Bosch Air Quality Solutions

Bosch has been operating in the United Kingdom and Ireland for 125 years and in that time our business has changed and developed enormously. Bosch constantly adapts to the needs of people and businesses and as we celebrate this significant milestone we know that the environment is at the front of most people’s minds.

Around the world, Air Quality is playing an increasingly important role in making urban areas liveable and sustainable. Bosch’s motto “Invented for life” involves an extensive commitment to improving Air Quality. Bosch is contributing to the sustainable and eco-friendly mobility of tomorrow with an innovative portfolio of accurate products for zero-emission driving from its Mobility Solutions business sector.

As part of that, the Bosch solutions are focused on providing highly precise data to measure, understand and improve Air Quality and identify pollution sources on a broad scale. Our expertise is broad and is based on three main pillars:

❶ Air Quality Monitoring Boxes: Bosch has developed two real-time generations of “Indicative-level” sensors to perform reliable monitoring campaigns. The units can be configured to different use cases, depending on area of study, sensor size and city-specific conditions or requirements and desired parameters, PM1, PM2.5, PM10, NO2, O3, CO, and SO2, temperature, humidity, and pressure, among others. From our perspective, “Indicative-level” accurate data, in accordance with the EU 2008/50/EC guidelines is essential for deriving and implementing specific and robust measures to improve Air Quality.

❷ Environmentally Sensitive Traffic Management (ESTM): a microscopic model of traffic related emissions. ESTM generates highly accurate traffic emissions data in real time. This data evaluates the contribution made by moving traffic to the overall emissions situation. This contribution can be reduced through specific interventions in traffic management. For example, traffic flow can be facilitated by adjusting traffic light controls. The model is ideal to understand emissions related impact before and after every traffic intervention, like implementing a Clean Air Zone, street closures or any other traffic modification.

❸ Air Quality Dispersion Modelling: as the name indicates, this is a high precision and cloud-based Air Quality Dispersion Model (AQDM) that generates tailored and sustainable measures at hotspots subject to increased emissions.

This 3D simulation makes it possible to incorporate local emission sources, such as those resulting from traffic, wind, dust related particulates, and other sources, in a very fine-grained holistic resolution model. AQDM takes into consideration the local urban development as well as current weather, and the dispersion calculation model can also be used for an entire urban area. This is also an ideal tool for a real time overview or a before and after intervention assessment.

Multiple positive results

In one of the most recognised Air Quality projects performed by Bosch (in partnership with Transport for London) we were able to demonstrate a marked improvement in localised Air Quality in Brixton, London. The project had other positive outcomes, including reduced traffic congestion and smoother traffic flow, and a greater understanding of how wind and the weather affect the dispersion of pollutants across the inner-city area.

To put it in numbers, a reduction in nitrogen oxide (NOx) of nearly 20 percent was recorded. Average vehicle speed increased from 8.7mph to 10.6mph. Therefore, the traffic light signalling strategy will continue to be used in Brixton to improve traffic flow and Air Quality.

In summary

Bosch offers a highly precise portfolio of solutions to monitor and improve Air Quality in towns and cities. We can configure our Air Quality products and find the most effective balance between hardware and software, suitable to support the need and requirements on a project-specific basis.

Bosch can also support an easy integration into existing traffic management systems or by API with any customer desired interface.

In addition, the system is entirely scalable. It can cover from a small corridor to an entire city area.

Bosch has integrated the management and overview of the three products through a self-developed digital cloud interface, enabling the interaction between our Air Quality modular solutions and facilitating a comprehensive view of an area’s Air Quality ecosystem.

Pilot projects

We have concluded several projects across the UK, Europe and globally to test and demonstrate the importance and the relevant results that can be obtained with our portfolio.

We can highlight our participation in two different Air Quality monitoring campaigns in Scotland, one of which is a long-term co-location evaluation in Glasgow, Hope Street and another is a campaign with a school in Perth and Kinross.

There have been further research related projects in Manchester and London, plus industry specific campaigns with manufacturing organisations, ports and harbours, and airports. In addition, there are many more activities in Germany, Spain and France as well. Feel free to reach out via our contact details below for further information.

For further information please:

• See www.bosch-mobility-solutions.com/en/solutions/airquality-solutions/air-quality-solutions

• Contact Agustin Arguello at agustin.arguello@uk.bosch.com.