LEGAL METROLOGY AND THE AUTOMOTIVE AIR POLLUTION CONTROL IN BRAZIL

Augusto P. Cunha, Ronaldo N. Azeredo

Abstract

This paper will present metrology's role on air pollution control in Brazil, the benefits for society and how Inmetro's Legal Metrology Directorate (Dimel, in its Portuguese acronym) is developing this work. Automotive vehicles are very significant air pollution source in Brazil. To change this situation, two years later the Federal Government established the Automotive Vehicles Air Pollution Control Program (Proconve, in its Portuguese acronym), providing to the car manufacturers a gradual schedule to the implementation of cleaner automotive technologies on new vehicles. Today the exhaust emissions reduction for these vehicles is up to 97%.<br />For in-use vehicles, Proconve demanded to all Brazilian states the implementation of an Inspection and Maintenance (I/M) Program. At least once a year these vehicles should be submitted to an I/M authority to check its general conditions and to measure its exhaust emissions.<br />The emissions measurement is performed with two different instruments: gas analyzers (for spark ignition engines) and opacimeters (for Diesel engines). Both instruments are under legal metrological control and are submitted to type evaluation and verification, performed by National Institute of Metrology, Standardization and Industrial Quality (Inmetro).

Keywords

vehicle emissions, legal metrology

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IMEKO-WC-2009-TC19-546.pdf

DOI

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IMEKO TC

TC19 - Environmental Measurements

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