Evaluating the feasibility of estimating particulate mass emissions of older-model diesel vehicle using smoke opacity measurements

Hsi-Hsien Yang; Amit Kumar; Narayan Babu Dhital; Lin-Chi Wang; Cheng-Hsu Wu; Hesam Kamyab; Mohammad Yusuf

doi:10.1038/s41598-024-83327-1

Evaluating the feasibility of estimating particulate mass emissions of older-model diesel vehicle using smoke opacity measurements

Sci Rep. 2024 Dec 28;14(1):31494. doi: 10.1038/s41598-024-83327-1.

Authors

Hsi-Hsien Yang¹, Amit Kumar², Narayan Babu Dhital³, Lin-Chi Wang⁴, Cheng-Hsu Wu¹, Hesam Kamyab^{5

6}, Mohammad Yusuf^{7

8}

Affiliations

¹ Department of Environmental Engineering and Management, Chaoyang University of Technology, Taichung, 413310, Taiwan.
² Department of Environmental Engineering and Management, Chaoyang University of Technology, Taichung, 413310, Taiwan. [email protected].
³ Department of Environmental Science, Tribhuvan University, Patan Multiple Campus, Lalitpur, 44700, Nepal.
⁴ Department of Marine Environmental Engineering, National Kaohsiung University of Science and Technology, Kaohsiung, Taiwan.
⁵ Department of Biomaterials, Saveetha Dental College and Hospital, Saveetha Institute of Medical and Technical Sciences, Chennai, 600 077, India.
⁶ The KU-KIST Graduate School of Energy and Environment, Korea University, 145 Anam-Ro, Seongbuk-Gu, Seoul, 02841, Republic of Korea.
⁷ Clean Energy Technologies Research Institute (CETRI), Process Systems Engineering, Faculty of Engineering & Applied Science, University of Regina, 3737 Wascana Parkway, Regina, SK, S4S 0A2, Canada. [email protected].
⁸ Centre of Research Impact and Outcome, Chitkara University Institute of Engineering and Technology, Chitkara University, Punjab, India. [email protected].

Abstract

Real-world emissions of particulate matter (PM) and smoke opacity were studied for an older-model diesel pickup truck during four types of driving tests, namely fixed-point test, snap-acceleration test, road test, and hill road test (uphill/downhill). A portable emissions measurement system (PEMS) and an opacimeter were used to measure real-time concentrations of PM and smoke opacity, respectively, and simultaneously. Correlation analysis showed a significant positive association between PM and opacity, suggesting the feasibility of using an opacimeter to estimate PM mass emissions from diesel vehicles. Additionally, regression analyses were performed to evaluate the relationship between opacity and PM mass concentration. The results of this study indicate that PM emission concentrations from older-model diesel vehicles can be estimated with a reasonable accuracy by using a smoke opacimeter, which is a relatively simple and cost-effective method of emission testing, as an alternative to sophisticated PM measurement instruments.

Keywords: Particulate matter; Portable emissions measurement system; Real-world emissions; Regression.

Grants and funding

111-EPA-F004/Environmental Protection Administration, Executive Yuan, R.O.C. Taiwan