Detection of Aromatic Hydrocarbons in the Exhaust Gases of a Gasoline I.C. Engine by Laser-Induced Fluorescence Technique

In this work we describe a laser induced fluorescence technique for the analysis of a mixture of aromatic compounds in the gas phase and a first attempt to monitor the exhaust of an internal combustion engine. Fluorescence spectra are recorded using a simple laser system and an optical multichannel detector. Deconvolution of the experimental broad band spectra is performed by a proper algorithm which allows to associate classes of compounds to different spectral components. Experiments are reported indicating the connection between engine running conditions and aromatic content at the exhaust.