subject: Volvo Emissions Laboratory- Reducing CO2 Emissions by:Arvind Sharma [print this page] Have you ever considered where the technology to reduce harmful interior and exterior emissions in your car comes from? One of the answers is Volvo's emission laboratory. Focused on quality, safety and environmental care Volvo Cars own one of the worlds's most advanced emission laboratories. In the quest for lower fuel consumption and reduced carbon dioxide emissions, Volvo emissions laboratory has evolved as an important tool.
Why emission laboratory is used?
In all stages of the vehicle development process, emission laboratory is used for development testing. For instance, the engine parameters have been optimized for reducing emissions. A verifying test is performed in the emission laboratory to substantiate the result. And this process keeps repeating until favorable results are obtained. Many parameters in the vehicle have great impact on CO2 emissions and this requires close attention to many of the systems which we normally do not connect to classic emission testing. For example: brake drag has large impact on the variability of the test results.
To ensure exact measurements, the emission laboratory observes strict standards. For example, a test on a car can only be re-run once the temperature of the car has reached the testing temperature of the previous test. Naturally, the temperature in the garage where the cars are stored is also carefully regulated, and kept at 25 Centigrade.
Few things you did not know about diesel emissions laboratory
Have you ever wondered that the diesel emissions laboratory has an extremely accurate mass metrology laboratory for measuring particles? Furthermore, the laboratory room is built on a 150 ton concrete slab, and the scales are on a heavy marble table, to provide the stability needed. There are special requirements for this room because the particle emissions from a modern diesel engine are so low that the weight is comparable to what the fat from a finger print would weigh. To cite an example, only one person works there, and he has to wear protective clothing not to affect the scales.
Why Volvo Emissions Laboratory?
European emission regulation Euro 5b is coming to force in 2011 for which various particle measurement technology are required to be developed. Some advantages of this particle measurement technology include limiting particle counts, complementing the current requirement on particle weight or mass etc. Volvo Cars emission engineers are participating in developing the same particle measurement technology. Volvo Cars is working with suppliers to improve and develop the method and instrumentation for measuring particle number. And one great news is one of the first systems is already being tested in the diesel laboratory.
Volvo Cars' Emissions Laboratory started as a cutting-edge facility when it was built in the early 70s. And over 35 years later, after multi million dollar investments during the past 6 years, it is still setting the benchmark in the car industry for its precise measurements of emissions.
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