From Direct Sensing to Combustion Chemistry: Field-Driven Methodology Evolution in Heavy-Duty Diesel Emissions Diagnostics, 2015–2026

A decade-long retrospective on how an emissions-based maintenance methodology for heavy-duty diesel fleets evolved through field deployment rather than theory. Drawing on surface-mining haul-truck programs across three continents (2015–2026), it traces four inflection points: early fleet-scale fuel-reduction validation; OEM-supervised ground-truth comparison against fill-to-fill measurement; a sensor-economics shift from direct CO₂ measurement to continuous O₂-based monitoring; and consolidation into a multi-tenant diagnostic platform spanning multiple OEMs and EPA engine tiers.

A central finding: ECM-reported fuel rates systematically overstate actual consumption, while the certification-grade carbon balance method proves operationally tractable at fleet scale.

Published by Starboard Research — a segment of Starboard Investment, LLC. Patents US 10,718,284 B2 and IN 553,370.