Abstract
Statistical data as of the end of 2008 shows: the number of motorized vehicles registered in Taipei totals to a whopping 796,543 vehicle count, which according to Motor Vehicle Station data comprising of a total of diesel vehicles to approximately 13,299 cars, among them, the total number of buses and trucks registered totals to as many as 5,548 vehicles, consisting of approximately 6,021 small diesel trucks and 1,730 small diesel passenger vehicles. With that, the Environmental Protection Bureau, Tainan City has since 1999 been implementing the diesel vehicles smoke inspection plan, which has been outsourced for implementation by professional consulting firm with the know-how, through which to urge the vehicle owners and drivers like to caution for the importance of vehicular maintenance that would excel Tainan City’s air quality. The random roadside screening work pertains to conducting real-time screening on randomly selected vehicles, and failed vehicles are given corrective action, helping to deter the inspected vehicles with unauthorized tempering of adjustments. In addition, a step-up audit has been sought for vehicles running on diesel products to curtail diesel fuel with illegally high sulfur contents, helping to prevent the burned sulfide from polluting the air.
Since being accredited with the ISO 14001 certification in 1999, the Tainan Municipal Vehicle Inspection Station has had its certification extended for another ten years, and in addition to the ISO 14001 certification, it has also been accredited, in March 2007, with an inspection laboratory certification by the Taiwan Accreditation Foundation, helping to foster a widespread recognition among members of the EPA review board; the Tainan Municipal Odometer Fume Screening Station has since been accredited with an A at the evaluation for three consecutive years.
In light of a rising malfunction ratio on the existing inspection and testing equipment, and problems with the spare parts and maintenance, there is an urgent need to update the odometer screening station in a bid to excel the overall inspection and screening quality, and improve the firmware deficiencies.
Throughout the project’s implementation power, the manpower of 9 individuals has been assigned to spearhead the project, with seven of them holding a valid diesel vehicle fume discharge instrument testing license, and four individuals holding a valid diesel vehicle visual inspection fume rendering license.
I. Project implementation timetable
The project’s implementation timetable spans form May 8, 2008 to May 7, 2009, with the campaign lasting a full 12-month period.
II. Project progress findings:
Table of work progress
Category of work Target Month May June Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec. Jan Feb Mar Apr May Total Achievement ratio
Notice of exhaust fume by visual inspection 1500 Achieved 52 173 198 124 130 182 144 227 88 164 31 0 0 1522 100%
Diesel odometer detection 2000 Achieved 148 191 246 255 219 215 218 267 192 226 321 228 45 2771 100%
Roadside vehicle fume discharge audit screening 800 Achieved 27 83 56 84 64 93 104 61 73 57 207 6 0 915 100%
Roadside fuel sample collecting 180 Achieved 1 6 23 11 15 0 11 0 5 12 7 0 0 180 100%
Station and onsite fuel sample collecting Achieved 3 10 6 7 12 7 13 7 2 6 16 0 0
Large freighter fuel control at specific areas 80 Achieved 0 5 10 4 8 15 7 21 1 4 8 0 0 83 100%
Campaign inserts 1000 Achieved 0 0 0 0 0 1000 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1000 100%
Campaign posters 150 Achieved 0 0 0 0 0 200 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 200 133%
Campaign presentation 3 Achieved 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 0 0 0 0 1 0 3 100%
Relevant testing 1 Achieved 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 100%
ISO 14001 certification Main-taining Undergoing a 3-year full system verification on January 23, 2009, and has been accredited with the certification on March 20. 100%
TAF lab certification Main-taining Undergoing a supervisory assessment on February 25, 2009, and the system is kept to an effective implementation. 100%
EPA evaluation Over 85 The results have yet been announced, with over 85 points being A, and its 2008 evaluation was given an A rating. 100%
EPA press release 12 releases Achieved 1 0 2 1 2 1 0 0 0 1 3 2 0 12 100%
Quality assurance testing and mapping the control diagram 12 times Achieved 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 2 0 0 12 100%
III. The implementation yield of major tasks
(I) The statistical data spanning from May 8, 2008 to May 7, 2009 covers a total of 2,874 diesel vehicles inspected (including 103 cars without any pay load).
(II) In this year, the project spanning from May 8, 2008 to May 7, 2009 has issued the visual fume detection notice to a total of 1,522 vehicles, with the project achievement ratio at 100%.
(III) A total of 2,874 diesel vehicles have undergone the inspection, and 2,771 vehicles are tested at full load, with the target achievement ratio at 100%. Among the diesel vehicles inspected, 136 vehicles have failed the test, with a failing ratio at approximately 4.7%.
(IV) The random testing on vehicle fuel products at the station yielded 89 cases, and the roadside random intercepted sampling yielded 91 cases, totaling 180 cases, with the work progression reaching 100%.
(V) The roadside fume discharge audits yield a total of 915 vehicles tested, with 173 vehicles failed the test, at a failing ratio of 18.9%, with the work progression reaching 114%.
(VI) In the Environmental Protection Agency’s yearly evaluation, the station has on December 17 undergone the current year’s EPA evaluation, and has been accredited with an excellent A three years in a row, continuing its outstanding evaluation in 2007 and 2006.
(VII) The station has actively been promoting the diesel vehicles coming in and out of the Anping Port to join in the voluntary management program by stepping up the random audits conducted at the Anping Port, with a total of 598 vehicles joining the voluntary management program as of May 7, 2009, and 323 vehicles completed the tested and are given a certificate, accounting for 54% of all vehicles coming in and out of the harbor area.
(VIII) The station actively participated in the joint audit of the Yunlin, Chiayi and Tainan areas, and has stated a meeting in Tainan County to instigate the monthly joint Tainan City and County screening audits, with a failing ratio far exceeding the 18.9% implemented by the city alone to greatly contribute toward the air-quality improvement yield.
(IX) The station has on November 5, 2008 staged two sessions of the diesel car campaign presentations, and has on April 22, 2009 cosponsored the staging of the World Day event, with the work progression reaching 100%.
(X) The station has completed one pertinent testing, with work progression reaching 100%.
(XI) The station’s ISO14001 certification program has on January 23, 2009 undergone the complete review of a three-year certification renewal process, and has received a new certificate on March 20, 2009, with the certification program keeping to a valid standing.
(XII) The TAF laboratory has been accredited with the certification in March 2007, and surpassed the supervisory assessment on February 25, 2009, with the system currently to an ongoing, effective state.
(XIII) On the reservation ratio of the station inspection system as of April 15, 2009, the reservation ratio has reached approximately 95%.
(XIV) By comparing history statistical analysis data to the contents of the past reports, in vehicle age analysis, there is a tendency of rising levels of pollution and failing ratios alongside vehicle aging in all years, while no major changes has been found on the make, vehicle type and by period, with a major distinction rests of the periods, where initially four periods of vehicles had been inspected, with the number of aging vehicles diminishing at a slow rate. Inasmuch as Tainan City’s vehicle pollution characteristics are concerns, with levels of pollution and failing ratios inextricably correlated the age of the vehicle, stepping up the visual inspection and random roadside audits by focusing on aging vehicles can foster an improvement yield to the audit findings.
IV. Primary statistical analysis findings
(I) Inspected vehicles’ background analysis
Analysis factor Higher percentage ranked
Mark analysis China Motors
Vehicle age analysis 10 – 12 years
Exhausting volume analysis 2,500 ~ 3,000 c.c.
Mileage analysis Over 500,000 kilometers
Vehicle type analysis Private small freighters
Period analysis Second period
Vehicle weight analysis Up to 7.5 tons
Among the inspected vehicles, in the Mark analysis, China Motors is found with the highest number; in the age analysis, the number of vehicles are predominately 10 – 12 years old; in the Exhausting volume analysis, those with a cc count of between 2,500cc and 3,000cc are found most prevalent; in the vehicle driving mileage analysis, those with over 50km are the most in number; in the vehicle type analysis, the private small freighters are found most in number; in the period analysis, those inspected in the second period are found the highest; in the vehicle weight analysis, the most number of vehicles inspected under the project are cars up to 7.5 tons.
(II) Median pollution level analysis
Analysis factor Higher average levels of pollution ranked
Mark analysis Fuso
Vehicle age analysis Over 12 years
Exhausting volume analysis Up to 2,500 c.c.
Driving mileage analysis Over 350,000km to 400,000km
Vehicle type analysis Commercial large freighters
Period analysis First period
Vehicle weight analysis Up to 2.5 tons
The findings of the inspected vehicles’ median levels of pollution are as depicted in the above table: where in the Mark analysis, Fuso is found with the highest level of pollution; the vehicle age rating finds those 12 years or older the highest; in the Exhausting volume analysis, those with an exhaust count of up to 2,500cc are found the highest; in the driving mileage analysis, cars with a 350,000 to 400,000 mileage found are found with rising levels of pollution accelerating alongside the vehicle age; in the vehicle type analysis, the commercial large freighters are found the highest, with the number of cars in period top topping the rest; in the vehicle weight analysis, those with a weight ratio of up to 2.5 tons are found the highest.
(III) Inspected vehicles’ horsepower analysis
Horsepower ratio at 100% full load (HP100) Percentage ratio
35% HP100 < 40% 14.4
40% HP100 < 40% 18.6
45% HP100 < 40% 16.5
50% HP100 < 40% 11
55% HP100 < 40% 12.9
60% HP100 < 40% 10.2
65% HP100 < 40% 10.1
70% HP100 < 40% 63
Total 100
With a majority of the inspected vehicles largely concentrating at up to the 50% level, which accounts for 49.5% of all vehicles inspected, the number of vehicles with a horsepower ratio rated at between 50 ~ 65% merely accounts for 34.1%, indicating that the problem of unauthorized tempering still exists.
V. Volume reduction
Mileage basis Category TSP (ton/year)
Environmental Protection Administration’s recommendation Improvement following a failed inspection 7.182
Pre-adjustment 64.4420
Total volume reduction as per the recommended driving mileage (A) 70.6240
The reduction estimation equation is as follows,
I. Failed inspection
Estimating using the EPA’s mobile pollution source’s discharge reduction calculation equation:
EER=Tretest x EEr x VKT x 10-6
Where, EER: the estimated discharge volume reduction (ton/year)
Tretest: number of vehicles failing the diesel vehicle inspection
EEr: the discharge reduction index before and after the vehicle adjustment
VKT: average vehicle yearly driving mileage (km/yr)
[Tretest the number of vehicles failing the inspection: 289 cars]
[VKT the average vehicle yearly driving mileage: (A) 50,000 km/yr (the figure supplied by EPA); (B) 30,636 km/yr (statistical data derive from the cars inspected)]
[EEr96 The discharge reduction index before and after the vehicular adjustment: 0.497 g/km (the figure supplied by EPA, as derived from TSP index – PM10 index)
(I) The volume of reduction derived from EPA’s recommended yearly driving mileage:
TSP=PM10=289x0.497g/km x 50,000 x 10-6
= 7.182 ton/Yr.
II. Number of adjusted vehicles prior to undergoing the inspection
As many of the vehicle owners invariably adjust and maintain the vehicle, upon receiving the inspection notice, before undergoing the inspection, this, in fact, has achieved the objective of cutting down the pollutants discharged by diesel vehicles. To discern the state of the vehicle’s maintenance and adjustment by the car owner upon receiving the inspection note, statistical surveys are polled with the vehicle owner coming to the station to test their vehicles with a checklist on how their vehicles are maintained, and the statistical findings show that approximately 93% of the vehicle owners would maintain and service their vehicles prior to the inspection; the volume of reduction is estimated using the diesel vehicle inspection’s volume of reduction method,
Differential in pollutant discharge:
TSP=PM10=0.497g/km (The figure supplied by EPA)
Median yearly driving mileage:
(A) 50,000 km/yr. (statistical median)
(I) The volume of reduction derived from EPA’s recommended yearly driving mileage:
TSP=PM10
=2553x0.497g/km x 50,000km/yr. x 10-6
=63.4420 ton/yr.
