Influencing Factors on Calibration of Solid Particle Number Counting System for European PN Emission Regulations

The European Union has announced the next term emission regulations for light-duty vehicles which include particle number (PN) emission standards. The protocol for PN counting for the regulation is described in UNECE Regulation No.83. The PN counting system required for this regulation should consist of a Volatile Particle Remover (VPR) and a Condensation Particle Counter (CPC). The regulation also requires calibration of the VPR's Particle Concentration Reduction Factor (PCRF) periodically. Since the PCRF is directly used in the calculation of PN emission, an improper calibration of the factor can cause a significant error of PN emission result. This paper investigates propriety to use NaCl particles generated by atomizing method in the PCRF calibration as reference particles. As a result, it is shown that the NaCl particles can be used in PCRF calibration because of the sufficient stability when appropriate thermal treatment is applied.