Finding NOx-cheaters on the spot
with Remote Sensing Devices
and
Operation “ONOX”
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Selective Catalytic Reduction (SCR) System
• Adblue (AUS32) - Diesel engines
• 90 – 95 % of NOx emission reduced
Finding NOx cheaters
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The AdBlue cheating problem
• SCR implies Adblue consume, maintenance service, breakdowns, power reduce
• Disconnection of the AdBlue injection (SCR) which reduces NOx emissions.
• Guardia Civil and General Prosecutor Office launched an investigation in 2017 after identifying the reduce on AdBlue sales
• There was no effective tool to find illegal trucks.
Finding NOx cheaters
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USB Emulator
Finding NOx cheaters
• ON BOARD DIAGNOSTICS (OBD2)
• ANNUL ADBLUE SYSTEM AND NOXDETECTION SENSORS
• REVERSIBLE SWITCHING OFF THE EMULATOR
• EURO IV AND EURO V
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USB Emulator
Finding NOx cheaters
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Switchboard Emulator
Finding NOx cheaters
-NEEDS A PREVIOUS SOFTWARE PROGRAMMING
-MORE COMPLEX
-MORE DIFFICULT TO DETECT
-EURO IV AND EURO V
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Switchboard Emulator
Finding NOx cheaters
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Use of RSD to find manipulated trucks
REGULATION (EC) No 715/2007 OF THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND OF THE COUNCIL of 20 June 2007 on type approval of motor vehicles with respect to emissions from light passenger and commercial vehicles (Euro V and Euro VI) and on access to vehicle repair and maintenance information
REGULATION (EC) No 595/2009 OF THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND OF THE
COUNCIL of 18 June 2009 on type-approval of motor vehicles and engines with
respect to emissions from heavy duty vehicles (Euro VI) and on access to vehicle
repair and maintenance information and amending Regulation (EC) No 715/2007 and
Directive 2007/46/EC and repealing Directives 80/1269/EEC, 2005/55/EC and
2005/78/EC
Criminal Code, OL 10/95: art. 325 Crime against Environment “por la provocación o realización directa o indirectamente de emisiones, contraviniendo leyes o disposiciones que causen o puedan causar daños sustanciales a la calidad del aire, del suelo o de las aguas, o a animales o plantas”
Legal background
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The AdBlue cheating problem
• Administrative inspection. Manipulation: Very hard to find. The only option is to catch the cheaters in the act.
• Criminal procedure Environmental damage
Finding NOx cheaters
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Investigative procedure
Finding NOx cheaters
Detection of suspected
companies
Docs study
Adblue and Diesel
consume
Visual checks
GaragesTestimonies
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Proving environmental damage
• To asses the pollution/truck and link to environmental damage
• Compatible with administrative inspections
• Percentage of manipulated SCR system /
trucks that exceed pollution limits
• Surprise checks.3-4 hours operationSystem ready in 15 minutesDrivers warn each other
• Real-time alert system.
How usual is this practice?
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Methodology
The remote sensing measurement is for now only indicative.
The sanction is only issued if the officer finds a manipulation
during the inspection.
Investigations are done after the roadside inspections.
RSD measurement
Real-time visualization
Alert
Pull-over and
inspection
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And how bad is this practice?
A non-manipulated Euro V truck
with and without AdBlue
Reference
“clean” truck
Average
NO (ppm)
SCR ON 570
SCR OFF 1744
No trailer =
AdBlue not
injected
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2,257 heavy-duty trucks evaluated.
20% of Euro V trucks surpass emission limit.
47% of inspected trucks were found to have been tampered.
1.5 – 2 tonnes of NOx excess emited / per truck / per year
Results
48,000 trucks use emulator in
Spain
72,000 tonnes NOx emited in
a year
1,000 tonnes of NOx emited
= up to 3 deaths
216 people dead in
Spain/year due to the use of
emulators (estimation)
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LIFE GySTRA
The benefit of this collaboration
PROJECT OBJECTIVES:
Find high-emitting vehicles.
Create a system to control RDE.
Use remote sensing to reduce
emissions.
Sanctioning or repairing.
Madrid: 2-years
continuous
monitoring
program
Sofia: Public bus
fleet control.
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Results
Operation codename ‘ONOX’.
Lead by Spanish Guardia Civil,
Coordinated with Europol:
•Press Release - Spanish police
•Press Release - EUROPOL
•Exclusive report in AUTOBILD
•Video of the police investigation (spanish)
In addition to the individual fines (200€) to truck drivers that were discovered
cheating during the inspections, four people are facing criminal charges for
modifying an entire fleet of trucks. 30 modified trucks from a fleet may be emitting 90
tons of NOx a year more than they would if they were not tampered with. This is an
environmental crime.
http://www.guardiacivil.es/es/prensa/noticias/6944.htmlhttps://www.europol.europa.eu/newsroom/news/haulier-in-spain-caught-cheating-emission-regulations-designed-to-prevent-air-pollutionhttps://www.autobild.es/reportajes/exclusiva-fraude-masivo-emisiones-camiones-espana-385768https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oi7uKbggmJQ
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Thanks for your attention
Cpt. Carlos ASTRÁIN AGUADOPollution and Waste Crime Group
Central Intelligence UnitSEPRONA – Guardia Civil
[email protected]+34 915146000 ext. 43082
mailto:[email protected]