Examination of Low-cost Systems for the Determination of Kinematic Driving Cycles and Engine Operating Conditions in Dublin, Ireland

With increased numbers of vehicles on Irish roads, there is now a need to be able to scientifically assess the quantity of pollutant material to which populations are exposed. Traditionally, emissions have been determined using kinematic (vehicle speed) data but recent studies have identified that other parameters are of interest. The work in this Paper focuses on the development and testing of a purpose-built software system to extract on-board diagnostic data from a vehicle in order to derive a driving cycle and to use other engine characteristic data to better inform local pollutant and energy consumption models for Dublin. Comparisons with GPS data shows the system to be cost effective (price and computing overhead) and reliable.