Measuring emissions from an excavator in Norway: our ISM campaign under real-world conditions.

Discover in detail our ISM measurement project on an excavator in Norway, from installation to results.

A measurement campaign under real operating conditions

The Stage V regulation imposes strict emission requirements on non-road machinery, with the goal of reducing the environmental impact of combustion-engine vehicles operating on construction sites. To demonstrate compliance, operators must now be able to produce data measured directly in real-world conditions, following the ISM (In-Service Monitoring) protocol. It is in this context that our client wished to evaluate the pollutant emissions of their excavator under its normal operating conditions, while maintaining continuity of operations.

The particular challenge of this mission lay in the very nature of the vehicle: a large-scale machine, complex to measure under real operating conditions, whose dimensions and configuration imposed significant installation constraints. The available space for installing the PEMS (Portable Emissions Measurement System) was limited, and any intervention had to be carried out without disrupting ongoing operations. Obtaining representative measurements on such a machine required rigorous organisation and technical adaptability both in preparation and on the ground.

A bespoke ISM campaign, designed not to constrain operations

To address this challenge, we deployed an ISM test campaign by instrumenting the machine with a PEMS system, enabling real-time measurement of the main pollutants regulated under the Stage V standard: nitrogen oxides (NOx), particulate matter (PM and PN), and carbon monoxide (CO). The tests were conducted over several consecutive hours under real operating conditions, in order to cover a sufficient variety of operational situations and ensure the statistical representativeness of the collected data.

Several key parameters were monitored throughout the campaign, including the various load cycles encountered by the engine. Logistics represented a challenge in their own right: as the test site was remote from our premises, transporting the measurement equipment required advance planning, rigorous integrity checks upon arrival, and close coordination with the operator to ensure our tests did not disrupt operations.

Expertise mobilised beyond compliance

This type of mission illustrates CRMT's ability to operate in all types of operational contexts, on vehicles ranging from simple tractors to more complex machinery. Drawing on its expertise in real-world operating condition measurements, our team was able to adapt its installation and measurement methodology to the specific constraints of the machine, proposing technical solutions suited to its overall environment. Beyond mere regulatory compliance, this campaign provided the client with precise knowledge of the different emission types from their vehicle under normal operating conditions — a solid foundation for anticipating future regulatory developments and, where appropriate, embarking on optimisation initiatives.

Through these ISM tests, CRMT confirms its ability to adapt to all types of environments and equipment, including the most demanding from a logistical and technical standpoint, actively contributing to the reduction of pollutant emissions in the non-road machinery sector.