What Is Emissions Control?
Emissions control is the attempt to control, limit, reduce or even completely remove the pollutants that we, as humans release into the earths atmosphere from the burning of fossil fuels such as gasoline. If you do not wish to destroy the earth with pollutants from your personal car then you will want to read the following because the pollutants that we introduce into the earths atmosphere can and will destroy the earth over a period in time.
The burning of gasoline to power the engine that drives your car down the road releases multiple pollutants, also known as emissions into the earths atmosphere. When we speak about emissions control, we are normally referring to the gasses emitted from various systems on your personal automobile.
For example, one type of emissions control is the control of the amount of exhaust gasses that we allow our car to emit into the atmosphere. The emissions control systems that we use to control the exhaust gasses released by our cars are the catalytic converter, EGR (Exhaust Gas Return) valve and the muffler. First in line is the EGR valve, which recycles exhaust gasses with a high fuel content back through the engines intake system to be burned. Next, the catalytic converter is used to catalyze the hydrocarbons and carbon monoxide in the exhaust released by the engine through the exhaust system. Platinum and palladium in honeycomb or pellet form is used to catalyze these gases as they pass through the catalytic converter. These gasses are catalyzed by the catalytic converter into carbon dioxide and H2O (water). Last, but definitely not least is your cars muffler. Although, the muffler is as by name used to quiet the noise pollution from your car, it is also the last chance for as much of the gasses not catalyzed into carbon monoxide and H2O in the catalytic converter to be removed or condensed.
Other emissions control systems on your car include the PCV (Positive Crankcase Ventilation) valve, evaporative emissions control and air injection systems. The PCV valve recycles the combustible vapors emitted from the crankcase through the intake system. The evaporative emissions control system recycles the combustible vapors emitted from the fuel in the fuel tank through the intake system. The air injection system is used to add oxygen from the atmosphere into the exhaust system to help your car to burn the emissions gasses created by your cars engine. To summarize these emissions control systems all help in their own way to control the pollutant gasses released by your car.
How Is An Emissions Control System Evaluated?
Emissions control systems have been used in vehicles since the mid 60′s, actually 1966 was the first year when manufacturers switched to engines with emissions control components. Systems have become more advanced, self-adjusting and computerized, however they still function to help reduce the amount of harmful hydrocarbons that are produced by the individual engine during the combustion of fuel.
There are three different types of emissions measurements used within modern vehicles. Each one provides the car, or more specifically the computer chip in the car, with the information needed to make the adjustments in the fuel to air ratio to provide a cleaner combustion with fewer hydrocarbons. In addition the various types of emissions can be tested during vehicle inspections and are routine in some areas of the United States, Europe, Canada and the United Kingdom. They include the tailpipe emissions, life cycle emissions and evaporative fuel emissions. The emission control system within the vehicle needs to be repaired whenever a vehicle fails to pass the emissions standards within the area it is licensed.
All vehicles sold as new vehicles since 1976 have come with a catalytic converter, which is actually an addition to the exhaust system that provides additional oxidation of the hydrocarbons, reducing the total amount of emissions. The catalytic converter is an essential part of any emissions control system in a vehicle, converting the harmful hydrocarbons to water and carbon dioxide before they even get to the muffler. There are also a series of valves within the vehicle that adjust with the emissions measurements to make the vehicle’s engine burn cleaner, producing less harmful emissions.
The three different types of emissions are measured in different ways. The tailpipe emission measurement can be used at any time to actually test how the catalytic converter and other emissions control systems in the vehicle are working. It literally tests the exhaust from the tailpipe for unburned fuel and emissions. The lifecycle emissions are calculated over the live of the vehicle and include the emissions in maintaining, manufacturing and disposing of the vehicle. This type of emission measurement is an estimate based on the age of the vehicle.
The evaporative fuel emissions measurement is a test of how well the closed gas tank system within the car handles the evaporation of the gas due to weather changes. If the system is inefficient not only does the vehicle loose gas but it also releasing heavy molecular gases and other hazardous emissions.
By having your vehicle routinely maintained and tested it is possible to both help your gas mileage as well as decrease the amount of dangerous materials released into the environment by your vehicle.
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