Automotive

AUTOMOTIVE

Applications for the car industry: 

Real time monitoring at high mass resolution.

 

Measurement of regulated and non-regulated compounds in engine emissions.

Photo CERTAM 001

Regulation of chemical pollutants in engine emissions is becoming tougher year after year, requiring car manufacturers to implement new analysis solutions. A good example is the Euro 6 standard, entered into force in Europe on September 2014, which regulates newly type-approved cars.

Moreover, new fuels such as biofuels are more and more used, and imply different pollutant emissions requiring health impact measurements. In this context, analysis of new compounds is particularly interesting for anticipating future standard constraints.

In order to meet these application needs, analyzers should therefore be able to detect a wide range of compounds. BTrap offers an innovative solution for on-line multi-compounds detection.

 

BTrap benefits for analysis of chemical pollutants in automotive emissions:

  • It is the ideal tool for screening: the analyzer is working on the whole mass range for a simultaneous detection of all the compounds observed in the analyzed gas.
  • It precisely monitors engine test bench emissions: a complete mass spectrum is generated each second, enabling on-line measurements. The device fits in an engine test bench, and is easy to set up as a simple electrical outlet is necessary to run the device and can be remotely controlled.
  • Its FT-ICR high resolution enables quasi-isobaric separation: for instance, an oxygenated compound and a Hydrocarbon can be distinguished on a same mass spectrum. Oxygen atom and CH4 group have the same nominal mass of 16 u, but the FT-ICR technology highlights an exact mass difference of 0,036 u.

 

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Typical applications

 

Engine exhaust characterization during a standardized driving test cycle.

The real-time measurement of regulated and non-regulated pollutants during a standardized European Driving Cycle, designed to imitate the conditions encountered on European roads in a reproducible way, is an important information for engine settings. Tests have been performed with  BTrap on the following cycles: 

  • NEDC – New European Driving Cycle
  • CADC – Common Artemis Driving Cycle

 

 Analysis of nitrogen oxides filters – SCR (Selective Catalytic Reduction)

Urea injection in a catalytic reactor placed on the path of the exhaust gas upstream of the particle filter resuts in strong decrease of nitrogen oxides (NOx) emitted by diesel engines. Continuous monitoring of ammonia, nitrogen oxides (NO, NO2) and by-products of the catalytic degradation reaction (such as Isocyanic acid HNCO) is essential for setting up those filters.

 

Characterization of pollutants present on the particulate phase emitted by a Diesel engine.

The adsorption of chemical pollutants, such as Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons (PAHs), on the particulate phase emitted by a diesel engine is currently measured by liquid chromatography-UV detector through solvent extraction methods. Those methods are time consuming and require some precautions for solvent use and disposal. Thermal desorption from the filters set up on the engine emission sampling line enables a direct measurement of PAHs but also lighter VOCs trapped on the particles, without sample preparation. The TDflash is set up right on the Gas Chromatograph (GC) injector, providing a representative measurement of all the compounds trapped by the filters, especially the heavier molecules such as PAHs.

 

References: 

  •  AlyXan works in partnership with the IFPEN (Institut Français du Pétrole et des Energies Nouvelles) on development of those applications.
  • The CERTAM, known for its consulting and expertise activity in the field of engine test benches (emissions characterization, emissions post-treatment, particles metrology, air quality and so on) has included BTrap among its tests facilities.   

 

 

 For more information Contact us or fill in the following analysis request form:

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