which pollutants emit more with increase speed. This research will study with different type of manufacturing age diesel trucks and LPG taxis and I will be able to explore more.
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