Laser Absorption Spectroscopy Emission Remote Sensing
Air pollution is one of the greatest unsolved problems of our time and a direct consequence of our modern and technological world. It is responsible for countless premature deaths and damages plant growth and ecosystems. Particulates, carbon oxides (COx), sulfur oxides (SOx) and nitrogen oxides (NOx) are some of the most problematic pollutants in terms of direct harm to human health. The transportation industry is a major contributor to air pollution. As a result, emissions require close monitoring and the implementation of mitigation measures to reduce pollution in all modes of transport.
As part of LASERS, we will research new technological approaches for Remote Emission Sensing (RES), on the one hand to improve the sensitivity and selectivity of the sensors and on the other hand to record several pollutant components and climate-damaging gases (GHG) simultaneously. The aim is to use the combination of new sensors and intelligent data analysis to create a tool that, for example, enables competent authorities to identify, track and ultimately remove vehicles with suspiciously high emission values in order to provide clean air in urban areas during the transition time to electromobility.
Despite the strongly accelerated and therefore rapidly advancing electrification of passenger transport, at least for the next 10 years primarily internal combustion engines will be brought into circulation, to cover the demand of transportation. It is thus essential that to monitor the emission behavior over the entire service life of a motorized vehicle. RES would complement the periodic technical inspection (“Pickerl”) as a way of fleet monitoring. This ensures that emission limit values are adhered to over the entire service life. Latest studies show that 97 % of the emissions are generated by only 15 % of the means of transport (“high emitters”) and an important step towards clean breathing air would be, to identify these high emitters and remove them from traffic.
