Simulation studies of pollutant emissions from road vehicles using models for inventories of pollutant emissions

Bebkiewicz, Katarzyna; Szczepański, Krystian; Chłopek, Zdzisław · 2024 · Crossref

DOI: 10.19206/ce-184003

archive: archived pipeline: cataloged verified

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Summary

This study addresses the necessity of modeling pollutant emissions from road transport, as empirical measurement of total mobile source emissions is impossible. Motivated by international regulations requiring annual emission inventories, the research aims to utilize standardized procedures from official Polish emission inventories to analyze how input data and model parameters influence emission estimates. The study focuses on four key pollutants: carbon monoxide (CO), non-methane volatile organic compounds (NMVOC), nitrogen oxides (NOx), and total suspended particulate matter (TSP). The methodology employs two unified emission models: COPERT and HBEFA INFRAS. The authors systematized vehicle classification into elementary categories (based on engine type, fuel, and ecological standards) and cumulative categories (e.g., passenger cars, heavy-duty trucks). Simulation studies were conducted using official Polish data from 2000 to 2020. The experimental design involved modeling traffic under four distinct conditions: urban congestion, urban without congestion, rural, and highways/motorways. Specific distance emissions were calculated as a function of average vehicle speed, while national annual emissions were analyzed across various vehicle categories to assess trends and sensitivity to traffic conditions. The results demonstrate that specific distance emissions vary significantly with average vehicle speed and traffic type. For passenger cars, CO emissions increased with speed due to higher engine load, whereas NMVOC emissions were highest at low speeds (idle/low load) and high speeds. NOx and TSP emissions peaked at low speeds due to traffic instability (frequent braking/acceleration) and increased at high speeds due to engine load. Regarding national trends from 2000–2020, CO and NMVOC emissions showed a clear downward trend despite increased vehicle usage, attributed to technological improvements in engines and catalytic systems. Conversely, NOx emissions initially increased until 2009 due to intensified heavy-duty truck use before declining as catalytic reduction systems became more effective. TSP emissions from coaches generally decreased, reflecting technical progress. The study concludes that modeling is the sole viable method for determining total mobile source emissions and that average vehicle speed serves as an effective zero-dimensional characteristic for assessing vehicle movement nature. The findings validate the use of standardized inventory procedures for analyzing emission models. The research highlights that while technological advancements have successfully reduced CO and NMVOC emissions, NOx and TSP reduction is more complex, dependent on both vehicle technology and traffic intensity patterns. This work supports the continued refinement of emission inventories for regulatory compliance and environmental assessment.

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