Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis (IUPUI) / The Electrical capacitance tomography (ECT) method has recently been adapted to obtain tomographic images of the cross section of a diesel particulate filter (DPF). However, a soot mass estimation algorithm is still needed to translate the ECT image pixel data to obtain soot load in the DPF. In this research, we propose an estimation method to quantify the soot load in a DPF through an inverse algorithm that uses the ECT images commonly generated by a back-projection algorithm. The grayscale pixel data generated from ECT is used in a matrix equation to estimate the permittivity distribution of the cross section of the DPF. Since these permittivity data has direct correlation with the soot mass present inside the DPF, a permittivity to soot mass distribution relationship is established first. A numerical estimation algorithm is then developed to compute the soot mass accounting for the mass distribution across the cross-section of the DPF as well as the dimension of the DPF along the exhaust flow direction. Firstly, ANSYS Electronic Desktop software is used to compute the capacitance matrix for different amounts of soot filled in the DPF, furthermore it also analyzed different soot distribution types applied to the DPF. The Analysis helped in constructing the sensitivity matrix which was used in the numerical estimation algorithm. Experimental data have been further used to verify the proposed soot estimation algorithm which compares the estimated values with the actual measured soot mass to validate the performance of the proposed algorithm.

The diesel particulate filter captures particulate matter that is produced in the diesel engine. A small fraction of particulate matter is comprised by ash forming matter. When the combustible fraction of particulate matter is removed from the filter, the ash, which is incombustible, remains. The accumulation of ash in the diesel particulate filter increases fuel consumption and shortens the lifetime of the filter. The study of ash accumulation in filters is mostly dependent on field tests; an expensive and time-consuming process. To establish a more economical testing method, both in terms of time and cost, the accumulation of ash in the filter has to be accelerated. Hence, a literature study to determine the important parameters affecting ash formation and deposition pattern has been performed and the results are presented in this thesis. Moreover, a design proposition for an accelerating ash accumulation test rig is presented. The rig design allows for the control of exhaust gas temperature and velocity, soot production rate and morphology, intervals between regeneration as well as position and method of ash forming matter introduction. A burner is used for the production of soot and ash, and the exhaust gases are guided to the filter by a blower placed downstream the filter. The blower compensates for the pressure drop, allowing the gas flow to be constant. For a more precise temperature control, a heater is placed before the inlet of the filter. The different ash production methods that can be tested are the injection of oil in the burner’s flame, the injection of oil in the gas stream, and the use of fuel doped with oil. By replacing the burner with a particle feeder, the rig can also fill the filter with ash; artificial, or collected from actual filters. Additionally, a set of considerations is provided to enable the accurate component specifications/ characterisation. The design is following a modular concept, i.e. the components’ position can change to accommodate various research goals. / Ett dieselpartikelfilter fångar partiklar som genereras vid förbränningen i en dieselmotor. En bråkdel av partiklarna består av askbildande material. När den brännbara delen avlägsnas från filtret återstår enbart aska (som inte är brännbar). Ackumuleringen av aska i ett dieselpartikelfilter ökar bränslekonsumtionen och förkortar filtrets livslängd. Studier av askackumulering i dieselpartikelfilter är främst beroende av fälttester, vilket är både kostsamt och tidsintensivt. För att ta fram en mer ekonomisk testmetod, både avseende tid och kostnad, måste askackumuleringen i filtret kunna accelereras. Således genomfördes en litteraturstudie för att fastställa vilka testparametrar som främst påverkar askbildning och depositionsmönster i filter. I enlighet med den målsättningen har arbeten från ett flertal forskare utvärderats och sammanställts till ett designförslag för en testrigg för accelererande askackumulering. Den föreslagna testriggen medger kontroll av avgastemperatur och flöde, sotbildning, sotmorfologi, regenereringsintervall samt hur det askproducerande materialet introduceras. En brännare används för produktion av sot och aska, varefter avgaserna leds till filtret med hjälp av en fläkt. Fläkten motverkar tryckgradienten mellan in- och utloppet,vilket medger ett konstant gasflöde. För en mer precis temperaturkontroll kan en värmare placeras framför filtrets inlopp. Askproduktionsmetoder som kan testas är oljeinjektion ibrännarens flamma, oljeinjektion i gasflödet och slutligen oljeberikat bränsle. Genom att byta en brännare mot en partikelmatare kan riggen även fylla filtret med aska; artificiellt skapad eller alternativt samlad från faktiska filter. Utöver detta presenteras en serie frågeställningar som bör tas i beaktande för att möjliggöra bra specifikation av de ingående komponenterna och -karakterisering. Den föreslagna testriggen är designad utifrån ett modulkoncept, vilket innebär att komponenternas inbördes konfigurering kan varieras för att möjliggöra olika typerav tester och forskningsmål. / Aska

No description available.

Emissions from residential combustion appliances vary significantly depending on the firing behaviours and combustion conditions, in addition to combustion technologies and fuel quality. Although wood pellet combustion in residential heating boilers is efficient, the combustion conditions during start-up and stop phases are not optimal and produce significantly high emissions such as carbon monoxide and hydrocarbon from incomplete combustion. The emissions from the start-up and stop phases of the pellet boilers are not fully taken into account in test methods for ecolabels which primarily focus on emissions during operation on full load and part load. The objective of the thesis is to investigate the emission characteristics during realistic operation of residential wood pellet boilers in order to identify when the major part of the annual emissions occur. Emissions from four residential wood pellet boilers were measured and characterized for three operating phases (start-up, steady and stop). Emissions from realistic operation of combined solar and wood pellet heating systems was continuously measured to investigate the influence of start-up and stop phases on total annual emissions. Measured emission data from the pellet devices were used to build an emission model to predict the annual emission factors from the dynamic operation of the heating system using the simulation software TRNSYS. Start-up emissions are found to vary with ignition type, supply of air and fuel, and time to complete the phase. Stop emissions are influenced by fan operation characteristics and the cleaning routine. Start-up and stop phases under realistic operation conditions contribute 80 – 95% of annual carbon monoxide (CO) emission, 60 – 90% total hydrocarbon (TOC), 10 – 20% of nitrogen oxides (NO), and 30 – 40% particles emissions. Annual emission factors from realistic operation of tested residential heating system with a top fed wood pelt boiler can be between 190 and 400 mg/MJ for the CO emissions, between 60 and 95 mg/MJ for the NO, between 6 and 25 mg/MJ for the TOC, between 30 and 116 mg/MJ for the particulate matter and between 2x10-13 /MJ and 4x10-13 /MJ for the number of particles. If the boiler has the cleaning sequence with compressed air such as in boiler B2, annual CO emission factor can be up to 550 mg/MJ. Average CO, TOC and particles emissions under realistic annual condition were greater than the limits values of two eco labels. These results highlight the importance of start-up and stop phases in annual emission factors (especially CO and TOC). Since a large or dominating part of the annual emissions in real operation arise from the start-up and stop sequences, test methods required by the ecolabels should take these emissions into account. In this way it will encourage the boiler manufacturers to minimize annual emissions. The annual emissions of residential pellet heating system can be reduced by optimizing the number of start-ups of the pellet boiler. It is possible to reduce up to 85% of the number of start-ups by optimizing the system design and its controller such as switching of the boiler pump after it stops, using two temperature sensors for boiler ON/OFF control, optimizing of the positions of the connections to the storage tank, increasing the mixing valve temperature in the boiler circuit and decreasing the pump flow rate. For 85 % reduction of start-ups, 75 % of CO and TOC emission factors were reduced while 13% increase in NO and 15 % increase in particle emissions was observed.

Road Deposited Sediment (RDS) is an important pathway of pollution material in the urban environment. Traditional particulate matter (PM) monitoring methods are typically expensive and time consuming. To date, urban sediment studies have not fully explored the application of mineral magnetic technologies as an alternative to characterise RDS or, perhaps more importantly, their use as particle size proxy. Therefore, this study addresses these issues by determining the extent of any linkages between magnetic properties and the physio-chemical concentrations of RDS. Investigations have focussed on a spatial temporal study (2008-10) of RDS from the City of Wolverhampton (n = 546) and a similar ‘snap-shot’ study of eight selected town and cities across the UK (n = 306), plus a comparison investigation linked to regional monitoring of air sampling units (ASU) (n = 208). A suite of analytical approaches, namely mineral magnetism, laser diffraction, X-Ray Fluorescence spectroscopy (XRF), Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) and Loss on Ignition (LOI), were employed to characterize sample properties. Data interrogation identified mainly weak correlations exist between most mineral magnetic parameters and particle size classes (i.e. sand, silt and clay) and respiratory health-related size classes (i.e. PM10, PM2.5 and PM1.0). The few strongest correlations (p <0.001) were found between mineral magnetic concentration and <PM10 parameters. In Wolverhampton this occurred for samples collected during the spring months (March and May), indicating possible seasonal influences on RDS dynamics and sources. Elsewhere in the UK, and at ASU stations, results revealed mainly limited or insignificant (p >0.05) correlations exist between mineral magnetic parameters and particle size. However, for some locations (most notably, London and Scunthorpe), results exhibit signatures perceived to be associated with environmental factors. Detailed multivariate Factor Analysis plots and Geographical Information System (GIS) images have been used to explore these findings further. These illustrate RDS properties of road types (arterial and residential) display significantly different characteristics, with raised mineral magnetic concentrations for arterial roads, compared to lesser concentrations for residential roads, which corresponds to traffic flow data. This is supported by SEM analyses that reveal elevated concentrations of iron oxide spheres in samples collected from arterial roads, which are indicative of inputs from anthropogenic combustion sources. Contextualising these findings within the framework of existing knowledge, a conceptual approach has been presented that explores factors (i.e. sampling area, topography, land use, sediment source and potential mixing), which influence the reliability of using mineral magnetic techniques a particle size proxy. This demonstrates that any increase in the complexity of these factors (sampling area dynamics) can be used to predict the likelihood of being able to employ mineral magnetic measurements as a proxy. To surmise the work overall, despite mineral magnetic technologies offering an inexpensive and rapid means of analysing RDS, its use as a proxy measure for particulate matter appears to be limited by a series of site-related factors but the technique seems to offer valuable insights for pollution source studies.

Particulate matter (PM) is one of the most studied and problematic pollutants due to its toxicity and relati­vely high concentrations. This thesis aims to clarify the main sources and exposures of PM in Tallinn and Tartu, study the associations with health effects, and estimate the extent of those effects with health impact assessment (HIA). It appeared that the main sources of particulate air pollution in Tallinn (the capital of Estonia) and Tartu (the second largest city of Estonia) are local heating and traffic, inclu­ding road dust. In addition to local emissions, particulate levels are affected by transboundary pollution. If the transboundary air masses originated from the Eastern European areas, the concentration as well as the oxidative capacity of fine particles was significantly higher in urban background air in Tartu compared to air masses coming from Scandinavian areas (Paper I). During the last 15 years, traffic increase has been very fast in Tartu. However, due to the improvement in vehicle technology during this period, there has been only a slight increase in concentration of exhaust particles (Paper II). Nevertheless, a greater increase in road dust emissions was detected. A statistically significant relationship between long-term exposure to those traffic induced par­tic­les and cardiac disease in the RHINE (Respiratory Health in Northern Europe) Tartu cohort was shown (Paper III). However, no significant associations with respira­tory health were found. The HIA in Tallinn demonstrated 296 (95% CI = 76–528) premature deaths annually, because of PM (Paper IV). The average decrease in life expectancy was predicted to be 0.64 (95% CI 0.17–1.10) years. However, among risk groups it can be higher. In addi­tion, several cardiovascular hospitalizations are related. The costs to society be­cause of health effects reach up to €150 million annually (95% CI = 40–260) from pre­mature deaths and hospitali­zation constitute an additional €0.3 million (95% CI = 0.2–0.4). The special HIA scenario, when more pollution fuel peat will be used in boiler houses was analysed as well (Paper V). It indicated that peat bur­ning would result in up to 55.5 YLL per year within the population of Tartu. However, the health effects of pollution from current traffic, local heating, and industry are at least 28 times bigger. In conclusion, exposure to PM cause considerable health effects in the form of cardio­pulmo­nary diseases in main Estonian cities.

As the legislation on vehicle emissions is becoming more and more stringent, increasing attention has been paid to the fine particles emitted by diesel and gasoline vehicles. The high number emission of fine particles has been shown to have a large impact on the atmospheric environment and human health. Researchers have shown that gasoline engines, especially Gasoline Direct Injection (GDI) engines, tend to emit large amounts of small size particles compared to Port Fuel Injection (PFI) gasoline engines and diesel engines fitted with Diesel Particulate Filters (DPFs). As a result, the particle number emissions of GDI engines will be restricted by the EU6 legislation. The particulate emission level of GDI engines means that they would face some challenges in meeting the EU6 requirement. This thesis undertakes research in the following area. Firstly, the filtration efficiencies of glass fibre filters were quantified using a Cambustion Differential Mobility Spectrometer 500 (DMS500) to see if all of the particles from the sampled gas can be collected by the filters. Secondly, various valve timings and different injection modes such as double injection with a second injection after compression, single early injection and split early injection were implemented to measure the Particulate Matter (PM) emissions and combustion characteristics of a GDI engine under warm-up operating conditions. Thirdly, the techniques for removing volatile particles were investigated using a catalytic Volatile Particle Remover (VPR) and an Evaporation Tube (ET) with hot air dilution under various test conditions. The results show that for the glass fibre filters tested here, the transmission efficiencies of the particles are very low, indicating that PM sampling using fibre filters is an effective method of studying the particulate emissions from the engine. Particle number emissions using double injection with injection after compression were much higher than those with single injection during the intake stroke. Under 1200 rpm, 110 Nm cold engine operation, no reduction effect on PM emissions was shown by using split intake injection to further facilitate homogeneous mixture formation compared with single intake injection. Valve timings showed moderate effects on particulate emissions. Properly adjusted timing for exhaust valve closure led to reduced particulate emissions by a factor of about 2 and the combustion characteristics were not adversely affected much. The VPR temperature and exhaust residence time did not show much effect on the catalytic VPR performance once the mass flow rate of exhaust was above 0.09 g/s. Generally, the transmission efficiencies of the VPR follow the trends of the scaled PMP counting efficiency specification. Hot air dilution is effective in reducing the small size particles. At 23 nm, the transmission efficiencies are within the error range of the PMP specification. The catalytic VPR and the Evaporation Tube were all found to be effective in reducing the particle number of small size (nucleation mode) particles. Both systems have some particle loss mainly due to the physical effects of diffusion and thermophoresis. Until now, GDI engines have not been optimised for reducing particulate emissions as the focus has been on gaseous emissions and fuel economy. With careful re-optimisation of the catalyst light-off and engine calibration (especially for transients) then there is scope for GDI engines to meet forthcoming emissions legislation.

Neste trabalho propõe-se uma análise da dispersão de material particulado gerado por fontes estacionárias, aplicando ferramentas de Fluidodinâmica Computacional (em inglês Computatonal Fluid Dynamics, CFD), usando um modelo Euleriano para o escoamento e Lagrangeano para as partículas, em estado estacionário no software Fluent. A verificação da modelagem é apresentada em duas sessões, a primeira compreende o estudo do escoamento atmosférico em condições de estabilidade neutra incluindo os efeitos das heterogeneidades do terreno, no caso, um monte de 126m de altura em escala real. Foram comparados diferentes modelos de turbulência: padrão, RNG e parametrizado para o caso atmosférico. Os três modelos apresentaram desempenho semelhante e descrevem satisfatoriamente as tendências dos dados experimentais. A segunda, o modelo lagrangeano baseado no tempo de vida dos turbilhões (em inglês Discrete Random Walk, DRW) foi utilizado para representar a distribuição de concentrações de material particulado em um ambiente confinado. Os resultados numéricos descrevem satisfatoriamente os perfis de concentrações das partículas, porém subestimam os valores na região próxima à parede, o que indicaria que uma melhor aproximação da deposição das partículas deve ser considerada. Após estes estudos, esta abordagem euleriana-lagrangeana foi aplicada ao caso da dispersão de material particulado em condições de atmosfera neutra em uma região do Polo Cerâmico de Santa Gertrudes-SP, local responsável pela maior produção de revestimentos cerâmicos do Brasil. O trânsito de caminhões nas estradas não pavimentadas foi identificado como fonte de material particulado que atinge o perímetro urbano da cidade. Estudaram-se também as contribuições das atividades referentes à exploração das minas de argila e a preparação do solo para uso agrícola, apesar desta última não soma uma carga relevante ao ser comparada com as duas anteriores. Além da influência das fontes mencionadas, fontes de origem industriais localizadas dentro da cidade também foram consideradas no cenário. / In this study an analysis of the dispersion of particulate matter generated by stationary sources is proposed, by applying Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) tools, using an Eulerian model for the flow and a Lagrangean model for the particles, under steady-state conditions in the Fluent software. The model validation is presented in two sessions, the first comprises the study of the atmospheric flow under conditions of neutral stability, including the effects of the heterogeneities of the terrain. In this case, the air flow past a 126m high hill in real scale was adopted. Different turbulence models were compared: standard k-?, k-? RNG and parametrized k-?. The three models presented similar performance and described satisfactorily the trends of the experimental data. Subsequently, the Lagrangean model based on the Eddy life time (DRW - Discrete Random Walk) was used to represent the distribution of particulate matter concentrations in a confined environment. The numerical results satisfactorily describe the particle concentration profiles, but underestimate the values in the region near the wall, which would indicate that a better approximation of the particle deposition should be considered. After these studies, this Eulerian- Lagrangean approach was applied to the case of dispersion of particulate material under neutral atmosphere conditions in a region around the city of Santa Gertrudes-SP, where the Ceramic Complex is responsible for the largest production of ceramic tiles in Brazil. Transit of trucks on unpaved roads has been identified as a source of particulate matter that reaches the urban perimeter of the city. The contributions of the activities related to mining and the preparation of the soil for agricultural use were also studied, although this last one does not add a significant load when compared with the two previous ones. In addition to the influence of the mentioned sources, industrial sources located inside the city also contribute to the scenario.

O presente trabalho avaliou a qualidade do ar de uma área central da cidade de São Carlos-SP, mais precisamente no campus 1 da Universidade de São Paulo. Nessa região há grande movimentação de pessoas e veículos, principalmente durante o horário comercial. Esta avaliação foi feita com base na determinação de um dos parâmetros utilizados para verificar a qualidade do ar, o material particulado (MP) inalável em suspensão, ou seja, partículas que possuem diâmetro aerodinâmico menor ou igual a 10 &#956;m e podem penetrar no sistema respiratório, sendo portanto, nocivas à saúde humana. O MP foi determinado em suas frações de 2,5 e 10 &#956;m de diâmetro (MP10 e MP2,5). Duas metodologias diferentes foram utilizadas para determinar a concentração do material particulado em suspensão, fotometria por espalhamento de luz, através do equipamento ADR-1500 e gravimetria, através do PEM (Personal Enviromental Monitor). Os valores obtidos pelo método gravimétrico foram superiores aos resultados encontrados através da fotometria. As concentrações obtidas foram comparadas com os limites recomendados pela Organização Mundial da Saúde para o MP em suas frações de 2,5 e 10 &#956;m, iguais respectivamente a 25 e 50 &#956;g/m3. Além do material particulado foram obtidos dados para temperatura, umidade relativa e precipitação. As médias obtidas para as concentrações de MP10 e MP2,5, com o método gravimétrico, o qual fornece os resultados mais confiáveis, foram iguais respectivamente a 48,8 e 23,1 &#956;g/m3, muito próximas portanto, de seus limites correspondentes. As menores concentrações obtidas para o MP10 foram, em sua maioria, verificadas em dias chuvosos, tanto através do PEM como do ADR. As concentrações de MP2,5, obtidas somente através do PEM, também apresentaram os menores valores em dias com chuva. Foi desenvolvido um modelo matemático que prevê o comportamento do MP10 durante as precipitações, evento este que se mostrou o mais importante na influência da concentração de material particulado atmosférico. / This study evaluated the air quality of a central area of the city São Carlos-SP, more precisely on the Campus 1 of the University of São Paulo. In this region there is a large movement of people and vehicles, manly during business hours. This evaluation was made based on determination of one parameter used to verify air quality, the inhalable particulate material (PM) suspended in the air, in other words, particles which have aerodynamic diameter less or equal to 10 &#956;m and can penetrate in the respiratory system, therefore, harmful to human health. The PM was determined in its fractions from 2,5 and 10 &#956;m of diameter (PM10 e PM2,5).). Two different methodologies were used to determinate the concentration of particulate suspended material, photometry by scattered light, using the equipment ADR-1500, and gravimetry, thru PEM (Personal Environmental Monitor). The data obtained from gravimetry were higher than the results found thru photometry. The concentrations found were compared to the limits recommended by World Health Organization for PM and its fractions of 2,5 and 10 &#956;m, equal to 25 and 50 &#956;g/m3. Besides PM, temperature, relative humidity and precipitation were measured. The average values for the concentrations of PM10 and PM2,5 , using gravimetry, which provide more reliable results, it were equal to 48,8 and 23,1 &#956;g/m3, therefore really close to their corresponding limits. The lower concentrations seen for PM10 were, mostly, verified on rainy days, using PEM and ADR. The concentrations of PM2,5 , obtained just using PEM, also had the lowest values during rainy days. A mathematical model was developed to predict PM10 behavior during precipitations, this event has shown to have the most important influence on the concentration of atmospheric particulate matter.

Orientador: Mary Rosa Rodrigues de Marchi Santiago da Silva / Banca: Maria Olimpia de Oliveira Rezende / Banca: Alberto José Cavalheiro / Resumo: Os hidrocarbonetos policíclicos aromáticos nitrados (NHPAs) constituem a classe de compostos aromáticos que têm pelo menos um grupo nitro (-NO2) ligado à cadeia aromática de um hidrocarboneto policíclico aromático (HPA). Nos anos 70 a descoberta das propriedades mutagênicas destes compostos, presentes em material particulado atmosférico e na exaustão de motores a diesel, aumentaram o interesse científico sobre a ocorrência dos mesmos no ambiente. Estes compostos, como os HPAs, estão associados a fontes de combustão como automóveis, sistemas de aquecimento (baseados na queima de biomassa ou de combustíveis fósseis); queima de biomassa (cigarro, florestas, culturas agrícolas, etc), por causa disso pode-se prever que tenham uma distribuição abrangente no ambiente. Os NHPAs são produtos da reação dos HPAs com óxidos de nitrogênio na atmosfera, apresentando-se em concentrações muito baixas neste compartimento ambiental. A análise de NHPAs é muito difícil, principalmente pelos artefactos de amostragem e pela interferência analítica causada por HPAs e outros compostos. Assim sendo, a investigação de métodos alternativos que sejam sensíveis e seletivos são de extrema importância na determinação de NHPAs em amostras atmosféricas. Neste trabalho estudou-se um método para determinação de 1-nitropireno em material particulado proveniente da queima de cana-de-açúcar. O método inclui a redução do grupo nitro a amino, com posterior determinação por HPLC/fluorescência. O método proposto tem limite de detecção de 0,930ng mL-1 e limite de determinação de 1,250ng mL-1, apresentando recuperação entre 77,00 e 86,34%, para 5,00 e 50,00ng mL-1 respectivamente. / Abstract: Nitrated Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons (NPAHs) are the class of aromatic compounds with at least one nitro group (-NO2) enhanced to aromatic chain of a Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbon (PAH). In 70's the discovery of mutagenic properties of these compounds present in atmospheric particulate matter and in gas exhaust of diesel motors are increased the scientific interess on occurrence of NPAHs into environment. These compounds, as PAHs, are associated with combustion sources as automobiles; harming systems (biomass and combustible based); burning of biomass (cigarette, florest, agricultural cultures, etc), because this they have a ubicous dissemination on environment. NPAHs are product of reaction of PAHs with nitrogen oxides on atmosphere, and they are present there at very low concentrations. The analysis of NPAHs in atmospheric samples is very difficult, because of artefacts of sampling process and PAH and other compounds interference on analytical determination. Because this, investigation of alternative methods sensitive and selective is necessary for NPAHs determination in atmospheric samples. In this work is studied a method for determination of 1-nitropyrene from particulate matter of sugar cane burning. The method include reduction of nitro group to amino, and analysis by HPLC/ Fluorescence. The proposed method has detection limit of 0, 930ng mL-1 and quantification limit of .1,250ng mL-1 showing recovery ranged between 77,00 and 86,34% for concentrations of 5,00 and 50,00ng mL-1, respectively. / Mestre