An Optical Backscatter Sensor for Particulate Matter Measurement

Diesel engines are prone to emit particulate matter (PM) emissions under certain operation conditions. In-cylinder production of PM from diesel combustion control can occur under a wide variety of operating conditions, and in some cases, operation of a multi-cylinder engine can further complicate PM emissions due to variations in air or fuel charge due to manifold mixing effects. In this study, a probe for detecting PM in diesel exhaust was evaluated on a light-duty diesel engine. The probe is based on an optical backscattering effect. Due to the optical nature of the probe, PM sensing can occur at high rates. The feasibility of the probe for examining PM emissions in the exhaust manifold will be discussed.