Detection of greenhouse gases emitted by engines powered by natural gas

Abstract

The greenhouse effect is a major environmental problem, and a cause of climatic changes. Gas species such as methane and carbon dioxide cause this effect. These substances are mainly produced by Vehicle Natural Gas (VNG, more than 85% methane)-powered engines, thermoelectric plants, etc. In this paper, we report work by an infrared analyser based on the photo-acoustic method (URAS) to detect and evaluate the gas emissions from the exhaust of VNG powered taxi cabs in Rio de Janeiro State, Brazil. This study indicates that VNG powered vehicles constitutes a significant source of greenhouse gases.