Pegasor´s new measurement technology for vehicle inspection stations solves air pollution problems caused by traffic
Efforts to reduce traffic emissions in Europe advance to the next level in 2021, when the number concentrations of vehicles’ particulate matter emissions and whether they exceed the limit value will begin to be monitored with periodic vehicle inspections. Due to the inaccuracy of the current particulate measurement solution, the system has been unable to detect even the most polluting vehicles. The detection of defective and obsolete exhaust purification devices is vitally important for improving the quality of air in cities.
Several large cities have attempted to solve the air quality problem by limiting the usage of diesel vehicles, for instance. However, estimates show that if the most polluting vehicles were removed from traffic, approximately 97% of the problem would be solved, and no further limitations would be required. Performing a particulate matter emission measurement upon a periodic inspection will become more important in the future, and vehicle inspections stations need to invest in new measurement technologies due to the new requirements.
In Europe, the Netherlands, Belgium and Germany are among the first countries to comply with the obligation to monitor particulate matter number concentrations, which means that inspection stations must acquire new measurement technologies that meet the requirements.
Simple and durable
Some of the suggested measurement technologies have been designed for advanced laboratory settings. The devices are complex and they require specific expertise and a lot of maintenance. Inspection stations and auto repair shops are more likely to benefit from reliable and simple measurement devices, such as the device developed by Pegasor Oy.
Pegasor’s device is ideal for high-volume measurement needs due to its affordable purchase price, simple technology and low maintenance requirements. Its lifecycle costs are thus significantly lower than the costs of various other devices that require spare parts and specific maintenance expertise.
The vision is to establish Pegasor’s measurement device based on electronic particle detection as the market leader in the European vehicle inspection and auto repair industry. There are already various electronic measurement technologies available in the market, but what makes Pegasor’s technology stand out is its very user-friendly sampling process that does not require dilution or cooling. The technology can also be used to detect the size of particles. The simplest technologies based on electric charges are not able to do this, which is why they do not comply with the new performance requirements.
“Inspection stations process up to hundreds of cars a day. We wanted to develop a measurement technology that can be applied in high-volume environments by all kinds of mechanics without any specific expertise. Instead of replacing the filter periodically, our device only requires an annual calibration,” says Pegasor’s CEO Juha Kaartinen.
Integration into various systems
Pegasor manufactures its devices in Finland, but the innovation can be licensed out easily, thanks to its simple manufacturing process. Pegasor’s sensor can be applied as a stand-alone measurement instrument or it can be integrated into a larger system (OEM).
“We are currently negotiating about partnerships with various manufacturers, in which our sensor would be integrated into the manufacturers’ own devices,” says Kaartinen.