REduction of Break weaR Emissions in the Transport sector

PROJECT DESCRIPTION

BACKGROUND

In recent years, the brake industry has begun to recognise that need to eliminate non-exhaust particulate matter (PM) emissions produced by brake systems. While technical solutions are being developed for private cars, public transport vehicles pose a greater challenge. Several studies have shown that bus stops can become areas of high PM10 concentration levels, thereby increasing health risks for waiting passengers. 

Although the level of fine particles in Europe’s urban air has been gradually decreasing over the past decade – t he annual mean concentration of fine particles (PM2.5) in EU urban areas fell from 19.4 μg/m3 in 2011 to 12.6 μg/m3 in 2019, according to Eurostat – road traffic exhaust and non-exhaust emissions (e.g. tyre, brake and road wear, resuspension) are still too high and road traffic is continuing to grow in Europe. While pollutants are mostly within EU air quality thresholds, a number of hotspots have been identified in Europe where air pollution exceeds set limits. Moreover, despite the general improvement, 2019 levels are still above those recommended by the World Health Organization (10 μg/m3 annual mean).

OBJECTIVES

The project RE-BREATH aims to demonstrate the effectiveness of an innovative braking system that can reduce PM10 emissions from road bus transport by up to 33%. It will show that its system is more durable and reliable than commonly used brake systems. In particular, the new system will reduce non-exhaust brake PM emissions at and around bus stops or in areas close to where braking occurs.

The improvements in durability will significantly reduce the amount of waste produced by replacing end-of-life brakes and will reduce the need for raw materials for the production of brakes, including copper, chromium and manganese.

Specifically, the project aims to:

• Design and create new brakes for road public transport, which can decrease the brake wear rate and PM emissions, while increasing durability when compared to the traditional braking system;
• Improve air quality in terms of PM10 emissions, by evaluating the emissions of at least 40 brakes installed in 10 buses at the bus stops and in other hotspots;
• Evaluate the improvement of the brake disc lifespan, and in particular the decreased wear rate; and

Support national authorities in estimating non-exhaust emissions to be used by the European Monitoring and Evaluation Programme and the emission inventory of the European Environment Agency, in compliance with Directive 2016/2284/EC, by modelling a concentration map of pollutants emitted from brake wear and a pedestrians health exposure risk map and by supporting the design of a green intervention along the bus routes in Bergamo and Bratislava and the formulation of guidelines for policy-makers.

RESULTS

Expected results:

1. Demonstration of an innovative brake system that has greater durability than conventional systems (increase from 100 000 km to 150 000 km) with a consequent reduction in the consumption of raw materials – mostly copper and manganese – and GHG emissions;
2. Reduction by 33% of PM10 emissions from brake wear; and
3. Demonstration of brake system on a fleet of 10 buses in Bergamo (Italy) and Bratislava (Slovakia).