The core of emissions certification and thus the primary element when approving a new car are emissions and consumption tests on roller dynamometers. Mercedes-Benz Cars uses considerably more than three dozen roller dynamometers on three continents in Germany, USA and China for certification and development. The introduction of the WLTP legislation with the new WLTC test cycle means that the time-to-certification has increased significantly, also because of the special requirements for plug-in hybrids and electric vehicles. The certification measurements in the emissions lab at our site in Stuttgart are not just carried out for approvals in Europe but also for almost all markets around the world. Therefore, a high five-digit number of tests on roller dynamometers takes places every year. Daimler reacted to the increased requirements in a timely manner with extensive investments in capacities.
The emissions lab in Stuttgart-Untertuerkheim is the focal point for handling certification testing. This is where the official dynamometer tests take place in the presence of a technical service both for the WLTP certification and for the certification of almost all other country variants of Mercedes-Benz vehicle models (cars and vans). In addition to operating various dynamometers, the emissions lab also assumes a leading function within the global certification work at Daimler in introducing new legal emission specifications. Apart from the dynamometers at the Stuttgart site, the roller dynamometers in Sindelfingen are also used for development scopes. From an organisational point-of-view, work on the dynamometers in vehicle development is kept strictly separate from work on the dynamometers in certification.
The majority of roller dynamometers are all-wheel dynamometers so as to fulfil the latest requirements of the certification and development work. In addition, emission roller dynamometers are operated near production sites in other German laboratories as well as at several international locations in the US and China.
Apart from the roller dynamometers, there are is other testing equipment in the emissions laboratories: the so-called SHED chamber (Sealed Housing for Evaporative Determination). This is where evaporation emissions are measured, which are currently used for the new WLTP EVAP provisions (short for Evaporation Emission; see Glossary).
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SOURCE: Daimler
