Vehicles emissions under different driving conditions in urban areas

Abstract

The road traffic is one of the main sources of atmospheric pollution in urban areas. This study aims to identify the emissions level for different driving regimes of diesel-powered vehicles that run into urban areas. The study has been performed in laboratory conditions and simulates various driving modes. This paper investigates the effects of vehicle speed, fuel consumption, acceleration, vehicle load on gaseous pollutant emissions (NOx, CO2, CO). The different pollution levels with smoke are also analyzed between idling regimes (maximum opacity index for fast acceleration between minimum and maximum speed) and different loads. The paper states some recommendations concerning the optimal operating regimes of the cars in urban areas, based on the conclusions on the measured levels of pollution.