“Fast Cars, Slow Change” could be the motto of many automakers. At least that’s Tiger Optics LLC’s (tigeroptics.com) observation when it comes to engine emissions monitors. While other industries have rapidly embraced cleaner and more efficient methods for quality assurance and process control, the auto industry lags behind.
Waiting in the wings are new, powerful laser-based analytical techniques. These devices have transformed the way gaseous contaminants are measured across a broad swath of industrial and scientific markets, from semiconductor fabrication to natural gas to petrochemicals, and more. The auto industry, however, generally has yet to adopt these devices even as they are propelled into an age of stricter emissions controls worldwide.
In automotive applications, the barriers to entry are steep, with the status quo upheld by the vehicle industry, instrument companies, and regulators alike. It could be another five to ten years before car and engine makers catch up, according to Christopher Laroo, who has served for a dozen years as Environmental Protection Specialist at the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Even though strict emissions standards are coming into effect, the EPA adheres to the instrumentation that the industry has relied upon for the past 20 years. “We generally take a well-worn path,” explains Laroo, adding, “We don’t actually look for new ways as long as what we’ve been using is working.”
In automotive applications, the barriers to entry are steep, with the status quo upheld by the vehicle industry, instrument companies, and regulators alike.
One notable exception is measurement of nitrous oxide (N2O), a new requirement stemming from concern over greenhouse gases and their impact on global warming. Ranked fourth in contribution to global warming, N2O has approximately 300 times the impact per unit weight of CO2; with a 120-year lifetime in the atmosphere, it packs a real wallop.
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