Results of JCAP I Studies and Outline of JCAP II Program

A program with title of “Development of automobile and fuel technologies for air quality improvement (Japan Clean Air Program - abbreviated to JCAP) has been conducted as a five-year program. Under the program, an influence of fuel quality on automobile technology has been evaluated, and effect of air quality improvement due to implementation of automobile exhaust emission regulations has also been evaluated by using air quality models. Through the five years of JCAP activities from FY 1997 to FY 2001, following items have been evaluated: an influence of fuel properties and automobile exhaust emission reduction technologies, an evaluation of aftertreatment devices equipped on in-use vehicles, a detailed analysis of fuel properties and exhaust emissions, a prediction of air quality improvement effects due to the implementation of next stage stringent automobile exhaust emission regulations. Eight working groups have been established under the program and fruitful study results have been obtained through the activities of the working groups. Study result of Gasoline WG and Diesel WG have showed sulfur content in fuel had a great influence on exhaust emissions, so that the result has been reflected in the establishment of fuel standard: 50ppm cap sulfur content in gasoline and diesel fuel to be implemented from 2005. Study result of Gasoline WG and Air Quality Modeling WG has showed Reid Vapor Pressure (RVP) of gasoline had a great effect on evaporative emissions reduction, so that the result has been reflected in the establishment of industrial voluntary controls of gasoline RVP. Study result of Diesel WG has showed Diesel Particulate Filter (DPF) retrofitted to in-use vehicles could not display the capacity sufficiently under urban driving conditions. Moreover, an improvement effect due to the implementation of New Short-term and New Long-term regulations has been evaluated by using Air Quality Models developed in JCAP. These results have been published through data supply to the environmental and energy policy study committees such as the Expert Committee for Motor Vehicle Exhaust Emission of the Central Environment Council, or by delivering papers to various congresses, and so on. As a successor to JCAP I, a new five-year program called JCAP II has been launched since FY 2002 to evaluate potential for lowering air pollution through identification of fuel technology required for automobile technology development aiming at Zero Emission and fuel consumption improvement. Outline of JCAP II program are also described in this paper.