SESSION 26

VISIBLE EMISSIONS
Compared to harmful and invisible emissions, visible emissions are more irritating
and cause nuisance. Especially in diesel engines, smoke is one of visible emissions.
Smoke
The smoke of the engine exhaust is a visible indicator of the combustion process in
the engine. Smoke is due to incomplete combustion. Smoke in diesel engine can be divided
into three categories viz., blue, white and black. Visible method of analysis is used for
quantifying the above three smokes. Smoke measurements can be broadly classified into two
groups viz. Comparison method and obscuration method.
Comparison Method:
Most ordinances regulation smoke emissions are based on estimation of the density of
the smoke as it emerges from the exhaust. Of the several available methods, the one of the
commonly used method is the Ringlemann Chart. To overcomes the difficulty of reproducing
various width. The four intermediate charts are printed by United States Bureau of Mines on
a single 70cm X 25cm sheet. They may be reproduced as follows:
0 All white
1 Black lines 1mm thick, 10mm apart, leaving white spaces 9mm square.
2 Lines 2.3mm thick, spaces 7.7mm square
3 Lines 3.7mm thick, spaces 6.3mm square
4 Lines 5.5mm thick, spaces 4.5mm square
5 All black

In use, the chart is set up at eye level in line with the stack at such distance that the
sections appear to be different degrees of uniform gray shades. The appearance of the smoke
at the top of the stack is matched against one of the shades on the card and reported as
specific Ringlemann number ranging from 0 to No.5. With practice, an observer can estimate

smoke density to half a number, particularly in the Nos. 2 to 4 range. Readings below No. 2
Ringelmann are subject to considerable error.
Obscuration Method:
It is basically divided into light extinction type, continuous filtering type and spot
filtering type.
Light Extinction Type: In this method of testing, the intensity of a light beam is
reduced by smoke which is a measure of smoke intensity.

A continuously taken exhaust sample is passed through a tube of about 45cm length
which has light source at one end and photocell at the other end. The amount of light passed
through this column is used as an indication of smoke level or smoke density. The smoke
level or smoke density is defined as the ratio of electric output from photocell when sample is
passed through the column to the electric output when clean air is passed through it.
Light from a source is passed through a standard length tube containing the exhaust
gas sample from the engine and at its other end the transmitted light is measured by a suitable
device. The fraction of the light transmitted through the smoke (T), and the length of the light
path (Ll) are related by the Beer-Lambert law.
T = e-KacLl
Where kac=nA.
kac is called the optical absorption coefficient of the obscuring matter per unit length,
n the number of soot particles per unit volume, A the average projected area of each particles
and the specific absorbance per particle.
Continuous Filtering Type: In this method provision is made for continuous reading
and observing transient conditions.

Measurement of smoke intensity is achieved by continuously passing exhaust gas

through a moving strip of filter paper and collecting particles. Van brand smoke meter is the
popular instrument based on this principle. Van Brand smoke meter is also filters darkening
type. The exhaust sample is passed at a constant rate through a strip of filter paper moving at
a present speed. A stain is imparted to the paper. The intensity of the stain is measured by the
amount of light which passes through the filter and is indication of the smoke density of
exhaust. In van Brand Smoke meter the amount of light passing through the filter is used to
indicate smoke level.
Spot Filtering Type: A smoke stain obtained by filtering a given quantity of exhaust
gas through a fixed filter paper is used for the measure of smoke intensity. The instrument is
schematically Bosch smoke meter is the popular instrument based on this principle.

A fixed quantity of exhaust gas is passed through a fixed filter paper and the density
of the smoke stains on the paper is evaluated optically. In a recent modification of this type of
smoke meter, a pneumatically operated sampling pump and a photo-electric unit are used for
the measurement of the intensity of smoke stain on filter paper.