Exhaust Emissions Tests of Small Gasoline Engines Used as Drives for Power Generators and Handheld Machinery in Real-Operating Conditions

The paper presents the results of investigations on the exhaust emissions carried out under real-world operating conditions of gasoline engines used in lawnmowers and power generators. During the operation of these engines, the authors measured the emissions of the following exhaust gaseous components: CO, HC, NO_x, and CO₂. For the measurements, the authors used Axion R/S+, a PEMS (Portable Exhaust Emission System) analyzer. The presented method is a new approach to exhaust emissions measurements performed on small engines. The emission coefficient, as a related value of the emission of harmful compounds and CO₂, was proposed. Additionally, some remarks related to the measurement method were made. The paper presents the modal analysis of the investigations of the exhaust emissions from engines and the total mass of gaseous compounds. Moreover, the obtained results of the exhaust emissions from the power generator engine were compared with the applicable emission standards, and the real emissions of CO and HC+NO_x were, respectively, about 10% and 38% higher than Stage II standards. Based on the investigation results, the authors considered the possibilities of using the said measurement method in real-world operating conditions, applying the PEMS equipment for small gasoline engines.