15th Symposium on Thermal Science and Engineering of

Serbia
Sokobanja, Serbia, October 1821, 2011

A METHOD FOR DEFINING STREETS AS SOURCES OF

CO2 EMISSION AND THEIR CLASSIFICATION IN THE CITY
OF NI
Mladen Tomi, Predrag ivkovi, Gradimir Ili, Mia Vuki, Jelena Milisavljevi, Petar
eki
University of Ni, Faculty of Mechanical Engineering
Aleksandra Medvedeva 14, 18000 Ni

Abstract: Traffic is one of the main sources of CO2 in Serbia, as well as in the world. The subject
of this study is to determine city streets as sources of CO2 emission in south Serbian city of Ni. In
order to make these possible, measurements were carried out of frequency of traffic at critical
intersections in the city, measurement of the concentration of CO2, as well as monitoring of a
direction of the vehicle at the crossroad. Based on these data, the connection has been established
between the traffic flow at crossroads, and traffic flow on the roads, between monitored crossroads,
enabling the definition of CO2 emissions on the road. Also, this makes it possible to perform
classification of streets according to their annual emissivity.
Keywords: COPERT, CO2, emission, traffic

1.

INTRODUCTION

Impact of pollutants, as a consequence of a traffic activity (CO, NOX, CO2, SOX, VOC) has been
very well documented [1,2]. Recently, since recognizing the problem of global warming, caused by
GHG emissions, more attention has been focused on CO2 emissions. Vehicles are representing one
of the greatest emitters all pollutants, as well as of carbon dioxide. As estimated, in the overall
balance of CO2 vehicles participate with 10%, and in Europe with 20% of anthropogenic emissions
[1]. Countries with rapid urbanization, such as India and China [3,4] are becoming increasingly
dependent on automobile transport, which becomes a major air pollutant in urban areas [3,5].
Although the measurement of CO2 concentration itself is not difficult, a closer determination of
traffic sources is very complicated considering their stochastic nature [4]. For this reason, the
different methods for modelling emissions from traffic were suggested. Such estimates are of great
importance for more efficient management of air quality. An emission from traffic depends on
many parameters: vehicle type, engine size, age, fuel used, cruising; all these parameters affects the
emissions. Examining the emissions of CO2 during the study, the authors have chosen smacro
approachs or top bottom approach to determine CO2 emission from a vehicle, and based on
obtained emission data, and determined traffic frequency a micro approach or bottom up

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approach to determine CO2 concentration on a specific location. Such data, when they are
sufficiently determined, can be used for building a national inventory of emissions. [2,6,7]. In
recent years there have been significant efforts in determining emissions in the function of engine
types, engine size and the speed at which the vehicle is moving [7,8,9,10]. Based on this study,
various models for prediction of gaseous emissions were developed [1,2,11,12]. COPERT,
computer program used in this paper, [13] utilizes the macroscopic approach. Emission assessment
was done on the basis of data measured on the major intersections in the City, as well as from the
data obtained from the Republic of Serbia Ministry of Interior Affairs, PU Ni (in further text
referred as MUP).

2.

METHODOLOGY

Traffic monitoring was done on the main crossroads in the City. Selected locations are main street
intersections, or characteristic locations on main streets, fig. 1:
Bulevar Nemanjia Sremska ulica, (Boulevard),
Bulevar Dr Zorana inia Zetska ulica, (City Hospital),
Stefana Prvovenanog Vodova, (Theater),
Bulevar Nikole Tesle Pantelejska, (Jagodin Mala),
Obliiev Venac Duanova, (Marger).

Figure 1. Measuring locations in the City of Ni

Quantification of traffic intensity was done by counting vehicles that pass through the crossroad,
where logging is performed every 5 min for a period from 5 a.m., until 1 a.m. next day. This period
was chosen as the period when public transport is active. The vehicles were divided into two

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categories: passenger cars, and buses with trucks. The category of passenger cars implies scooters,
motorcycles, cars and light trucks, while buses and trucks imply buses and heavy vehicles. The fact,
that the measurement was done in autumn, makes the number of scooters and motorcycles
negligible. While traffic monitoring, CO2 concentration measurements were done. MUP, provided
data on vehicle fleet in the City. City fleet data were imputed into a software package COPERT,
from which overall CO2 traffic emissions were calculated. By averaging output per vehicle and
kilometre, an averaged emission of CO2 per vehicle and km was obtained. These results were
compared with the measured traffic intensity. The results were used for determining traffic induced
CO2 emissions. In order to establish the accuracy of the traffic frequency, crossroad of Jagodin
Mala was monitored during entire week in order to determine the measured data statistical stability.

3.

EMISSION CALCULATION

City of Ni fleet composition data used in this paper were obtained from MUP. Based on these data,
one can notice that passenger cars occupy by far the largest share of the fleet. Vehicles with petrol
engines are the most common, making almost 2/3 of the fleet. The average age of vehicles is about
14 years. This data were used for the rate of CO2 emission estimation. The values are calculated
using the COPERT methodology [11]. Basically, COPERT was used as a tool for assessing
emissions from traffic at the national level. COPERT operation is based on the analysis of large
amounts of data from several European vehicles testing facilities. This is very reliable methodology,
since the actual high-level agreement of data obtained [12]. Contribution to the total emission EC in
[kgkm-1s-1] for each sub-category of vehicles is calculated from the formula

EC

n num EF
i
i.

i 1

(1)

't

In (1), numi represents traffic flow of i-th category in vehicles per time interval t. Emission factor
EFi in [kgkm-1] is representative for each category. If we adopt a particular vehicle velocity of 23
[kmh-1] as a constant, then emission factor can be calculated as:

EF i

a u2  b u  c .

(2)

Equation (2), from which we calculate the emission factor, is generally approximated by a second
degree polynomial function of average vehicle speed, or a graph [1, 8, 9, 12].

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Some authors suggest more complicated formulas for emission calculation as a function of average
velocity [1]:

EFi

k  a u  b u2  c u3 

f
d
e
,


2
u u
u3

(3)

On the other hand, some authors obtain emission factor as a function of acceleration, and velocity
and acceleration product [8, 10, 14-16]. Due its simplicity, eg 2 was used in the paper.
Althrough EFi is not a constant, it is assumed that for an average vehicle speed, it is approximately
a constant.
3.1.

Fleet composition

As it has been stated earlier in the paper, MUP data were used for the analysis. Vehicles were
divided into following categories: Personal vehicles, Buses, Trucks, and Motorcycles.
Personal vehicles By its number, passenger cars, by far, represent most of the fleet, with number of
60720 a 91.12% of the fleet. Before inputting the data into the COPERT, statistical averaging was
carried out while processing the data obtained from the MUP, in order to adjust them for use in
COPERT. For the average mileage per year in the City, an amount of 3500 km per year was
adopted, with uncertainty of 10%. The speed was adopted by monitoring the driving habits. In
average, driver crosses 10 km per day in the city.
Buses In the City of Ni total of 477 buses has been registered. However, during the emission
calculation, only the buses from the public transport company, where used into the account.
According to [17], in the year 2009., in the public transport 124 buses were engaged, and they have
made 8609250 kilometres during a one year period. This makes public transport buses far more
influential, and then other busses registered in the city.
Trucks During the traffic frequency counting, light trucks, were counted among passenger cars.
Authors have adopted for a boundary between light and heavy trucks, an engine size of 2000 cm3.
All transport vehicles from the MUP data, which engine is larger than 2000 cm3, were assorted
among heavy trucks. For an annual mileage 2000 km were adopted on the city territory, with an
uncertainty of 10%.

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Figure 2. Composition of the Fleet in Ni.

Motorcycles During the time period when the monitoring was done, the number of motorcycles on
the streets was negligible. Also, motorcycle number itself is negligible in relation to motor vehicles.

Figure 3. Structure of personal vehicles per fuel type.

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Figure 4. Structure of personal vehicles per engine size in cm3.

Figure 5. Structure of personal vehicles per age in years.

3.2.

Traffic monitoring validation

The results of traffic frequency monitoring at the crossroad at Jagodin Mala, have been shown in
the tables 2 and 3 with daily variations. It could be concluded from the results in the table, that the
total volume of passenger vehicles during a working day, does not vary more than 3.46%, in
comparison with the average. Also in the graphics in the fig. 6 one can see the similarity of curves
representing the frequency of traffic through the day. On the graph in two peaks could be noted: in

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the period between 8 a.m. and 9 a.m., and between 3 p.m. and 4 p.m. Those periods correspond to
the daily morning and evening rush-hours.
For the buses and trucks traffic, the biggest difference in total traffic frequency, in comparison with
the average traffic frequency, is higher and amounts 8.13%, but it is still in an acceptable limits
(table 3). Picks in the fig. 7 occur almost at the same position as in the fig. 6.

Table 1 Daily traffic fluctuation at Jagodin Mala crossroad

Date
No. of personal vehicles No. of buses and trucks
29.10.
38721
2839
30.10
37182
2951
01.12.
40428
3421
02.12.
38408
3380
average
38685
3148

1338 (3.45%)
256 (8.13%)

3.3.

Emission coefficient

COPERT analysis has shown that average personal vehicle CO2 emission is 0.330 [kgkm-1], which
is consistent with [8,18,19], as it has been presented in the table 1. For buses and trucks were
obtained coefficients respectively 2.45 and 0.66 [kgkm-1]. Due to specific features of the fleet in the
City of Ni, in comparison with western Europian fleets (age of fleet), the advantage has been given
to local emission coefficient, and error was estimated as a difference between obtained and average
data.
Table 2 Personal vehicle emission coefficient deviation

Authors
Results kgkm-1
Current research
0.330
Samaras
0.227
Joumard et al.
0.300
Average emission
0.285

0.046 (13.65%)

4.

RESULTS AND DISCUSION

Based on traffic frequency data at major intersections, it is possible to determine approximate

number of vehicles on the section between monitored crossroads. As it could be seen on figures 6
and 7, two picks occur in daily traffic variation, at 9 h, and 16 h, which correspond to daily rush
hours. An annual emission for jth main road can be estimated as:
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Ej

numi ,day EFi L j 365

(4)

i 1

The City of Ni has 266 km of streets and local roads [20]. The length of monitored street sections
is 4.35 km long, which makes 1.63% of overall streets in the city. The traffic in this street section
contributes with 15.90% in the total annual emission in the city. Results for the sections have been
presented in table 4 for personal vehicle subcategory, and in table 5 for buses and trucks.

Table 3 Number of vehicles in the City of Ni and their average annual mileage on the City territory per
vehicle

Vehicle Type
Personal
Vehicle
Trucks
Buses
Sum

No. of
Vehicles
58049

Annual Mileage in the City

[km]
3500

Annual CO2 emission

[t]
67034.28

2286
124
60459

2000
69500
-

2996.1
20775
90805.38.1

Figure 6. Daily variation of personal vehicles traffic on observed sections.

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Figure 7. Daily variation of personal vehicles CO2 emission on observed sections.

The rest of 261.65 km contributes with 84.10% or 76397.00 t of CO2 (tables 4 and 5). Based upon
this fact, it is possible to divide streets in the city, into two categories. The first category occupies
monitored street sections, with annual emissivity of 3318.46 t of CO2 per km. The second category,
which is complementary to the first one, has the emissivity of 291.87 t of CO2 per km of street.
Table 4 Personal vehicles CO2 emission estimation on observed street sections

Street section

Section length CO2 emission CO2 emission

[km]
[kgkm-1day-1]
[t year-1]
Boulevard 7 Juli
1,63
5900,7
3510,62
7 Juli Theater
0,38
6258,8
868,1
Boulevard C. Hospital
1,00
6051,6
2208,8
Theater C. Hospital
0,95
4839,8
1766,5
J. Mala 7 Juli
0,39
6822,4
2490,2
Sum
4,35
10844,2
1,63%
16,11%
Table 5 Busses and trucks CO2 emission estimation on observed street sections

Length CO2 Emission CO2 Emission

[t year-1]
[km] [kgkm-1day-1]
Boulevard 7 Juli
1,63
2456
1461,2
7 Jul Theater
0,38
2835
393,2
Boulevard C. Hospital
1
676,9
247,07
Theater C. Hospital
0,95
3132,9
1086,3
J. Mala 7 Juli
0,39
2835,2
403,6
Sum
4,35
3591,1
1,63%
15.11%
Street Section

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Table 6 Specific annual emission for road categories

Length Annual emissivity
[km]
[t km-1]
I category
4.35
3318,46
II category 261.65
291,87
5.

ERROR ESTIMATION

On the basis of traffic deviation data, emission deviation data, and eq. 4, it is possible to calculate
emission deviation. Deviations have been presented in the table for the observed sections, and for
total annual emission. The analysis of the method conducted by [21] has shown that depending on
the method can vary up to 36%. The main reason for high value of uncertainty is the uncertainty of
emission data on the first place, but also uncertainty of average mileage in the city.
V Ei

numi V L EFi  num i L V EFi  V num L EFi

(5)

Table 7 Obtained deviations for observed section and total emission

Emission deviation
Vehicle
Observed
type
section
Personal vehicles 17.06%
Buses
20.54%
Trucks
6.

Total
emission
23.64%
13.94%
24.11%

CONCLUSIONS

In the present paper, a method for determining street emission has been presented. During the study,
6 major cross roads in the city were monitored. Monitoring of cross roads has enabled
determination of traffic on street section between those sections. In order to calculate a specific
emission of the city fleet, the fleet composition data were obtained from the Ministry of Interior.
According to this data, specific vehicle emission, and total annual emission was calculated using the
COPERT methodology. This has enabled to assign to each subcategory, personal vehicles and buses
and trucks an emission value, and therefore to calculate annual emissions. The results have shown
that on observed sections, the emission per km is 11 times higher, in comparison to the rest of the
city. Based upon this fact division was made on two categories: main streets, and side streets. On
the end in the paper an error analysis was given. Although high, the error is still in a reasonable
boundary. There is still a need for further research however, since there are still many gaps in
emission data. Closer determining of emission data for categories, and annual mileage would
additionally raise the quality of input data, and therefore output data.

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AKNOWLEGAMENT

Authors would like to thank Ministry of Interior - Republic of Serbia for providing data of the fleet
composition in the City of Ni.
NOMENCLATURE
E
EC
EF
i
j
L
num
u

total emission in
[t]
emission contribution in
[kgkm-1s-1]
emission coefficient in
[kgkm-1]
coordinate for vehicle category
coordinate for section
mileage, section length in
[km]
vehicle number
[-]
average vehicle speed in
[kmh-1]




error
deviation

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