Lagrangian Hotspots of In-Use NOx Emissions from Transit Buses

In-use, spatiotemporal NOx emissions were measured from a conventional powertrain transit bus and a series electric hybrid bus over gradients of route kinetic intensity and ambient temperature. This paper introduces a new method for identifying NOx emissions hotspots along a bus route using high fidelity Lagrangian vehicle data to explore spatial interactions that may influence emissions production. Our study shows that the studied transit buses emit higher than regulated emissions because on-route operation does not accurately represent the range of engine operation tested according to regulatory standards. Using the Lagrangian hotspot detection, we demonstrate that NOx hotspots occurred at bus stops, during cold starts, on inclines, and for accelerations. On the selected routes, bus stops resulted in 3.3 times the route averaged emissions factor in grams/km without significant dependence on bus type or climate. The buses also emitted 2.3 times the route averaged NOx emissions factor at the beginning of each route due to cold selective catalytic reduction aftertreatment temperature. The Lagrangian hotspot detection technique demonstrated here could be employed in future connected vehicles empowered by advances in computational power, data storage capability, and improved sensor technology to optimize emissions as a function of spatial location.