In-Use Emissions Measurement Service

SwRI® has more than 55 years of research, development, and evaluation experience in emissions measurement and fleet testing. Now those two areas combine to offer PEMS service.

The EPA’s increasingly stringent on- and off-road engine emission regulations now include requirements for in-use vehicle testing to verify and quantify the success of low  emission engine technologies during real-world operation.

Southwest Research Institute® (SwRI®) now offers in-field testing services to make these required in-use emission measurements via a portable emissions measurement system (PEMS). SwRI has a long-standing history of emissions testing and protocol development for EPA regulatory compliance as well as  for research and development purposes as  applied to both laboratory and field testing.

The emissions sampling system uses Flame Ionization Detection (FID) with Non-Dispersive InfraRed (NDIR) and Non-Dispersive UltraViolet (NDUV), providing measurements for THC, CO, CO2, NO and NO2.

SwRI can monitor in-field emissions to meet 2007/2010 NTE (not-to-exceed) on-road  emission regulations under both Part 86 and Part 1065 for heavy-duty on-highway vehicles.

These compliance or development measurements are accomplished using state-of-the-art portable emissions measurement systems (PEMS) that employ EPA-compliant analyzer technologies.

Our full-service in-use compliance testing is performed by an experienced field-testing team with expertise in PEMS installation, calibration, operation, and diagnostics. Seasonal monitoring at remote locations is available.

After the PEMS sampling unit is installed on a vehicle, data is accrued and checked in the field daily. This minimally processed data is then electronically forwarded to SwRI’s laboratory for detailed analysis by the Department of Engine and Emissions Research to verify the data within the NTE zones and to generate a comprehensive, straightforward report in a timely manner.

Custom installations are available to meet specific client needs and to meet individual vehicle hardware requirements.

The Engine, Emissions and Vehicle Research  Division and the Fuels and Lubricants Division are certified to ISO 9001:2000, “Quality Management Systems – Requirements,” and ISO 14001:2004, “Environmental Management Systems.” The Engine and Emissions Research Department is accredited to ISO/IEC 17025:2005, “General Requirements for the Competence of Testing and Calibration Laboratories.” The division has also achieved Ford Tier 1 status for providing engineering services and has received the Ford Q1 Quality Award.

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