Influence of Engine Load on Soot Mass Concentration and Morphology in Diesel Exhaust

This study investigates the relationship between exhaust gas composition, particle number (PN) emissions, and soot microstructure of a 1.9 L compression-ignition engine operated under six controlled steady-state load regimes at 2000 min−1. Unlike standardized transient procedures (e.g., WLTP), the steady-state approach enables isolation and quantification of fundamental thermochemical processes governing soot formation and NOx production, providing engine-out data highly relevant for understanding Euro 7 emission behavior at the source. The novel contributions of this study include (i) a combined macroscopic–microscopic analysis linking PN emissions with SEM/EDS-based soot morphology; (ii) distribution-based estimation of soot mass concentration using experimentally derived primary particle sizes; and (iii) an experimental demonstration of the NOx–soot trade-off across increasing load, supported by microstructural evidence of soot oxidation and agglomeration. The results show a clear decrease in PN concentrations with increasing load (from 1.31 × 107 to 6.4 × 106 cm−3), accompanied by a marked rise in NOx emissions and exhaust temperature. SEM analysis confirms a transition from fine, weakly agglomerated soot structures at low load to more compact, oxidized aggregates at high load. Distribution-based particle sizing (20–80 nm, average ~45 nm) yields soot mass estimates that are consistent with theoretical trends and more accurate than fixed-radius approaches. These findings provide experimentally supported insights into engine-out particulate behavior that complements regulatory PN metrics in Euro 7, offering a mechanistic basis for improved emission control strategies and for interpreting PN-focused regulatory thresholds under real-world operating conditions.