Abstract

JAIMES-LOPEZ, J. Luis et al. EXPERIMENTAL STUDY OF OZONE-FORMING POTENTIAL FROM EXHAUST EMISSIONS OF VEHICLES FUELED WITH REFORMULATED GASOLINE IN MÉXICO CITY. Rev. Int. Contam. Ambient [online]. 2006, vol.22, n.4, pp.165-172. ISSN 0188-4999.

Several experiments using outdoor smog chambers were carried out to determine the ozone-forming potential from exhaust emissions of reformulated gasolines com pared with a reference gasoline. The objective of this experimental study is to select a reformulated gasoline which has the lowest impact on ozone formation, by using automobiles equipped with technology that complies with the Euro4 regulation. This gasoline will substitute the one used in vehicles technologically equipped to comply with the Tier 1 regulation in México City. The smog chamber method showed that the reformulated gasoline with the lowest impact on ozone formation, in automobiles that comply with Tier 1, was F3, and the one for Euro 4 vehicles, was F5. These gasolines have lower benzene and sulfur concentrations than the reference gasoline used in the experiments. Also, after 9 runs carried out in a dynamometer and using the reference gasoline in both types of automobiles, the one equipped to comply with Euro4 emitted less pollutants (mg/km) and toxic species to the atmosphere, than the one equipped to comply with Tier 1. This is a preliminary study, and it is necessary to carry out further tests with these fuels using representative vehicles of the MCMA, with and without catalytic converter.

Keywords : smog chamber; exhaust emission; reformulated gasoline; ozone-forming potential.