Report of the Petrol Volatility Project
Petrol volatility is an indication of how fast the fuel evaporates. The fuel that evaporates from the fuel tank and system of vehicles can be discharged into the air. The discharged fuel vapours are known as evaporative emissions and contribute to the development of photochemical smog. The National In-Service Vehicle Emissions (NISE) Study indicated that many vehicles are not meeting evaporative emission standards once they are on the road. The Petrol Volatility Project which was a joint initiative of Environment Australia and the Federal Office of Road Safety set out to investigate the reasons for this.
The Petrol Volatility Project Report carries the message that both reducing petrol volatility and targeting specific maintenance of vehicle carbon canisters could reduce peak photochemical smog levels. The report concludes that reducing petrol volatility is a more cost-effective option than replacing canisters. Vehicle owners can also assist by not overfilling their vehicles at the petrol pumps and by ensuring their petrol caps are in good condition and correctly fitted.
The project results have been published as Supplementary Report No. 2 to the Motor Vehicle Pollution in Australia Report.
Download Executive Summary [
PDF: 45 KB]
Download Main Report [PDF: 178 KB] and associated appendices:
| - | Appendix I | Contributors and Contractors [PDF: 13 KB] |
| - | Appendix II | Managing Authority and Phases of the Project [PDF: 14 KB] |
| - | Appendix III | Evaporative Emissions Control System [PDF: 46 KB] |
| - | Appendix IV | Testing Phase Detail [PDF: 167 KB] |
| - | Appendix V | Vehicle and Fuel Specifications [PDF: 335 KB] |
| - | Appendix VI | Raw Data Test Results [PDF: 74 KB] |
| - | Appendix VII | Canister Artificial Purge Report [PDF: 67 KB] |
| - | Appendix VIII | Adsorption Capacity of In-use Carbon Canisters - Influence of Ageing (CSIRO) [PDF: 41 KB] |
| - | Appendix IX | Emissions Inventory Modelling Report [PDF: 64 KB] |
| - | Appendix X | Photochemical Smog Modelling Report [PDF: 414 KB] |
| - | Appendix XI | Petroleum Industry Cost Analysis [PDF: 128 KB] |
| - | Appendix XII | Canister Replacement Cost Analysis Report [PDF: 125 KB] |
| - | Appendix XIII | Comparison of NISE Study Results and PV Project Results [PDF: 23 KB] |
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