Laser Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy of Diesel Particulate Matter Exhaust Emissions Generated from on Road Diesel Engine: Light Duty Vehicles

Abstract

In this research we apply Laser Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy (LIBS) technique for high resolution spectrochemical analysis of Diesel Particulate Matter - DPM exhaust emissions. DPM has been collected from real, on road - Light - Duty Vehicles, driven by combustion Diesel engine. We have been concerned with the main chemical elements, presents in various type of real Diesel particulate matter. From LIBS measurements, it has been shown, that the plasma electron density can be use for the basic classification of different types of DPM matrices. The excitation temperatures of atoms and ions in plasma can be use for further quantitative analyses of diverse Diesel Particulate Matter. The aim of this study is to reveal the compounds, which are mostly dominant in the Diesel engine exhaust emissions and can affect the overall composition of the DPM. The presence of these elements in exhaust emission may point to different processes, mainly to fuel quality, insufficient engine combustion process, incomplete catalytic reaction, inefficient Diesel particulate filtering technique, or failure of the Diesel engine.