Emissions
Most commercial and agricultural goods are shipped throughout the United States using large trucks (commonly known as tractor trailers) powered by diesel engines. The exhaust from these vehicles contains particulate matter that pollutes the air and is a known contributor to cardiovascular and respiratory diseases - a documented public health concern. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's heavy-duty diesel engine exhaust emissions standards mandate a 90% reduction in particulate matter over current levels by 2007 and a 90% reduction in the oxides of nitrogen by 2010.
To help US industry meet these diesel engine exhaust emissions targets, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory is assisting the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Office of Advanced Automotive Technologies by applying its considerable knowledge in surface chemistry, catalyst mechanisms, modeling of multiphase flow and chemical processes, material synthesis, and aerosols.
PNNL has brought together this expertise in its Exhaust Emissions Science Laboratory (EESL) a research center fully equipped to support the mission of DOE's Office of Advanced Automotive Technologies, specifically the Multi-Laboratory Heavy Vehicle Emissions Reduction Program.
For more information about the capabilities of PNNL in this area please contact George Muntean.
