Evaluating the environmental costs in Poland of city buses meeting the Euro VI norm based on tests in real operating conditions

Abstract

The article analyzes the environmental costs which consisted of determining the annual cost for gases and particles released into the atmosphere by city buses meeting the Euro VI norm. To this end, exhaust emissions of a city bus equipped with a conventional drive system were performed. The vehicle had a length of 18m and was powered by a CI engine with a swept volume of 10,5 dm3, with a maximum power of 240 kW. In order to measure the ecological indicators, tests were performed in real driving conditions using the PEMS system. The apparatus made it possible to measure the concentration of gaseous compounds and particulate matter in the exhaust, which made it possible to determine the road exhaust emissions of the tested vehicle. The research was carried out on a test route including urban and suburban roads in accordance with legislative guidelines. The measurements showed that the bus met the exhaust emission limits determined on the basis of measuring windows defined in relation to the work generated by the drive system. In addition to information on the emissivity of the vehicle, the annual emissions from city buses meeting the Euro VI standard in Poland were also estimated. The information contained in the central vehicle register for the number of vehicles registered in Poland that meet the latest emission standards has been used for this purpose.