New on-board emission measuring system from Sensors Inc.

29 July 2002

A new measuring system for analyzing of in-use emissions from diesel vehicles during regular on road operation has been announced by Sensors Inc.

The new system, SEMTECH-D, simultaneously measures and records the vehicle’s tailpipe emissions and the output of the vehicle’s on-board electronic control system, while the vehicle is driven on the road. The system measures concentrations of five exhaust constituents (NO, NO₂, CO, CO₂ and THC) with an accuracy of ±3 - 4% of the reading. In electronically controlled engines, the reporting can be also done in mass units such as g/bhp-hr or g/mile. For engines without electronic controls, additional instrumentation is provided to deliver g/bhp-hr figures.

According to the manufacturer, recent testing with a CAT C-10 engine showed good correlation between SEMTECH-D and laboratory results. The system is offered for engine and vehicle OEMs, research organizations, and commercial laboratories to perform such tasks as collection of engine performance data under real world conditions, engine and vehicle sub-system development, catalyst and particulate filter testing, vehicle compliance testing, and more.

The SEMTECH-D system has been designed with portability and flexibility in mind. At only 22"D×17"W×14"H and weighing only 70 pounds, the unit can easily be installed on most vehicles. Information can be retrieved remotely using a wireless, cellular or satellite link or it can be taken directly from the unit’s message center. SEMTECH-D can also be rack-mounted or operated on a cart, for laboratory work.

SEMTECH-D system uses non-dispersive ultraviolet (NDUV) analysis to detect NO and NO₂, non-dispersive infrared (NDIR) is used to detect CO and CO₂, and a flame ionization detector (HFID) is used to detect total hydrocarbons.

Sensors Inc. is a Saline, MI-based developer and manufacturer of in-use emission test systems and OEM gas analyzers for the automotive aftermarket.

Source: Sensors Inc.