Environmental Engineering Reference
In-Depth Information
for example, traffic emissions account for about 67% of carbon monoxide emis-
sions, 51% of nitrogen oxides emissions and 40% of hydrocarbon emissions
(UNECE/EMEP, 2004). Despite their importance, the emissions from road trans-
port with reference to other human and natural activities, are among the most dif-
ficult to calculate because they depend on many variables, which are characterized
by a particular degree of uncertainty.
For the present application, the COPERT 4 methodology has been employed.
It is the most complete and accepted software tool available in Europe for calculating
emissions from road traffic. The COPERT model was developed on behalf of the
European Environmental Agency to support European countries for their interna-
tional reporting obligations; in 2003 about 15 European countries were using the
COPERT III model for official emission estimates. In this study the COPERT
methodology has been used with a bottom-up approach focusing at municipal level
instead of national, then including local parameters relating to fleet, driving patterns,
medium trips, average vehicle speed and the fuel consumption. Analysis of research
results has identified local critical factors in the Naples urban area.
COPERT IV Methodology
Overview
The COPERT methodology is the collection of algorithms and emission factors
suggested at European level for the estimation of emissions from the road transport
sector (i.e. the whole SNAP 07 of CORINAIR). It is the most commonly used
model in Europe for official national inventories of emissions from road traffic.
COPERT 4 is the fourth update of the initial methodology developed on the basis
of the work of a working group which was set up for this purpose. The current ver-
sion is a collaborative effort and draws its main elements from several large-scale
European activities: the MEET project, the COST 319 action on the Estimation of
Emissions from Transport, and the ARTEMIS project
The methodology allows the estimation of the emissions for 230 vehicle catego-
ries belonging to the following five main classes: passenger cars, light duty vehicles,
heavy duty vehicles, urban buses and coaches, and two wheelers. Vehicles belonging
to such main classes are then distinguished according to the fuel type, the EU
Directives to which they conform in terms of emissions, the cylinder capacity and
other variables. Emissions can be estimated for 36 pollutants, and also for many
secondary pollutants like polycyclic aromatics, dioxins and furans and heavy metals
contained in the fuel. COPERT calculates the total emissions of exhaust gases by
summing emissions from three different sources, namely the thermally stabilized
engine operation (hot), the warming-up phase (cold start) and due to evaporation.
For volatile organic compounds, expressions for the determination of the evaporative
emissions are also given. A methodology has recently been introduced for calculating
the emissions of PM from brakes, tyres and pavement wear (this last must not be
