Emission Downloads & Information

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EPA Emissions Glossary

Acid Rain

Acid rain is the rainwater that has acidity content greater than the necessary natural ph of about 6.5. It is formed when sulfur dioxides and nitrogen dioxides, as gasses or fine particles in the atmosphere, combine with water vapor and precipitate a sulfuric acid or nitric acid in rain, snow or fog.

After Treatment Devices

Devices which remove pollutants from exhaust gases after the gas leaves the combustion chamber (i.e., catalytic converters or diesel particulate filters). The term “exhaust gas after treatment” is considered derogatory by some in the emission control industry, but there is no consensus on the use as such alternatives as “post-combustion treatment” or “exhaust emission control”.

Afterfooling / Intercooling:

Cooling the engine intake air after the turbocharger and prior to introduction into the cylinder. After cooling increases engine power and lowers not emissions.

Air Toxics

Toxic air pollutants, as classified by pertinent regulations. Examples of substances classified as air toxics by the US Clean Air Act include acetaldehyde, benzene, 1, 3 – butadiene, formaldehyde, and polycyclic organic matter (POM). California air toxics regulation also classify diesel exhaust particulates as a toxic air contaminant.

Anti-Idle Technology

Any technology, verified or certified, that reduces engine idle.

BACT (Best Available Control Technology)

Specific language written into public bids where local municipalities mandate that the very best technology is utilized.

Benzene

A cancer-causing hydrocarbon derived from petroleum. Benzene is a component of gasoline. Benzene emissions occur in exhaust as a byproduct of fuel combustion and also occur when gasoline evaporates.

Bi-fueled Vehicle

A vehicle with two separate fuel systems designed to run on either conventional fuel or an alternative fuel using only one fuel at a time.

Bio Fuel

Bio-fuel is defined as solid, liquid or gaseous fuel obtained from relatively recently lifeless or living biological material. Globally, biofuels are most commonly used to power vehicles, heat homes, and for cooking. Biofuels are byproducts of such things as sugarcane, sugar beet, Sweet sorghum & corn/maize. Yeast fermentation is used to produce ethyl alcohol (ethanol).
A second method is to use high amounts of vegetable oil, such as oil palm, soybean, algae, jatropha, (a small tree or shrub that has seeds that produce 27 to 40% oil), or pongamia pinnata (a large tree that exhibits seed oil suitable for biofuel). Wood byproducts can also be converted into bio-fuels such as woodgas, methanol or ethanol fuel.

CCA (Clean Air Act)

A fundamental legislation to control air pollution in the United States. The original Clean Air Act was signed in 1963. The law set emissions standards for stationary sources, such as factories and power plants. Criteria pollutants included were lead, ozone, CO, SO2, Nox, and PM, as well as air toxics. The Clean Air Act has been amended several times, most recently in 1990. The amendments of 1970 introduced motor vehicle standards for automobiles and trucks.

CARB (California Air Resource Board)

The governmental agency in California that was most responsible for emissions reduction legislation and implementation. CARB has been referenced and copied by many other states when requiring emissions control and emissions reduction technology.

Carbon Footprint

A carbon footprint is a measure of the impact our activities have on the environment and in a particular climate change. It relates to the amount of green house gases produced in our day-to-day lives through burning fossil fuels for electricity, heating, and transportation.
A carbon footprint is a measurement of all greenhouse gasses we individual produce and has units of tones (or kg) of carbon dioxide equivalent.
The carbon footprint is made up of the sum of two parts, the primary footprint and the secondary footprint. The primary footprint is a measure of our direct emissions of CO2 from the burning of fossil fuels including energy consumption and transportation. The secondary footprint is a measure of the indirect CO2 emissions from the whole lifecycle of products we use, their manufacture and eventual breakdown.

CO (Carbon Monoxide)

Carbon Monoxide is a colorless, odorless, poisonous gas, which burns with a pale-blue flame that is produced when carbon burns with insufficient air.

CO2 (Carbon Dioxide)

Carbon Dioxide is a colorless, odorless, incombustible gas, formed during respiration, combustion and organic decomposition.

Certified Engine Repowers

Repower refers to the removal of an existing engine and its replacement with a newer or cleaner engine that is certified to a more stringent set of emission standards.

Carcinogens

Substances known to cause cancer.

(CFV) Clean – Fuel Vehicle

A vehicle that has been certified to meet clean – fuel standards of the clean air act amendments of 1990.

Combustion

The process of burning. Motor vehicles and equipment typically burn fuel in an engine to create power. Gasoline and diesel fuels are mixtures of hydrocarbons, which are compounds that contain hydrogen and carbon atoms. In “perfect” combustion, oxygen in the air would combine with all the hydrogen in fuel to form water and with all of the carbon in fuel to form carbon dioxide. Nitrogen in the air would remain unaffected. In reality, the combustion process is not “perfect”, and engines emit several types of pollutants as combustion by-products.

Common Rail Injection

A diesel fuel injection system employing a common pressure accumulator, called the rail, which is mounted along the engine block. The rail is fed by a high pressure fuel pump. The injectors, which are fed from the common rail, are activated by solenoid valves. The solenoid valves and the fuel pump are electronically controlled. In the common rail injection system the injection pressure is independent from the engine speed and load. Therefore the injection parameters can be freely controlled. Usually a pilot injection is introduced, which allows for reductions in engine noise and Nox emissions.

Converted Vehicle

A vehicle, originally designed to operate on gasoline or diesel, which has been modified or altered to operate on an alternative fuel.

Dedicated Vehicle

A vehicle designed to operate solely on one alternative fuel, as opposed to a converted vehicle which was later altered to use an alternative fuel.

DPF (Diesel Particulate Filter)

A diesel particulate filter is a device that is designed to remove diesel particulate matter or soot from the exhaust of a diesel engine. There is the possibility of removing close to 85% to 100% of soot. A diesel engine equipped with a functioning DPF will emit no visible smoke form its exhaust pipe.

DPM (Diesel Particulate Matter)

Sub-micron size particles found in diesel exhaust. Most emission regulations specify DPM measurements methods in which particulates are sampled on filters from cooled exhaust gas. The cooling causes condensation of vapors in the gas sampling train. Thus, the DPM is composed of both solid and liquid particles and is generally classified into three fractions: (1) organic carbon (soot), (2) organic fraction, (often referred to as SOF or VOF, and (3) sulfate fraction (hydrated sulfuric acid).

DOC (Diesel Oxidation Catalyst)

A filter system that can be installed on a machine that partially removes carbon monoxide, hydrocarbons, and limited particulate matter through a specially designed filter. This technology is less expensive, but the filter in non-renewable and must be disposed at the end of their useful life. This is usually not qualified as verified technology. DOC’s are sometimes combined with DPF’s to achieve interim tier for compliance.

EGR (Exhaust Gas Recirculation)

The process of re-routing exhaust gas from the engine through an air to air after cooler to reduce temperature back into the engine for a re-burn of cooled gasses to burn off Particulate matter before it exits the exhaust system in order to reduce engine 3emission.

Emissions

Release of pollutants into the air from a source, such as a motor vehicle or a factory.

Emission Credit Trading

Also known as AB&T (Average Banking and Trading) for off-road vehicles.
A program administered by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) under which law polluters are awarded credits which may be traded on a regulated market and purchased by polluters who are in noncompliance for emissions until compliance can be achieved. The program allows engine and vehicle producers to generate credits when applications comes to market before a regulation date or below regulation values.

Emission Factor

The average emission rate of a given pollutant for a given source.

Engine Upgrades

An engine upgrade is defined as an engine that is rebuilt or remanufactured to meet higher federal emission standards. Some engines are able to be upgraded to reduce their emissions by applying OEM recommended upgrade kits to certified or verified configuration.

EPHH (Emissions Per Hours Power Per Hour)

Information located on the CARB certificate for an engine specific to its horsepower rating that gives you the volume of emissions in grams created per horsepower per hour for Nox and PM.

Evaporative Emissions

Hydrocarbon vapors that escape form a fuel storage tank or a vehicle tank of a vehicle fuel tank system.

Exhaust Controls

Exhaust Controls include pollution control devices installed in the exhaust system (such as oxidation catalysts and PM filters) and/or systems that include crankcase emission controls.

Exhaust Filter (Terminology used for IT4 Applications)

After treatment device (DOC/DPF) designed to remove particulate matter.

Exhaust Gas

Exhaust gas is a result of the combustion of fuels such as natural gas, gasoline, diesel fuel, fuel oil, or caor.

Flexible-Fueled Vehicle

A vehicle with the ability to operate on alternative fuels, 100 % petroleum based fuels, or a mixture of alternative fuel and petroleum based fuels.

Final Tier Four

Final Tier Four requires and additional 80% reduction in Nox over Interim Tier Four levels.

Fossil Fuel

Any natural occurring organic fuel formed in the Earth’s crust, such as petroleum, coal, and natural gas.

FTP (Federal Test Procedures

Test cycle(s) used in the US for emission testing and certification of engines and vehicles. The chassis dynamometer cycle for light duty vehicle testing is commonly referred to as FTP-75. the engine dynamometer cycle for testing of heavy duty (HD) engines is know as HD FTP or FTP transient cycle.

Fuel Operated Heaters

Commonly known as fuel fired heaters which use fuel to operate a burner unit which warms the engine before starting in cold ambient conditions.

Haze

Atmospheric particulate matter and gases that diminish visibility. Visibility is reduces when light encounters tiny pollution particles, such as soot, dust, and some gases (such as nitrogen dioxide) in the air. Some light is absorbed by the particles and gases and other light is scattered away before it reaches your eye. More pollutants mean more absorption and scattering of light, resulting in more haze. Some haze-causing pollutants are directly emitted to the atmosphere from vehicle emissions.

Hydrocarbons

Hydrocarbons are chemical compounds consisting entirely of carbon and hydrogen. The primary source of hydrocarbons is through fossil fuels – coal, oil, and natural gas. The combustion of hydrocarbons produces smoke and soot, generating pollution which is responsible for smog and acid rain. The burning of hydrocarbons releases carbon dioxide into the atmosphere, causing global warming.

ILEV (Inherently Low Emission Vehicle

Any vehicle that is certified to meet transitional low-emission standards established by the California Air Resources Board (CARB) and does not emit any evaporative emissions.

Interim Tier 4 (Also known as IT4)

Interim tier 4 compliance mandates that there must be a 90% reduction of particulate matter and 50% reduction in Nox over Tier 3 requirements on any new OEM off road diesel engines.

Micron

A unit of measure equal to one millionth of a meter, or one twenty –five thousandth of an inch. The head of a pin is about 2mm in diameter. 1 millimeter = 0.001 meter, 1micron = 0.000001meter PM fine is 2.5 or less microns in diameter.

Mobile Sources

Motor vehicles, engines, and equipment that move, or can be moved, form place to place. Mobile source include vehicles that operate on roads and highways (“on-road or highway vehicles”) as well as on road vehicles, engines, and equipment.

NOx (Nitrogen Oxide)

Nox is the generic term for a group of gases which contain nitrogen and oxygen in varying amounts. NOx is the clear gas emitted from a diesel engine that is created when there is high compression and high temperature. Nox is one of the main ingredients involved in the formation of ground-level ozone, which can cause serious respiratory problems.

Non-Attainment Zone

Non – attainment zones are specific areas throughout the country that do not meet minimum federal EPA air quality standards for one of more pollutants. Non-attainment zones can actually have federal funding withheld due to poor air quality as well as allow local municipalities and government entities to mandate reduction technologies to be used by contractors bidding and performing work in these area. Federal government reviews data for all areas every three years and will add or delete counties form the non-attainment listing.

Ozone

The ozone layer in the upper atmospheres filters potentially damaging ultraviolet light form reaching the Earths surface. The stratosphere ozone layer, which is a concentration of ozone molecules located at 10 to 50 kilometers above sea level, is in a state of dynamic equilibrium. Oxygen molecules absorb ultraviolet (UV) light to form ozone which in turn, decomposes back to oxygen. These processes absorb most of the ultraviolet from the sun, shielding life from the harmful effects of UV radiation. Ozone is normally present at ground level in low concentration. In cities where high level of pollutants are present, the action of the sun’s ultraviolet light can, through a complex series of reactions, produce harmful concentration of the ground level ozone. The resulting air pollution is known as photochemical smog.

PM (Particulate Matter)

Particulate matter is a mixture of extremely small particles and liquid droplets found in the air. Particulate matter includes inhalable coarse particles with diameters larger than 2.5 micrometers and smaller than 10 micrometers.
The size of particles is directly linked to their potential for causing health problems. Particles less than 10 micrometers in diameter pose the most problem, because they can get deep into the lungs.
The exhaust from diesel engines contains particulate matter, which damages our health and environment. Particulate matter is a major component of smog and is linked to asthma and respiratory and cardiovascular illnesses. Children and the elderly are especially susceptible to its effects. The Environmental Protection Agency has classified diesel particulate matter as a probable cancer – causing substance.
Incomplete fuel combustion produces particulate matter. In diesel engines, the fuel is sprayed directly into the combustion chamber through an injector. If some of the tiny droplets do not burn completely, particulate matter is formed and emitted in the vehicle exhaust.
One indicator of excessive particulate matter is the opacity of the exhaust smoke. How much light is blocked by the smoke? Higher opacity readings are correlated with higher particulate matter emissions.

Particulate Matter 2.5

Particles that are less than 2.5 microns in diameter. These particles are often referred to as “PM fine”. PM fine particles are so small that they are not typically visible to the naked eye. In the atmosphere, however, they are significant contributors to haze. Smaller particles are generally more harmful to human health because they can penetrate more deeply into the lungs than larger particles. Virtually all particulate mater from bile sources is PM 2.5.

Rebuild

Engine rebuild is a standard rebuild where engine emissions are reduced through a component rebuild that takes the engine emissions back to new standards. Rebuild is also used in conjunction with BACT (Best Available Control Technology) to improve engine emissions tier level.

Re-Power

Replacement of a lower tier engine with a higher tier engine (This does not have to be an OEM repower)

Retrofit

Any verified technology that is installed on an engine or machine that improves its emissions ratings. I.e. Installing a DPF (Diesel Particulate Filter) or DOC Additional of retrofit device will not change an application from Tier level to the next.

SCR (Selective Catalytic Reduction)

Term frequently used as a synonym for catalystic reduction of Nox in diesel exhaust or flue gases by nitrogen containing compounds such ammonia or urea. Such SCR systems are commercially available for stationary applications and are being developed for mobile diesel engines. Since “Selective Catalystic Reduction” is a generic term which also applies to other reaction, its use may lead to confusion in some situations.

Smog

A commonly used term for pollution caused by complex chemical reactions involving nitrogen oxides and hydrocarbons in the presence of sunlight. Ozone is a key component of smog. Smog-forming chemicals come from a wide variety of combustion sources and are also found in products such as paints and solvents. Smog can harm human health, damage the environment, and cause poor visibility. Major smog occurrences are often linked to heavy motor
traffic.

Source

Any place or object from which pollutants are released, such as a power plant, factory, tractor, car, or other machines.

Swirl Combustion

A combustion chamber configuration which uses curved mixing ridges in the intake ports and/or a re-entrant poston bowl (a bowl whose top edges curve inward). Some swirl combustion chambers have a larger rim around the outside of the piston and more compact combustion chamber or bowl. The swirl is used to reduce particulate emissions.

(TPM) Total Particulate Matter

The total particulate matter emissions including all fractions of diesel particulates, i.e. the carbonaceous, organic (SOF) and sulfate particulates.

(TLEV) Transitional Low Emission Vehicle

A vehicle that is certified to meet TVEV emission standards established by the California Air Resources Board. The TLEV standards are less stringent than the LEV standards.

(TC) Total Carbon

The sum of the elemental carbon and organic carbon associated with diesel particulates. Typically amounts to 80-85% of the total DPM mass.

Turbo Lag

The time delay between injecting fuel to accelerate and delivering air to the intake manifold by the turbocharger. This phenomenon may cause black smoke emissions in some turbocharged engines during acceleration.

Vapor Recovery System

An anti-pollution system designed to capture gasoline vapors that would otherwise escape into the atmosphere form hot vehicle engines and fuel intakes.

Verified Aerodynamic Technologies

Trailer aerodynamic devices include gap fairings that reduce the gap between the tractor and the trailer to reduce turbulence, trailer side skirts that minimize wind under the trailer, and trailer rear fairings that reduce turbulence and pressure drop at the rear of the trailer. EPA is particularly interested in projects that combine aerodynamic technologies with verified retrofit technologies that will further reduce emissions. A list of EPA verified aerodynamic technologies is available here.

Verified Low Rolling Resistance Tires

Verified low rolling resistance tires are verified by the EPA to provide a reduction in Nox emissions and fuel savings. Low rolling resistance tires can be used with lower-weight aluminum wheels to further improve fuel savings. A list of low rolling resistance tires is available at here.
Low rolling resistance tires are not eligible for funding if installed on trucks that have Nox after treatment.

Verified Technology

Any emissions reduction technology that is approved by the EPA or CARB that meets emission targets and is installed by a third party outside of the OEM facility.

Ultra Low Sulfur Diesel Fuel (ULSDF) (Commonly known as ULSD)

Ultra low sulfur diesel fuel is diesel fuel certified to have sulfur content of 15 parts per million or less.

(ULEV) Ultra – Low Emission Vehicle

A vehicle that meets the ULEV emission standards set by the California Research Board. The ULEV standards are more stringent than the LEV standards.

(VOC) Volatile Organic Compounds

Hydrocarbon-based emissions released through evaporation or combustion. The term VOC is usually used in regard to stationary emission sources.

White Smoke

The smoke emitted during a cold start form a diesel engine, composed mainly of un-burnt fuel and particulate matter.

ZEV (Zero Emission Vehicle)

A vehicle that is certified to meet the most stringent emission standards established by the California Air Research Board. These standards require Aero regulated emissions of nonmethane organic gases. (NMOGS’s) carbon monoxide (CO), and nitrogen oxides (Nox). A ZEV is most likely to be powered by electricity, fuel cells or hydrogen.