SwRI launches Particle Sensor Performance and Durability consortium

3 April 2012

Southwest Research Institute (SwRI) will launch a cooperative research consortium to investigate the performance and durability of particle sensors designed for onboard diagnostics and diesel engine emissions control.

Sensors that trigger engine malfunction illumination light (MIL) or a fault code when particle emissions exceed a certain threshold downstream of an exhaust diesel particle filter (DPF) will soon be required to meet California Air Resources Board and US Environmental Protection Agency onboard diagnostics regulations. Particle sensors assess how well particle filters keep particulate matter from being emitted to the atmosphere, in compliance with emission regulations.

The Particle Sensor Performance and Durability (PSPD) consortium will investigate how particle sensors perform under different exhaust parameters, including temperature, velocity, size distribution, number and mass concentration. Particle sensors are expected to become a critical onboard diagnostic (OBD) component for detecting particle emissions failure from downstream of an exhaust DPF. However, it is equally critical that these sensors prove they can perform their tasks before they are launched on a commercial scale, noted SwRI.

Five engine manufacturers and three sensor makers from the United States, Japan, Germany and France have joined the PSPD consortium to date. The annual membership fee is $55,000, with the first year beginning April 15, 2012. A second optional year with the same fee is planned for Year 2. Year 1 focuses on sensor performance and Year 2 focuses on sensor durability.

For more information, please contact Imad Khalek who leads the newly formed consortium.

Source: SwRI