Sustainability, Vol. 11, Pages 1067: Emission Factors of a Euro VI Heavy-duty Diesel Refuse Collection Vehicle (Sustainability)

Modern (Euro VI) heavy-duty vehicles have significantly lower pollutant emissions than older vehicles. However, there are still concerns regarding the emissions of refuse collection vehicles in cities, because in some cases they may use engines designed for long haulage trucks. For this reason, we tested a diesel Euro VI (step C) refuse collection heavy-duty vehicle, both in the laboratory on a chassis dynamometer and on the road, similar to the regulated in-service conformity cycle, but also with actual refuse collection cycles. Particle number (PN) and gaseous pollutants (NOx, CO, HC) were measured using a Portable Emissions Measurement System (PEMS). Additionally, in the laboratory we used laboratory grade gaseous, particle number, and FTIR (Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy) systems to assess the PEMS. For short periods, where the exhaust gas temperature was low for the aftertreatment devices (cold start, some city conditions), the NOx emissions reached 2000 mg/km. Nevertheless, all pollutants were well below the applicable emissions limits expressed in mg/kWh for all cycles examined (in brackets the ratio to the laboratory limit): NOx < 400 mg/kWh (0.87), CO < 850 mg/kWh (0.21), HC < 12 mg/kWh (0.08), PN < 2.4×1010 p/kWh (0.04). To make sure that this will always be the case, future heavy-duty type approval emissions regulations should specifically consider the urban conditions for municipality vehicles, such as refuse trucks.