The chair welcomed the participants of the 6th Meeting of the Informal Working Group on Vehicle Interior Air Quality. The agenda for the meeting (VIAQ-06-02) was reviewed and accepted by all participants.

The secretary summarized the meeting minutes of the 5th VIAQ meeting (VIAQ-05-13). The meeting minutes were accepted by the participants without corrections.

VIAQ-05-13 | Draft minutes of the 5th VIAQ informal group session

The chair gave a progress report that summarized closed working items, remaining open item issues, and the roadmap, to the group (VIAQ-06-07).

3.1 Task from 5th meeting: Comments on test temperature ambient mode 23° or 25°C

Dr. Lee on behalf of Korea gave a presentation on VIAQ measurement results at 23°C and 25°C. Measured values for VOCs and Aldehydes were very similar at both temperatures. Acetaldehyde and Formaldehyde were slightly higher at 25°C. The expert from Korea concluded that ambient test temperature can be set to 23°C or 25°C. Korea would prefer testing at 25°C, but won’t oppose 23°C (VIAQ-06-09).

Dr. Bulycheva on behalf of Russia said that 23°C test temperature is more relevant for Russia, but won’t oppose a compromise.

Prof. Ge on behalf of China suggested a compromise of testing temperature from 23,0-25,0°C.

Dr. Kovacs on behalf of OICA said that OICA is in favour of 23°C test temperature, but won’t oppose on a test temperature of 25°C. However, OICA temperature deviation at 25°C [then] has to be limited to +/- 0,5°C.

The group concluded on the compromise of China for an ambient test temperature from 23,0-25,0°C, recommended to be as close as possible to 25.0 °C, and closed this working item.

VIAQ-06-09 | Korea comments on the VIAQ informal group work items

3.2 Task from 5th meeting: Korea opinion to refer to vehicle category 1-1

All members agreed that the test procedure should cover passenger cars as well as trucks and busses used as passenger cars. However the test procedure cannot cover [buses] for public transport, with standing passengers and truck for transportation of goods.

Therefore all members concluded to change the vehicle category from the 1958 agreement (M1 or N1) to the definition of the 1998 agreement (category 1-1) (see VIAQ-02-06 for definitions) and close this working item.

3.3 OICA position on open issues of working item list

This topic was discussed under agenda point “3.4 Working item list”.

3.4 Working items list

The group discussed the remaining working items that are not closed and closed the following items:

Car Type: Category 1-1 according to 1998 Agreement

Preconditioning 1 day before measurement (soak time): Condition vehicle nearby the test facility. Store vehicles at temperature as close as possible to soak temperature (recommended to be 20-30°C). Prevent vehicles from contamination and avoid direct sunlight. All doors and windows should be closed during storage time. Workers should carefully deal with the vehicle to prevent contamination.

Ambient mode doors opening: Doors shall be opened for 60 min prior to start soak time.

Ambient mode temperature: 23.0-25.0°C, recommended to be as close as possible to 25.0 °C

Parking mode test temperature and condition time: Resulting temperature after heat radiation from top for 4h with 400W/m². Details of heat radiation see current ISO12219-1.

Driving mode test temperature: 23.0-25.0°C

Driving mode process: “Before starting of driving mode, install the two VOC sorbent tubes and the two DNPH cartridges, and purge the dead volume in the test vehicle. The air condition is set off. Connect the exhaust pipe of the test vehicle with the ventilation system of test chamber to remove the exhaust gases outdoors. Open one door, start the engine. Keep gear in neutral or park position. Engine must be running during sampling for 30± 2 min at idling speed with the minimum frequency of idling, declared by the manufacturer. Turn on the air conditioning at 23.0-25.0°C in automatic mode. For test vehicles without automatic air-conditioning systems, the temperature should be set to the coldest position of the heating and the fan is set in highest performance mode with fresh-air ventilation. The doors and windows of test vehicle shall be closed during the whole mode. Additional ventilation systems are only allowed if part of the series vehicle and normal vehicle operation procedure during driving. The duration between opening the door and closing should be 1 min. After 1 min of engine operation, turn on the pumps of the sampling trains (recommended two for VOCs and two for carbonyl compounds, each in parallel). The sampling of air samples in the test vehicle cabin is performed at elevated temperature for 30 min. The flow rate is adjusted to maximum 0.2 l/min for VOCs and 1 l/min for carbonyl compound measurements. The measurement procedures specified in ISO 16000-6 (VOCs) and ISO 16000-3 (carbonyl compounds) shall be followed. At the same time, turn on the sampling trains in the whole vehicle test chamber to determine the VOCs and carbonyl compounds background concentrations (recommended two sampling trains for VOCs and two for carbonyl compounds). After completion of sampling, turn off the engine. Stop the pumps of the sampling trains and the heating radiators/lamps. The sampling volumes shall be read and registered. The VOC sorbent tubes and DNPH cartridges shall be taken out of the sampling train for the analysis as specified in ISO 16000-6 and ISO 16000-3. Stop the continuous measurements for temperature and relative humidity. This is the end of the test mode.”

Repeated test: Only 1 vehicle needs to be tested, but repeatability tests are recommended for lab validation.

Sampling number of cartridges: 1 sample Aldehyde + 1 sample screening is mandatory. It is recommended to test additional sample Aldehyde + screening.

Sampling flow: max. flow for DNPH cartridges up to 1.0 L/min and for Tenax TA cartridges up to 0.2 L/min.

Sampling time: Aldehydes and VOCs 30 min each.

Reports: take over from ISO 12219-1.

One working item remains as provisional conclusion:

OICA proposed the following vehicle family concept:

“The selection of vehicles should be based on a family concept to minimize testing cost. Therefore it is recommended to measure vehicles only in one colour. The colour should be dark in exterior and interior (preferably black) to have the highest solar loading in parking mode testing. Vehicles should be grouped according to similar interior material concepts. Same upholstery (leather or textile), same surface materials, often described by same interior lines are considered as similar interior concepts.”

To do: The members are requested to review the proposal for a family concept until the 7th meeting.

The decisions are documented in the new working item list (VIAQ-06-05)

VIAQ-06-05 | List of work items for the 6th VIAQ informal group session

4.1 Task from 5th meeting: Comments to draft document

The input from the members is included in the new version of the draft document (VIAQ-06-03).

4.2 Draft document for Recommendation

The drafter group discussed, if the chapters on general and special provisions should be in part I or II in the document.

To do: Jongsoon Lim to clarify with GRPE secretary

VIAQ-06-03 | VIAQ informal group working draft document (clean version)

Roadmap is unchanged from 5th meeting:
“The chair noted that the group would make a draft document of VIAQ recommendations in 2017. The chair proposed to submit the first informal document next January to GRPE for the first consideration. Then, he would like to submit the final document in June 2017 in order to ensure there is enough time to meet the mandate.”

The chair mentioned to discuss on the second stage of the VIAQ mandate in 7th meeting.

To do: Members to present VIAQ related topics that need to be harmonized under GRPE VIAQ mandate

Prof. Ge gave an introduction to the draft of the new China legislation for VIAQ.

The chair thanked all presenters for their contributions and all participants for their interest.

The 7th meeting is proposed for:
11th January 2017, UN Geneva

A drafter meeting will be scheduled as phone conference in December 2016.