Module 8 : Specialized Traffic Studies
Lecture 43 : Fuel Consumption and Emission Studies
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Mitigation Measures

Mitigation measures are measures taken to control, reduce or prevent pollution due to automobile emissions. Some of the measures that may be adopted to reduce fuel consumption and air pollution are given below.
  1. Control at source using catalytic converters: A catalytic converter is a vehicle emissions control device which converts toxic by-products of combustion in the exhaust of an internal combustion engine to less toxic substances by way of catalyzed chemical reactions. The specific reactions vary with the type of catalyst installed. Most present-day vehicles that run on gasoline are fitted with a "three way" converter, so named because it converts the three main pollutants in automobile exhaust: an oxidizing reaction converts carbon monoxide (CO) and unburned hydrocarbons (HC) to $ CO_2$ and water vapor, and a reduction reaction converts oxides of nitrogen ($ NO_x$) to produce $ CO_2$, nitrogen ($ N_2$), and water ($ H_2O$).
  2. Modifications in engine - (Exhaust gas recirculation) A system in the engine of a vehicle that routes a metered amount of exhaust into the intake tract under particular operating conditions. Exhaust neither burns nor supports combustion, so it dilutes the air/fuel charge to reduce peak combustion chamber temperatures. This, in turn, reduces the formation of $ NO_x$.
  3. Modification or replacement of fuel: Petroleum and diesel are known as fossil-fuels, during burning the emitted gas is very harmful to living and non-living thing and also to climate. So, modification or replacement of fuels is a way to reduce emission, by curtailing the amount of some particular components of fuel, we can modify it, for e.g. As sulphur is most harmful gas emitted from the vehicles, so we can use low-sulphur fuel. Also we can replace the fossil fuels by so many available alternatives, for e.g.bio-diesel, methanol, ethanol battery powered vehicles, LPG, natural gas etc..
  4. Setting of standards: by setting stringent emission standard, the amount of emission from the vehicles can be reduced.
  5. Legislative measures: under legislative measures the various factors responsible for emission from the vehicle can be put under certain restriction, for e.g overloading of heavy vehicles is a cause of more fuel consumption and emission, so a standard load or weight can be fixed beyond that load, the vehicles should be considered overloaded and penalties for the amount of overload can be charged, this measure will discourage the overloading, other legal measures are deciding the type of engine installed in the different category of vehicles.
  6. Vehicle Pollution Monitoring: vehicles should be monitored regularly at a certain interval of time for their fuel efficiency, their engines condition , rolling power, etc. this step will help in keeping the vehicles in proper condition by the vehicle owners and hence reducing the emission from the vehicle.
  7. Check on adulteration: : Adulteration of fuels is one of major causes for excess emission of pollutants from vehicles. To check adulteration, EPCA proposed setting up of two independent Fuel Testing Laboratories after consultation with the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas and the Society for Indian Automobile Manufacturers.
  8. Burn less fuel: we should implement the "burn less fuel" strategy. Burning the less fuel will lead to lesser emission and consequent the lesser air pollution and its harmful effect.
  9. Vent Controls: for reducing the evaporative emission vent control is necessary. By controlling the vent we can control the leakage of the vapours.
  10. Vehicle maintenance: as we know the poor vehicle characteristic is one of the factor responsible of higher emission, so proper maintenance of vehicles can be helpful to reducing the emission specially the old vehicles should be checked and examined for amount of emission.
  11. Enhancing dispersion: once the harmful gases from the vehicles are emitted, they should not be allowed to concentrate surrounding area, they should be immediately dispersed.
  12. Using vegetation: we know that plants and trees are a good sink of harmful gases like CO2 etc. so we should encourage the vegetation on the sides of the roads as much as possible to reduce the amount of pollutants in ambient air