Development of a photocell-based system supported by simulations for road vehicle counting and particle emissions estimation

This work presents the design and implementation of an innovative system that utilizes photocells for road vehicle counting and computational simulations to estimate traffic-related particulate (PM10) emissions. The integration of photocell technology has resulted in a robust system with reduced counting errors, ensuring high accuracy in correlating traffic counts with emission values. The system was evaluated under various environmental conditions, demonstrating its effectiveness in providing reliable real-time data on the impact of road traffic on particle emissions. The methodology included the use of the ADMS-Urban model for emission estimation and simulations with Ansys Fluent, enabling the acquisition of dependable real-time data. The results indicate a strong agreement between measured and calculated PM10 concentrations, with the system maintaining precision comparable to direct observations. The observed values of 5.0 µg/m3 and 19.2% for absolute and relative errors, respectively, demonstrate the system's remarkable performance, supported by a robust correlation represented by R2 = 0.88. This strong correlation underscores the reliability of the employed model, suggesting its capability to capture and explain a substantial portion of the variability in PM10 concentrations. Validation campaigns conducted on a street in Portugal confirmed the system's ability to accurately count vehicles and estimate particle emissions. The analysis revealed a significant agreement between measured and calculated average PM10 concentrations, with standard deviation values of 7.0 µg/m3 for measured concentrations and 7.5 µg/m3 for calculated concentrations, suggesting consistency between the datasets. These conclusions confirm that the system is a valuable tool for researchers and policymakers, providing crucial insights for the management and improvement of urban air quality, contributing to the development of urban planning policies and environmental sustainability.