Measurement of rail vehicles exhaust emissions

Abstract

The exhaust emission standards in force in various parts of the world for off-road vehicles are becoming more and more stringent. Therefore, research on the compounds of harmful exhaust fumes emitted by vehicles of this category is constantly being researched and activities aimed at limiting them are constantly being carried out. The basic problem in terms of measuring exhaust emissions is the approval tests of traction vehicles, which are carried out on engine dynamome-ters. Therefore, it is impossible to obtain reliable results concerning their actual impact on the natural environment. It is therefore advisable to carry out the tests in real operation conditions, as is the case for road vehicles for which RDE (Real Driving Emissions) tests are carried out. The latest Stage V emission standards push for the introduction of this type of test, but no limit values for toxic exhaust gases have been established and no test guidelines have been defined for as-sessing actual emissions. This article describes the issues related to the legislative guidelines for non-road vehicles in force in Europe, as well as the measurement tools used, such as mobile equipment for measuring emissions of PEMS (Portable Emissions Measurement Systems) and newly developed emission gates.