Emissions Research and Measurement Laboratories

Emissions Research and Measurement Laboratories

335 River Road (Ottawa, Ontario)

To develop, apply and provide world-class, unbiased, relevant and scientifically sound and timely knowledge, data and information, and undertake research and development programs for the study of the effects of alternative renewable fuels, propulsion systems, vehicles, engines, and/or equipment emissions on air pollution, greenhouse gases, energy conservation, human health and the environment, to support the development of policies and regulations, and high-quality environmental services to Canadians.

Types of R&D conducted

• Enhancing scientific capacity to inform decision making and regulations regarding the impacts and effects from vehicles and engines utilizing renewable fuels, different control technologies and propulsion systems under representative Canadian conditions
• Emissions characterization, cold temperature, high-speed and real-world emissions measurements of engines and vehicles fuelled with alternative fuels, i.e., low blend and neat ethanol and methanol fuels, biodiesel fuels, natural gas, di-methyl ether and others
• Characterization and assessment of emissions from nontraditional sources such as marine vessels, locomotives, and off-road equipment
• Studies to investigate the emission rates of regulated pollutants, air toxics, smog precursors and greenhouse gases from engines and vehicles and the toxicity of transportation sector emissions on human health and the environment
• Studies to investigate the combustion components (e.g., VOCs, carbonyls, PAHs, NPAHs, metals, ions, fine particulates) being emitted from new technology on-road engines, non-road engines, and engines equipped with new state-of-the-art emission control technologies
• Conducting vehicle and engine emissions testing for the government’s regulatory compliance audit program for new light-duty vehicles, small spark ignition and heavy duty engines, motorcycles, and recreational vehicles offered for sale in Canada
• Support for the development of standard methods for measuring and reporting emissions and fuel economy of plug-in hybrid electric vehicles for North America
• Fuel consumption/emissions testing to support the government’s voluntary fuel consumption program with the automotive manufacturers
• Cross correlation testing programs with the United States Environmental Protection Agency (U.S. EPA)

Services

• Providing sound science to decision makers
• Strengthening the services to Canadians that help protect their health from the negative effects of air pollution
• Supporting the development of new emission control technologies for the transportation sector
• Supporting the development of policies, regulations and emissions inventory programs

Partners and collaboration opportunities

• Other government departments: Natural Resources Canada, Health Canada, Department of National Defence, Fisheries and Oceans Canada, National Research Council, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada
• Academia: Carleton University, universities of British Columbia, Windsor, Alberta and Toronto
• Other governments and international agencies: municipalities (Montreal, Halifax, Regina, Calgary, Edmonton, Ottawa), U.S. EPA, U.S. Department of Energy, National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), California Air Resources Board, New York State, Northeast States for Coordinated Air Use Management (NESCAUM), United Nations Development Program (UNDP)
• Industry: car, bus, truck, motorcycle and small engine manufacturers, emission control manufacturers

The Emissions Research and Measurement laboratories at Environment Canada work with scientists and engineers around the globe, optimizing resources and concerted efforts. We are open to partnerships that fall within our mandate and provide benefits to Canadians and their environment.

Unique or high-value hardware and/or software

• The only vehicle/mobile/engine source emission testing facility of its kind in North America
  • includes a state-of-the-art emissions testing laboratory with Environment Canada-owned chassis dynamometer technology (Multi-DS™) capable of conducting detailed emission measurements from a variety of mobile sources including light and heavy duty vehicles and engines
  • includes a unique cold-temperature test cell able to simulate Canadian winter conditions (to -25°C) and measure emission pollutants in those conditions
• Specialized portable real-time on-road exhaust emissions testing equipment (Dynamic Dilution On/Off-road Exhaust Emissions Sampling System - DOES2™)
• Specialized organic laboratory for particle characterization analyses

Contact

Emissions Research and Measurement Laboratories
Fred Hendren
Manager, Emissions Research and Measurement Section
Air Quality Research Division
Atmospheric Science & Technology Directorate
Science & Technology Branch
Environment Canada
335 River Road
Ottawa, Ontario
K1A 0H3, Canada
(613) 990-5859