Ultrafine Nanoparticles from Decarbonised Transport Platforms

An association between air pollution and respiratory disease has been described for decades, with toxicity seen to be related to the higher surface area of smaller particles. Emission of sub 23 nm particles (<23NPs) is therefore increasingly being realised as a major problem to tackle.

While an end to sale of conventional cars and vans, including hybrids, is predicted by 2035 light duty ICE powered cars will still be important in other worldwide for decades to come. Heavy goods vehicles (HGV) and marine propulsion face several limiting factors on their speed of change. Decarbonised propulsion systems for heavy duty vehicles and marine transport have been proposed as sensible viable options; but these are likely to push nanoparticle emissions towards these tiniest sizes.

The project focus is towards future emission standards, particularly particles smaller than 23 nm, below the limit of current regulations. Selection of feasible alternatives for future transport scenarios requires understanding their contribution to <23NPs emissions. The experimental work planned focuses on improving fundamental understanding of phenomena under varied operating conditions, fuels, and lubricants representative of those used in future propulsion systems to move people and goods. Concentrations of sub-23 nm particles and the distribution of particle sizes will be cross-referenced with chemical composition, structure, and morphology to fill the knowledge gap, especially in terms of understanding their formation and ageing mechanisms. Transmission electron microscopy and a multi-faceted diagnostic approach will be developed to understand the composition and nature of the ultrafine nanoparticles.