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Oilers Are Not Worst Offenders : Prosecutions For Smoke Limited

4th October 1957, Page 49
4th October 1957
Page 49
Page 49, 4th October 1957 — Oilers Are Not Worst Offenders : Prosecutions For Smoke Limited
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Which of the following most accurately describes the problem?

THE Problem of air pollution from road vehicles was considered from the operational and legal aspects in twO papers presented at the Hastings conference of the National Smoke Abatement Society this week.

One was entitled, "The Operation and Maintenance of Road Vehicle Engines to Minimize Pollution,' and was prepared by Mr. H. E. Styles, superintendent of laboratories, and Mr. A. T. Wilford, director of research, London Transport Executive. The other, "The Law and its Enforcement," was presented by Mr. James R. ArcherBurton, chief constable of Hastings.

Mr. Styles and Mr. Wilford saki that atmospheric pollution derived from compounds (other than hydrocarbons) which were inherently or necessarily present in motor fuels was of less importance than that which arose from incomplete combustion of the fuel, and, in cases of gross neglect of maintenance, from emission of vaporized lubricating

Toxic Gas From Petrol Engines

With petrol engines, incomplete combustion of fuel led to the emission of the toxic gas, carbon monoxide. in fact, it was not possible to run a petrol engine at maximum efficiency without producing significant amounts of carbon monoxide.

In the ease of the oil engine, carbon monoxide, accompanied by dense black smoke, was produced only when the engine was being operated inefficiently.

With both types of engine, the exhaust products would usually contain traces of compounds•physiologically objectionable, but the resulting atmospheric pollution was probably insignificant in that threshold levels of toxicity were seldom, if ever. reached.

Exceedingly small amounts of polycyclic hydrocarbons were also produced, but recent work related to oil engines had shown that when efficiently maintained and operated, the amounts introduced into the atmosphere were insignificant compared with those originating from the combustion of coal in domestic fires and commercial premises.

Higher Output—At Higher Cost

If the fuel delivery were increased beyond the normal upper limit, combustion in an oil engine rapidly became seriously incomplete, with resultant formation of large quantities of soot. together with appreciable amounts of carbon monoxide. Under such conditions it was possible to obtain higher power output, but only at the expense of a large increase in specific fuel consumption, because of inefficient combustion.

This behaviour provided, in effect, an automatic indication of the existence of incomplete combustion. A petrol-engine exhaust, however, might well become a quite unexpected source of highly toxic compounds through incompleteness of combustion not being accompanied by any visible change in the appearance of the exhaust.

There was a minority among both private and commercial owners who neglected their vehicles, or were concerned only with obtaining maximum power output regardless of fuel costs or the eventual cost of premature engine overhaul or renewal. it was these vehicles, whether petrol or oilers, which were responsible for an avoidable pollution of the atmosphere.

Criticism Caused

They had been the cause of much adverse criticism of the oil engine, although it was the more efficient poWer unit, and, if properly maintained and operated, was reducing rather than increasing the amount of pollution attributable to motor vehicles as a

Mr. Archer-Burton reproduced in its entirety a leading article in The CommercialMotor on March 12, 1954, entitled, "Lost in a Fog."

He said that under Regulation 79 of the Construction and Use Regulations, 1955, as amended by the Construction and Use (Amendment) Regulations, 1957, which came into force on April 1, "No person shall use, or cause or permit to be used, on a road, any motor vehicle from which any visible vapour, grit, sparks, ashes, cinders or oily substance is emitted, if the emission therefrom causes, or is likely to catise, any damage to any property or injury to any person, who is actually at the time, or who reasonably may be expected on the road, Or is likely tO cause danger to any person as aforesaid."

Prosecution Policy

In the main, prosecutions would in future be dealt with under the part relating to "likely to cause danger to any person.' Whether the Regulation, as amended, was likely to result in more prosecutions was doubtful, as police evidence in relation to the possible danger to a person would almost certainly be in respect of the interference with the view of other road users.

It seemed that the emission of smoke under the amended regulations would have to be considerable, having regard to the absence of any simple method of measuring smoke density to ensure successful prosecAtions. •

In Ottawa, oil-engined lorries were required to have exhaust pipes extending perpendicularly to the height of the roof, but this did not apply to oilengined taxicabs or buses. In Montreal the problem was dealt with under a by-law which read: "No vehicle shall emit a dense smoke." No problem and no prosecutions were reported. Perhaps here the legislation was so easily understood that it was complied with, added Mr. Archer-Burton.


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