Y-Emissions Lab
About the Lab
We conduct research on transportation systems, emissions, and air quality along the Wasatch Front and across Utah. Our work combines field measurement, data analysis, and modeling to inform policy decisions. The Y-emissions lab is led by Darrell Sonntag, assistant professor in the Department of Civil & Construction Engineering at Brigham Young University.
Active Projects
Remote Sensing Emissions Monitoring
We operate the Fuel Efficiency Automobile Test (FEAT) remote sensing device at fixed roadside locations to measure exhaust emissions (CO₂, CO, HC, NO, NO₂, and NH₃) from passing vehicles. This non-intrusive approach allows us to collect emissions data from thousands of vehicles under real-world driving conditions. FEAT was developed by Gary Bishop, Don Stedmand, and colleagues at the University of Denver, who collected over a million emission measurements across the US and international locations made publicly available in the FEAT data repository. Gary Bishop generously donated FEAT to the Y-Emissions lab, and we have since collected more than 90,000 emission measurements from light-duty and heavy-duty vehicles to date, are in the process of updating them to the Y-emissions data repository
Status: Active data collection — Wasatch Front corridors
Publications
- Comparison of Real-World Emissions from Heavy-Duty Diesel Vehicles to Estimates from MOVES5
- Amber Allen is the primary author of this paper. She showed that heavy-duty diesel vehicles emit significantly more NOx during the winter and as vehicles age in Utah with implications for air quality planning and policy.
- Effects of Ambient Temperature on NOx Emissions from Heavy-Duty Diesel Vehicles Measured in Utah. Environments
- Amber is the primary author of this paper. She estimated the a relationship between ambient temperature and diesel emissions that can be used to update and improve Utah’s state-wide emissions inventory. She highlighted the importance of evaluating both ambient measurement conditions and vehicle deterioration for accurate emission estimates.
Funding
This work his supported by Utah’s Air and Water Innovation Grant provided by the Utah Governor’s Office of Economic Opportunity and the Utah Division of Air Quality Science for Solutions Grant Program
Portable Low-cost Unit for Mobile Emissions (PLUMES)
As part of a larger team with Phil Lundrigan (Electrical Engineering), Matt Jones and Dale Tree (Mechanical Engineering) and their students, we developed a new road-side emission monitoring system (PLUMES). The system integrates both low-cost and research-grade instruments within a single platform and is capable of capturing exhaust plumes from both ground-level and elevated truck exhaust configurations. By directly sampling the exhaust plume, PLUMES can measure both particulate matter and gaseous emissions. Currently, PLUMES measures (CO₂, NO, NO₂, PM2.5, and black carbon). Unlike traditional remote sensing systems, PLUMES can operate across a wider range of environments, including low-speed conditions and locations such as truck depots, expanding measurement flexibility.
Status: Active data collection — Wasatch Front corridors
Funding
This work his supported by Utah’s Air and Water Innovation Grant provided by the Utah Governor’s Office of Economic Opportunity and the Utah Division of Air Quality Science for Solutions Grant Program
Open Positions
Data
Our datasets are publicly archived and available for research use. Please cite appropriately if you use these resources.
| Resource | Description | Link |
|---|---|---|
| FEAT Data Repository | Roadside emissions measurements from across the world | University of Denver ScholarArchives |
| Y-Emissions Database | Multi-year roadside emissions measurements | BYU ScholarArchives |
Interested in joining the lab? Contact me.