Description of an On-Line Method for Measuring the Ratio of Soot to Organics in Diesel Exhaust Particulates

Exhaust carbon concentration data provides a valuable look into the diesel engine combustion process. This type of information provides engineers with a qualitative determination of soot and organic particulate released to the ambient air by the engine, or after-treatment system. Although this type of information has been available for many years, the cost and time consuming nature of these laboratory tests has relegated them, until now, to a secondary position.

With the emergence of automated instruments designed to provide on-line exhaust carbon concentration information in the test cell, this secondary position has now changed. Using devices like the Series 5100 Diesel Particulate Measurement System, engineers can receive rapid feedback about engine emissions and combustion.

This paper describes one type of exhaust particulate carbon concentration measurement systems, some of the problems inherent to sampling this type of material, and the application of this type of data to diesel engine testing.