International Research Journal of Engineering and Technology (IRJET)
e-ISSN: 2395-0056
Volume: 13 Issue: 02 | Feb 2026
p-ISSN: 2395-0072
www.irjet.net
An integrated On-Vehicle E-filtration System for Roadway Air Quality Enhancement Kalpesh Bharambe E & TC Hardware Engineer, AE (Electronics & Automotive Systems), Maharashtra India ------------------------------------------------------------------------***---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Abstract - Roadway air pollution remains a critical emission regulations and cleaner propulsion technologies,
near-road air pollution remains a persistent challenge in densely populated urban regions.
environmental and public health challenge due to the high concentration of particulate matter and gaseous pollutants in near-road environments. Conventional mitigation strategies largely focus on emission control at the source or large-scale infrastructure-based solutions, for dynamically polluted traffic corridors. This paper proposes an Integrated On-Vehicle EFiltration System for Roadway Air Quality Enhancement. The proposed system utilizes vehicle-induced airflow through an aerodynamic intake duct positioned in the frontal stagnation zone, enabling passive air capture without additional propulsion energy. Particulate matter (PM₂.₅ and PM₁₀) is removed using a electrostatic filtration module, where electrically charged plates capture suspended particles with low pressure drop. The filtered air is subsequently routed through a photocatalytic neutralization chamber activated by UV-LEDs, facilitating the breakdown of selected gaseous pollutants into less harmful compounds. An ACU is integrated with vehicle electronics, regulates system operation based on real-time air quality, vehicle speed, and power availability. Purified air is discharged through an angled outlet located near the upper region of the front wheel arch, strategically designed to prevent re-entrainment with tire-generated dust. The system is modular, scalable for four-wheelers, and compatible with existing automotive architectures. The system demonstrates the feasibility of a vehicle-integrated, motionassisted approach for roadway air quality enhancement.
Conventional air pollution mitigation strategies largely focus on controlling emissions at the source or deploying stationary air purification infrastructure. While emission control technologies have achieved notable success, they do not address pollutants generated from non-exhaust sources or the accumulation of contaminants in dynamic traffic environments. Similarly, fixed roadside air purification systems are limited by high installation costs, space constraints, and restricted spatial coverage. These limitations highlight the need for innovative, mobile, and decentralized approaches capable of interacting directly with polluted roadway air. In recent years, growing attention has been directed toward non-exhaust emission sources such as tire wear, brake wear, and resuspended road dust, which contribute substantially to particulate matter concentrations in urban traffic settings. These sources are largely unaffected by powertrain electrification and tightening emission norms, indicating that improvements in propulsion technology alone are insufficient to achieve meaningful reductions in near-road particulate pollution. Furthermore, pollutant accumulation in the immediate vicinity of moving vehicles creates highly localized exposure zones that are not adequately addressed by city-scale monitoring or centralized mitigation strategies. This context underscores the necessity for localized, adaptive, and mobility-aware pollution control solutions.
Key Words: On-Vehicle Air Pollution Control, Roadway Air Quality Enhancement, Electrostatic Particle Filtration, Photocatalytic Air Neutralization, PM₂.₅ and PM₁₀ Mitigation, Adaptive Control Unit (ACU), VehicleInduced Airflow, Smart E-Filtration System, Near-Road Pollution Mitigation, Automotive Environmental Systems
Recent research has explored advanced air filtration and photocatalytic techniques for pollutant removal in roadside environment applications. However, the integration of such technologies into moving vehicles for active treatment of roadway air remains largely unexplored. Vehicles inherently interact with large volumes of air during motion, presenting an untapped opportunity to utilize vehicle-induced airflow for environmental mitigation without substantial additional energy consumption. Motivated by this gap, this system proposes an Integrated On-Vehicle E-Filtration System for Roadway Air Quality Enhancement.
1. Introduction Rapid urbanization and the continuous growth of vehicular traffic have significantly deteriorated air quality in roadway environments. Traffic corridors are characterized by elevated concentrations of particulate matter (PM₂. ₅ and PM₁₀) and gaseous pollutants, primarily due to vehicle exhaust emissions, tire and brake wear, and resuspension of road dust.
The primary objective of this work is to design and assess the feasibility of a vehicle-mounted system that combines electrostatic particle filtration, UV-assisted photocatalytic neutralization, and adaptive electronic control to treat nearroad ambient air during normal vehicle operation. The proposed approach aims to complement existing emission
Prolonged exposure to such pollutants poses serious risks to public health, particularly for pedestrians, cyclists, roadside residents, and traffic personnel Despite advancements in
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