Primer on Automobile Fuel Efficiency and Emissions - Pollution Probe

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egulations have been implemented with the goal of decreasing the emissions of these air pollutants from a vehicle’s tailpipe. As a result, automobile manufacturers have had to develop new emission control technologies to meet new standards (these new technologies would not necessarily have to improve fuel efficiency or reduce CO 2 but rather decrease the emissions of other air pollutants). The following section will discuss the various standards that have been enacted over the past several decades. As a result of these standards, the emissions of air pollutants from automobiles have decreased by more than 95 per cent. California Air Quality Standards In 1959, the State of California enacted legislation to establish air quality standards and necessary controls for motor vehicle emissions. As a result, automakers developed the first generation of emissions control technology, which reduced hydrocarbon (HC or VOCs) emissions that evaporated from the engine and fuel tank itself. By 1966, the first ever tailpipe emissions standards were adopted which enforced reductions of 72 per cent in HC and 56 per cent in CO from 1963 levels (using oxidation catalysts in the exhaust system). The federal government replicated these standards and applied them to all cars sold in the U.S. beginning with the 1968 model year. Federal Clean Air Act of 1970 The year 1970 saw the passing of the Federal Clean Air Act in the U.S., which required automobiles to emit 90 per cent less HC and CO from 1970 levels by the 1975 model year, and 90 per cent less NOx from 1971 levels by the 1976 model year. These magnitudes of reductions would require the development of more advanced catalytic converters (see Figure 5-1). A second stage was added to the oxidation catalyst stage: a reduction catalyst to reduce NOx – hence the three-way catalytic converter, reducing HC, CO, and NOx. By 1980, the levels of total vehicle emissions in California matched those of 1970, despite a 40 per cent increase in the total vehicle miles traveled per year. By 1990, total criteria pollutant emissions were actually below 1970 levels, and there were far fewer smog days. 87 Chapter 5 | Background on Fuel Efficiency and Emissions Standards
On-Board Diagnostics (“Check-Engine” Light) In the early 1980s, automobile manufacturers began to introduce on-board computers to enable more precise control of engine operation, including the timing of ignition and fuel injection. The presence of computers in automobiles enabled the development of advanced diagnostics (i.e., sophisticated monitoring of engine operation). In 1985, the California Air Resources Board (CARB) mandated the use of On-Board Diagnostic (OBD). This led to a further mandate for more robust diagnostic and control capability in 1988 (OBD-II). In time, OBD-II became standard for all automobiles sold in the U.S. and Canada (from the 1996 model year onwards). When the OBD system detects malfunctions that can shorten engine life, consume excess fuel or cause excessive emissions, the Check Engine light will be illuminated on your automobile’s instrument panel. Types of malfunctions can range from mistimed ignition (i.e., engine “misfiring”) to faulty sensors, such as oxygen sensors in the exhaust system, which are a critical component of advanced emissions control systems (OBD is an innovation that enables automakers to achieve a very high level of emissions performance). Therefore, the Check Engine light should not be ignored. Get your automobile checked as soon as possible if it lights up while you are driving. Your automobile’s emissions control system may not be working if the Check Engine light is illuminated. OBD also provides for a communications port (on the dashboard in some newer models). OBD protocols permit maintenance professionals to communicate directly with the automobile’s OBD system, allowing them to observe operational parameters in real time, download information for analysis or upload new OBD code. Generic code readers that plug into the communications port enable problems to be quickly diagnosed. <strong>Primer</strong> on Automobile Fuel Efficiency & Emissions 88
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PRIMER ON AUTOMOBILE FUEL EFFICIENC
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POLLUTION PROBE’S PRIMER SERIES P
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JUNE 2009 Pollution Probe is please
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D R A F T C O P Y D R A F T C O P Y
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Chapter 5 BACKGROUND ON FUEL EFFICI
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CHAPTER 1 | EMISSIONS FROM AUTOMOBI
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ways to power automobiles, such as
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In the real world, however, combust
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TABLE 1-1, CONTINUED OXIDES OF NITR
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TABLE 1-1, CONTINUED OXIDES OF SULP
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This “enhanced greenhouse effect
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CHAPTER Chapter 2 TWO D R A F T C O
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BOX 2-1 Fuel economy improvements v
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Five Automobile Subsystems, continu
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Five Automobile Subsystems, continu
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% Energy Flow Within A Vehicle (val
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% % % % How an Internal Combustion
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The higher the compression ratio of
Page 38 and 39: Major forces on an automobile in mo
Page 40 and 41: Inertia To increase speed, the engi
Page 42 and 43: CHAPTER THREE INCREASING Chapter 3
Page 44 and 45: Vehicle Weight, Safety and Fuel Eff
Page 46 and 47: FIGURE 3-1 Engine Size: Power versu
Page 48 and 49: Turbocharging and Supercharging Mos
Page 50 and 51: Table 3-2: Engine Technology and Fu
Page 52 and 53: Gasoline versus Diesel engines: Gas
Page 54 and 55: Reducing Drivetrain losses The Tran
Page 56 and 57: call parasitic loads on the cranksh
Page 58: Hybrid Electric Vehicles Today, the
Page 61 and 62: Parallel Architecture Internal Comb
Page 63 and 64: these battery options is expected t
Page 65 and 66: CHAPTER 4 | WHAT YOU CAN DO TO MAXI
Page 67 and 68: A poorly operating Emission Control
Page 69 and 70: Table 4-2: Aerodynamics and Roof Ra
Page 71 and 72: Plan trips wisely. When doing erran
Page 73 and 74: Consider your fuel options. Unless
Page 76 and 77: Purchasing a Vehicle When it comes
Page 78 and 79: A fuel consumption gauge is an inst
Page 80 and 81: CHAPTER FIVE BACKGROUND ON FUEL EFF
Page 82 and 83: and heavy. On average, the 1974 mod
Page 84 and 85: Fuel Efficiency Trends As discussed
Page 86 and 87: Table 5-1: CAFC Targets CAFC Standa
Page 90 and 91: U.S Federal Tier 1 Emissions Standa
Page 92: Table 5-3: California LEV II Emissi
Page 95 and 96: CHAPTER 6 | WHAT IS BEING DONE BY G
Page 97 and 98: Table 6-1: Green Levy Tax Rates Com
Page 99 and 100: ONTARIO Sales Tax Rebate — People
Page 101 and 102: sideration that will force automake
Page 103 and 104: of about €5,000 (CA$8,400) for th
Page 105 and 106: CHAPTER 7 | WHAT NEEDS TO BE DONE E
Page 107 and 108: EcoMobility for a Cleaner Environme
Page 109 and 110: This should also benefit automakers
Page 112: TORONTO OFFICE: 625 Church Street S
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